Growing orchids in spent mushroom substrate works really well

The spent substrate left after cultivating edible fungi such as shiitake, button mushrooms and wood ear is aorchidgood growing medium. Edible fungus farms, edible fungus research institutes and mushroom growers everywhere have large amounts of spent mushroom substrate available for use every year. Button mushroom spent substrate is the leftover substrate discarded after the mushrooms are harvested. It is made by composting rice straw and cow dung, and the spent substrate is loose and airy, rich in nutrients. The raw material for cultivating shiitake is mainly hardwood sawdust, mixed with a small amount of urea, glucose or white sugar and other substances. Shiitake spent substrate is the discarded sawdust block after shiitake cultivation, commonly known as shiitake soil; it is loose and light, with moderate nutrient content. For shiitake soil, choose the fully decomposed, dark brown kind. Growing orchids in spent mushroom substrate has many advantages: 1) The material is easy to obtain, loose and light, not prone to compaction, highly permeable and airy, and good at holding water and retaining nutrients; orchids grown in it have well-developed roots that are thick and snow white; 2) The orchid seedlings are sturdy, the leaves are broad and thick, the leaf color is deep green and glossy, the flowering and sprouting rate is high, the flowers are large, the flowering period is long, there are few weeds on the pot surface, and the disease rate is low; 3) Shiitake soil is slightly acidic, with moderate nutrient content and a long-lasting fertilizer effect, and generally lacks neither organic matter nor trace elements; 4) It is lighter than perlite and vermiculite, making it the most ideal medium for growingorchidsonrooftops and balconies on every floor of buildings. Shiitake soil is especially suitable for plantingCymbidium goeringii; when used to grow variegated-leaf orchids, the leaf variegation is more pronounced. Disadvantages: 1) It easily grows weed fungi and mushrooms. If the weed fungi and mushrooms are allowed to rot in the orchid pot, they easily attract flies and ants and causepests and diseases. The weed fungi and mushrooms that grow can be removed by hand. 2) Earthworms easily grow in the pot. Earthworms damage orchid roots; they harm the plants but also do some good. If there are few earthworms, there is no need to kill them; if there are many earthworms, you can water with a 500-600 times dilution of trichlorfon solution or the "tea seed cake water" commonly used in rural areas to kill them. The author has tried shiitake soil for many years, and whether used alone or as one of the components of a mixed medium, the orchid seedlings grow well, variegated-leaf orchids do not lose their variegation, and plain green-leaf varieties easily produce snake-skin variegation. After being crushed by hand, shiitake soil is sun-dried for 2-3 days under the blazing sun of midsummer, then sprayed with pesticide for disinfection, and after being stored for half a month it can be used directly.