Best Conditions for High-Quality Mushrooms

Interview with Holger Heitmann, Managing Director of Pilzhof Pilzsubstrat Wallhausen GmbH

Pilzhof Pilzsubstrat Wallhausen Production
The mushroom substrate consists of more than 90% horse manure

Traditional substrate for mushroom cultivation consists of only about 70% horse manure, the rest are straw, poultry manure, and gypsum. The mushroom substrate offered by Pilzhof Pilzsubstrat Wallhausen GmbH contains more than 90% horse manure and thus provides the best conditions for the production of high-quality white and brown mushrooms.

Pilzhof Pilzsubstrat Wallhausen GmbH has been producing high-quality substrates made from natural raw materials for mushroom cultivation for more than 20 years. The company was founded in 1999 by Dr. Johan Franz, with Dutch know-how and money.

"The Netherlands is considered the cradle of mushroom production," explains Managing Director Holger Heitmann. Since the company was founded, the operation has been continuously expanded and extended under the leadership of long-time Managing Director Michael Schattenberg, so that the current capacity is at 1,200 t of matured substrate per week.

Holger Heitmann, Managing Director of Pilzhof Pilzsubstrat Wallhausen GmbH
Holger Heitmann, Managing Director of Pilzhof Pilzsubstrat Wallhausen GmbH

Mixed means that the substrate is permeated with mushroom mycelium, which overgrows the topsoil within two weeks and leads to mushroom knotting. 'This process is the final phase in the manufacture of the substrate and is called fruiting,' explains Holger Heitmann.

Indeed, right after the founding, they were able to start fruiting immediately since they could obtain ready-made substrate from the Dutch parent company. Only afterwards were the facilities for the preceding production phases constructed at the Wallhausen location. 'This was a huge advantage for us,' says Holger Heitmann. 'Thus, we were able to sell practically from day 1.'

Pilzhof Mushroom Substrate Wallhausen Production
1,200 tons of high-quality mushroom substrate are produced weekly
Pilzhof Mushroom Substrate Wallhausen Production
Pilzhof Wallhausen has more than 20 years of experience in substrate production and in mushroom cultivation for its customers

Natural Quality at the Highest Level

Pilzhof Wallhausen is part of the Dutch company Walkro Nederlands BV, which produces mushroom substrates at locations in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The headquarters is in Venlo, NL. With its location in Saxony-Anhalt in the middle of Germany, the company has short transportation routes to its customers throughout Europe.

The substrate is produced for white and brown mushrooms and is sold loose and in crates. "Our substrate consists of more than 90% natural product horse manure," says Holger Heitmann. We stand for natural quality at the highest level. "We ensure a high homogeneity of the substrate. "What we sell consistently generates a certain base amount of mushrooms."

To ensure that the company's customers achieve maximum yields, they specifically employ two breeding advisors who consult clients on-site. "We see ourselves as partners of our customers," says Holger Heitmann. "Only when our customers win, do we win as well."

The customers are mushroom producers from Sweden to Bosnia and from Poland to France. "We spread the risk across many countries," explains Holger Heitmann. In the coming years, the company plans to expand the site as much as possible and modernize existing facilities, especially to save energy and reduce emissions. "A major part of the profits are reinvested," says Holger Heitmann.