As you move farther up the rot chain, there are more mushrooms to consider growing in conjunction with your compost pile. They, of course, come in a broad range of flavors and growing ease. But here are a few to consider. Wine Cap Stropharia (Stropharia Rugosoannulata) Most hardwood varieties of trees can work including beech, poplar, maple, oak, birch, elm and more. This is basically the same process but involving straw. If you use this method, you’ll want to avoid getting any of the water on your hands or clothes. The smell is very difficult to get off. Button mushrooms, unlike other mushrooms, contain no fat or cholesterol. Fresh or cooked, these fruits are an excellent addition to any dish. Button mushroom kits can occasionally be unavailable in your area. How do I grow button mushrooms without a kit? Depending on the conditions you provide for them, they can be planted and harvested within four weeks. Because button mushrooms require a lot of water, you’ll need a kit that includes everything you need, including spores. It is possible to grow button mushrooms indoors or outdoors, but they must be well-watered. The type of mushrooms you want to grow in conjunction with your compost will depend on composting and culinary goals. If you are looking to break down raw materials, select a mushroom a little higher on the rot chain. But compost mushrooms can be “planted” in a bed of finished compost much like you would other garden vegetables.

Some mushroom compost can have high salt levels, which may negatively affect plant growth, particularly for salt-sensitive plants. To avoid issues, it's essential to test the salt content of the compost before using it and, if necessary, dilute it with other organic materials like aged manure or well-rotted compost.

Use horse manure mixed with straw as an substrate. The best compost is made from bedding left on horse stables for up to three weeks after they have been left to rot. You can proceed to pasteurization after obtaining this type of compost. Cardboard is a good substrate for beginners who are just getting started with growing mushrooms at home. It’s cheap and easy to find. Cardboard retains moisture well while the corrugations allow for good air exchange. The most common compost used for button mushrooms is a mixture of straw and horse manure. The straw is used for its ability to hold moisture and the horse manure for its high nitrogen content.

A few other species of mushrooms like shiitake may grow on coffee grounds as well, but might not produce as good of a harvest compared to growing on hardwood. Mixes Coco coir, logs and cardboard similarly don’t need to be sterilized. Pasteurization is enough to remove most of your mushroom’s competition and give it a head start. Layer compost materials with spawn at least 8 to 10 inches deep. Spent oyster mushroom straw works great as a substrate, as does composted straw, composted grass and leaves, and vegetable matter. Then mulch the bed, and keep it well-hydrated. If your city doesn’t offer any way to recycle your substrate, you can reach out to nearby farmers. They may want to add your used substrate to their own compost piles and will let you drop it off for free.While it is low in heavy metals, it can be high in soluble salts as compared to other fertilizers. In the neutral range, mushrooms compost has a pH of around 6.7. To begin preparing mushroom compost for mushroom growing, you must first perform a hot composting process for at least two weeks. Allow the material to age for a few weeks before creating a secondary pile. By doing so, you will gradually turn the compost darker brown and break it down further. If you want to add a soil additive to retain water, mushroom compost is an excellent choice. Some mushroom compost varieties contain higher levels of soluble salts than others.