mushroom compost in raised beds????

[buttercup]

hi there,
nearby there is a large mushroom farm which produce crimini mushrooms for waitrose! posh eh!
we get large bags for really cheap, so we decided to use it to fill our raised beds!
im now worried!
does anyone know of problems caused by growing in spent mushroom compost?
i heard that it lacks nitrogen and is alkaline, my clay soil is alkaline will this turn it TOO alkaline? if so how can i even it out??

any advice is much appriciated!
cheers buttercup

[Snadger]

Depends what veg you intend growing in the raised beds?
Potatoes will scab but brassicas usually like alkaline soil, within reason. Only problem is that brassicas also like firm soil and the spent mushroom compost if dug in will make the soil loose and friable!
Could you not use the compost as a mulch and plant through it? As far as I know spent mushroom compost is only horse manure with lime added and would make a wonderful mulch.
If you are worried about the PH get a cheap PH test kit and find out exactly what your soil PH is.

PS Most nitrogenous fertilisers are acidic ie Sulphate of Ammonia and Urea, so they would acidify the soil and supply nitrogen!

[Flummery]

And you might also get a free crop of mushrooms. A friend of mine used to put it as a mulch on her flower beds and it kept her in mushrooms for weeks afterwards!

[buttercup]

thanks snadger and flummery!
that sounds like a good plan too wee on it!
i wont be doin it ill get the oH to do it!
silly me should of researched it a little better, at the mo i have two beds with a mix of compost and mush compost with seaweed at the bottom,
one ill do brassicas and the rest ill wee on a little!
cheers for the advice, buttercup

[buttercup]

sorry!
just wondering if anyone knows what will possibility grow in very alkaline soil apart from brassicas? i dont want to go digging it all up if there is stuff i could grow in it!
any ideas would be very helpfull!
many thanks buttercup