Mushroom compost or shrimp???

Hello all. I'm a new gardener with a new flower bed and want to prep my soil, but when it comes to 'amending' my soil, I stand utterly dazed and confused at the gardening centre amidst the variety of stuff I can use. Every person and place seems to offer different advice, so it's hard to know who is right! I've been told that any compost composed of things from the sea (as in shrimp compost) is better than sheep manure or cow manure and because it's the best, it also explains why it is more costly than sheep, cow or other kinds of manure. Okay,.....then how come I came across mushroom compost that was more expensive than the shrimp? Could this simply be because it is supposed to be 'odorless', and therefore one is paying more for 'scent-free' manure/compost??? :-) Oh boy!....could someone kindly enlighten me?? Does is REALLY make a difference which I use??? The bed will have perennial flowers and some herbs. How much compost would I mix into a bed about 10 feet by 6 feet?

Would appreciate any advice or comments! Thanks, Sharron in Beaconsfield, QC

hiya stimmins,

To many, what works for them is 'The Best you can get'. Most mushroom compost is fairly depleted once you get your hands on it of it's fertility. However it is a very well stabilized organic matter and can increase tilth that way in garden soils. There is the added benefit that you may get a few tasty mushrooms in your garden from it. There are also different types of mushroom compost. If the mushrooms were flask grown, they were grown on a substrate 'casing' of meals and grains. This kind of mushroom compost can
be very expensive and also very good for the garden.

Now back to the sea; Shrimp shell meal or crab shell meals, when composted are incredibly rich in so many trace minerals it can boggle the mind. They have to be used sparingly on occasion in order to maintain a balance of certain mineral nutrients like phosphorus and calcium. One of the truly amazing things about these meals from crustacean shells is the wealth of enzymes and plant growth stimulating compounds including chitinase. Chitinase will literally keep bugs, both chewing and sucking from ever infesting your plants. The primary function of chitinase is the breakdown of chitin, which is what all insect pests are made of. They take in the enzymes from walking on plants and the chitinase goes to work basically digesting the insects.

This was proven in studies done by Los Angeles area gardeners in conjunction with the University of California at Riverside on a whitefly species that was out of control here in southern California a few years back. The whitefly was the Giant Mexican Whitefly (Aleurodicus dugesii). Infestations were reduced with mild chitinase containing organics like worm castings and were wiped out with materials containing higher levels of this enzyme like crab shell and shrimp shell meal.

So in three paragraphs I've answered nothing but given you something else to ponder...lol.

Best of luck in your new garden space.
Don

Wait a minute. Have you tested your existing soil? Knowing what's there and what isn't is the first step, IMO. Soil tests are cheap. And fun. Or perhaps I'm weird that way.

You're right, drdon, much pondering going on here! :-) Thanks, though! I truly appreciate the info -- even though you didn't tell me which is better! :-) Zeppy, where does one get their soil tested?? (sorry if that's a "duh!" question! :-)

Sharron

I don't know the Canadian equivalent of the cooperative extension service we have here: you send a soil sample and an analysis comes back in a couple of weeks. It usually gives you pH, N-P-K, and trace minerals. It's easier to buy a soil test kit (I have one from Lee Valley) and do it yourself; most kits let you do 10 tests (pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). They run around 10-20 bucks (U.S.)

I can answer your questions..
"Does it REALLY make a difference which I use???"

Nope. You'll see great results using any of the compost mixes you mentioned.

Ideally you want to add some nutrition to your soil (not necessarily your plants)...the compost, whether of sea-origin or land animal or plant matter, will offer that to your soil.

As for the tilth of your soil (and it's friability) that can be helped along with either compost or other amendments such as peat, leaf mold, compost, finely-shredded bark, etc.

As for food for your plants, the compost (of any kind) should be sufficient. That can be added in various ways...Directly to the soil, top-dressed after planting, in a foliar tea/leach, etc.

"How much compost would I mix into a bed about 10 feet by 6 feet?"

That would be determined by your soil type. If you want to use the compost as an amendment that will loosen your soil, add humus, etc and if your soil is all clay, add all you can get! If your soil is of good tilth, add small amounts of compost to your planting holes when you set out your plants. (If the plants are established, top dress them with your compost.) If you have established plants and simply want to feed them then top dress OR use your compost to make a tea and foliar feed them every two weeks or so.

Also, as Zeppy mentioned, a soil test is important also, especially in regards to pH. (A pH meter or test kit is relatively inexpensive...OR your local Ag office may easily tell you what the soil in your area is like with regards to pH.)

Horseshoe
I'am in the same position understanding preping a mature flower bed.
Where you stated "OR use your compost to make a tea and foliar feed them every two weeks or so."
-what amounts do you place into the water?
Now the crazy question warm or cold water?
What about burning the plant-I've heard that before, so by top dressing around the plant -that's ok?

Thanks, Ingrid