OAKLAND, Calif., March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Back to the Roots, America’s fastest growing organic gardening company, announced today the nationwide launch of its new Organic Mushroom Compost, now available exclusively at The Home Depot stores and online. The launch represents a full-circle moment for the brand, which first gained national prominence 15 years ago as an urban mushroom farm.
Developed in collaboration with many of the same specialized supply partners who helped the company launch its urban mushroom farm in 2009, this professional-grade soil amendment brings the power of “spent mushroom substrate”—a long-held secret of organic farmers—to home gardeners across America.
“This product isn’t just a new SKU for us; it’s a return to our roots,” said Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Back to the Roots. “We started this journey in a college fraternity kitchen growing oyster mushrooms on spent coffee grounds. To now work with many of the same partners from those early days to bring a high-performance organic mushroom compost to The Home Depot aisles is incredibly special. When we were first farming gourmet mushrooms in Oakland, local organic farmers quickly educated us on how incredible this spent substrate was as a soil amendment and we began to have a long wait-list to pick up our “waste.” To now be able to bring that same biological magic of mushroom compost to home gardeners around the country is a really fun opportunity — we hope this compost not only helps families grow great gardens but also inspires increased awareness about upcycling and connected ecosystems.”
Why Mushroom Compost? The Gold Standard of Organic Farming
Mushroom compost, often referred to as the gold standard for organic soil amendments, is a nutrient-dense blend created from spent mushroom substrate, the byproduct of the mushroom growing process. As mushrooms grow, they break down complex organic matter into a form that is highly bio-available for other plants.
Key benefits of Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Compost include:
- Superior Soil Structure: Improves the tilth of heavy clay or sandy soils, allowing for better aeration and root penetration.
- Water Retention: Naturally porous, the compost acts like a sponge, significantly reducing the need for frequent watering.
- Balanced Nutrition: Rich in essential macronutrients and trace minerals like calcium, which is vital for preventing blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers.
- Microbial Boost: Introduces beneficial microorganisms that suppress soil-borne diseases, promote a healthy soil ecosystem, and support nutrient cycling
Availability
Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Compost is available starting today in two convenient formats to serve every type of project:
- In-Store: 1 cubic foot (cf) bags are available in the Garden Center of The Home Depot stores in select states
- Online: Bulk 60 cubic foot (cf) pallets are available with free 2-day home delivery via HomeDepot.com.
The launch further cements the decade-long partnership between Back to the Roots and The Home Depot, seeing the brand evolve from an indoor gardening startup to America’s organic gardening company with a line of over 150 certified organic soil, seed, and fertilizer products.
About Back to the Roots
Back to the Roots is an organic gardening company that has evolved from an urban mushroom farm in Oakland, CA into a thriving national brand & pioneering organic gardening company. With a mission to reconnect everyone back to where food comes from, co-founders Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez are transforming the gardening industry by making it easy for anyone, anywhere to grow their own food.
Their award-winning line of organic soils, heirloom seeds, plant food, and grow kits are currently distributed in over 10,000 retail locations nationwide, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, Tractor Supply, Menards, Amazon, World Market, Sam’s Club and Costco. Alejandro & Nikhil have also been featured as Forbes 30 Under 30, Inc 30 Under 30, EY Entrepreneurs of the Year NorCal,, and CNN 10 Next Gen Entrepreneurs to Watch.
Media Contact:
510.922.9758
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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