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Composting

Q.compost

Anonymous added on June 1, 2015 | Answered

I just put about 3 inches of mushroom compost from a landscape business on my vegetable beds and did not mix it with the soil. Will it burn up my plants since it is just applied to the top of the existing soil?

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Heather
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Answered on June 2, 2015

It should not burn the plants, as it's not high in nitrogen, but mushroom compost is generally more effective when mixed with soil beforehand, especially when allowed to sit over some time. Salt is the worry here, epecially if you've planted seedlings. You may want to mix it into the soil rather than have it sit on top. This will allow the compost to thoroughly penetrate the soil to better provide nutrients to the plants. To reduce the threat of salt damage, try flushing the soil with water a few times. This article should also help if you have not yet read it: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/mushroom-compost.htm

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