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Gardening in Oz

too alkaline?

20 years ago

I have been using bags of mushroom compost, bought from a nursery, as an organic additive to my soil. Someone told me it may make the soil too alkaline. I also add homemade compost, cow manure and chicken manure, as well as sugar cane mulch and well-rotted woodchips. What do you all think?

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Comments (5)

User
20 years ago
HI Little Digger ....Well that someone was right but..... Mushroom compost we bought from the mushroom farm was just passed 9 when I did a PH on it and another time I bought a bag from one of the big named stores and I reckon it was full of old potting mix..but I did not think to take a reading, but I do know it did nothing for the soil..

Nothing wrong with home made compost though why dont you buy yourself a PH Test kit then you can test all your soil and you wont have any problems..I myself now prefer not to use Mushroom compost even though we used to let it mature for months before we used it..I am more for the H.M.Compost and cow manure and chicken manure in moderation well aged mind you everyone has different idea's and all soils are different.. You do what you think is right and if your plants are coming along fine well you have done the right thing....Cheers..MM.
Little_Digger
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks, Misty. I think I will buy myself a pH testing kit ... one of those things you think about but then put off. Re compost, when repotting plants, is it OK to add the old, depleted potting mix to the compost heap?
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Ebay is your friend. Iron is the only micronutrient that is problematic to deliver in a usable form in alkaline soil. Iron doesn't work well as a foliar spray and is horribly staining. I've never seen the proper chelate offered in an Arizona nursery, which is curious. Ferriplus or Sequestrene 138 is what you want, although they are a bit expensive. Follow the directions for soil application. The stuff will stain anything it touches red if it gets wet. Late winter ~ early spring is the most critical time for iron deficiency. There is actually plenty of iron in most Arizona soils, but the combination of cold winter soil and alkalinity totally locks out availability, especially for some rootstocks. Only the chelates in Ferriplus or Sequestrene 138 are effective at pH > 7.5, other chelated products are intended for areas that don't have our alkaline soil issues. The problem subsides somewhat as the soil warms. Zinc, manganese and magnesium are also common problems in winter alkaline soil but are easily and very cheaply cured with simple foliar sprays. Zinc sulfate and Manganese sulfate are cheap on Ebay. Magnesium sulfate is epsom salt, available at any drug store. Zinc and manganese can be applied together, magnesium is best on it's own. Wait at least a few days between applying the zinc + manganese solution and applying the magnesium. Magnesium works very well as a foliar spray, but also works well applied to the soil. Zinc and Manganese work much better as foliar sprays. For Zn + Mn, mix a solution of ~1/2 teaspoon of each mineral salt in a gallon of pure water. Purified water from a vending machine is much preferable to local tap water. It helps with absorbtion to add 1/2 teaspoon of urea per gallon to the mix, if available. Spray the leaves to runoff after sundown. Application 3 times a year works for me. Early spring application is the most important. There are premixed, all-in-one micronutrient products available at nurseries and garden centers, but in my experience it's worth the effort to order the chemicals to make the proper application, separate from competing minerals. It is much more effective. The chemicals are cheap, just a bit of hassle to order. Here is a link that might be useful: Ebay Ferriplus vendor.
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Sparaxis
20 years ago
It really comes down towhat you are trying to grow. Mucxh of my time is spent here, trying to increase the pH, so mushroom compost is excellent for my needs. If you are trying to grow azaleas or natives, then you have a problem. It also depends where you live - what your soil is like to start with. Here it is fairly acidic and heavy, so the mushroom compost increases the pH and adds humus.
9 is way too high a pH for most plants though.
I must say we had a lovely feed of mushrooms out of our new soil last year. We were eating mushrooms on toast twice a week all through winter and Spring. Yum!
I would never add straight chicken manure to my garden either as a mulch or dug in. It is way too hot, even if it has sat for some time. It would be good mixed into a compost heap and allowed to sit. Cow manure is a favourite of mine, because rumenants destroy most grass seeds during the fermentation process, so you don't get much weed growth from it, unless it has sat in a heap and had seeds blown in to it.
tell us what plants you are trying to grow for more useful assistance :-)
Cheers, Jan
Robert_NSW
20 years ago
The pH of mushroom compost always tends towards the high side, but to varying degrees. Misty is right, you need a pH testing kit.
Little_Digger
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks Jan. As for veg: lettuce, rocket, silver beet, tomatoes, beans, capsicums, zucchini, cukes. Ornamentals include roses, perennials, several camellias, gardenias. No natives or azaleas. The soil is quite heavy clay, although in cultivated areas it has been much improved.

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