The Merits of Mushroom Compost!

Fiona and Diego filled the entire back of the truck with mushroom compost!

Hidden Valley's original owner, Dr. Jensen, was at the forefront of the health movement. He consistently promoted organic, sustainable ways of eating and growing food. As a part of our efforts to keep his iconic principles alive, Hidden Valley Retreat and Spa still continues the tradition of keeping a compost pile as a part of the garden! Our retreats and family reunions like to participate in our compost by contributing fruit peels and discarded organic material. It is just one of the ways that Hidden Valley remains a healthy environment where our guests can come to have a refreshing experience for the body and mind. Still, we have such a vast garden that even our own compost cannot sustain our fertilizing needs. That is why yesterday, we went to a San Diego mushroom farm to get some fabulous mushroom compost! This compost is a nutrient rich, sustainable alternative to traditional fertilizers. We will spread the compost into the soil around our fruit trees to help them grow even more fertile and fragrant fruit.

Fun facts about mushroom compost:

• Mushroom compost is a natural by-product of mushroom farming. After the mushrooms are harvested, the soil that they grew in is steam treated to remove any weeds or pests. At that point, it can be used moist, organic, nutrient-rich compost fertilizer to replenish and condition the soil in your garden or farm.
• Mushroom compost is composed of natural, organic substances like hay, peat moss, cotton seed, grape mulch, ground corn cobs, and cocoa shells. Therefore, it smells much better than traditional fertilizers! It has a fresh, earthy smell that is sure to enliven our gardens.
• The particular mushroom compost that we collected came from a farm that grows white button mushrooms. They do not use any chemicals or pesticides. 

Diego unloads the mushroom compost at Hidden Valley!

Find out more about this mushroom compost from NBC San Diego!