Doug Kanter wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi All,

Two weeks ago I began composting for the first time, and I have two
questions about fungus in the compost:

1. Can I throw poisonous mushrooms (i.e. Amanita virosa) into a compost
pile?

2. Can penicillin from citrus molds slow down decomposition by killing
microorganisms?

Thanks,

C.W.


Interesting question about the poisonous mushrooms. I don't know the answer.
Do you know how long the toxins last after the mushroom decomposes? Do you
use the compost on edible plants eventually? Might be worth a call to your
cooperative extension.

Toxin from poisonous amanita is a protein, but I'm not sure how long it
takes to break down. On the other hand, the poison may be a good souce
of nitrogen for plants. I plan to use the compost for fruit trees.