If you are thinking, “Why are mushrooms growing in my lawn?” the answer is simple.
A combination of moisture, rainy weather, shade, and the presence of organic matter can cause the growth of mushrooms in a lawn. As they disperse spores in the air, they can multiply in no time.
So, if you don’t want the mushrooms in a lawn to take over your pretty lawn overnight, take care of them as soon as they make a debut.
Read this guide to learn how to get rid of mushrooms on the lawn.
Learn more: Landscaping Maintenance To Enhance The Curb Appeal of Your Lawn
Common Types Of Mushrooms in a Lawn
There are around 14,000 different kinds of mushrooms.
Here are a handful of the most typical ones that may sprout in your lawn:
1. Field Mushrooms
These mushrooms often grow in the spring or later in the fall.
These mushrooms in a lawn look like a white cap up to three inches wide and three inches tall, with deep pink gills beneath the cap that eventually turn dark brown as the mushroom ages.
2. Yellow Stainer
Yellow stainer leaves a yellow splotch across the edges of the cap and at the base of the stem.
These mushrooms in a lawn are white in hue and reach a maximum height of about 6 inches.
However, the phenolic scent of the yellow stain indicates that it is unsafe for consumption. If you see these mushrooms in a lawn, refrain from ingesting them as they are poisonous. In the past, it has led people to coma.
3. Shaggy Mane
Shaggy ink cap is another name for these mushrooms, which has a similarly shaggy appearance to a lawyer’s wig.
These mushrooms in a lawn look tall and thin, with a conical-shaped cap that changes color from white to pink and gray and then finally to black before dying. Unlike the last two types, these are edible if you haven’t consumed alcohol.
4. Fairy Ring Mushrooms
These are the most prevalent types of mushrooms in a lawn that appear in irregular fairy rings.
These mushrooms, which appear in your grass in late spring and early summer, help nourish the grass in the circle’s center.
How to Get Rid of Mushrooms In a Lawn: 9 Effective Steps
When you look for how to remove mushrooms from a lawn on the internet, it is normal to be overwhelmed by the number of solutions you see.
Hence, here, we have listed all the effective ways to eradicate mushrooms in a lawn:
1. Pluck Them From the Bottom
When you spot the stubborn mushrooms in a lawn, make sure to pull them off from the base if they have already begun to grow.
This will lessen the chance that children or animals will consume dangerous or deadly species, as well as the spores’ capacity to spread through the air and among animals.
2. Don’t Leave a Nourishment Source Behind
The mushrooms in a lawn eat organic matter, so it is best to restrict or eliminate any readily available food sources.
Rake up leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and other organic matter if you notice mushrooms growing on the lawn.
3. Start Dethatching
If your garden has a thick coating of thatch, dead grass may be interlaced between the soil and the grass.
Some waste products, including wood and big tree roots, will be concealed beneath the soil’s surface. Before adding new soil, these regions should be excavated to avoid mushrooms in a lawn.
4. Use the Best Mushroom Killer for Lawns
Fungicides are one option for treating the deadly mushrooms in a lawn, but several everyday home items also work well.
You can use dish soap, vinegar, baking soda, and even lemon as the best mushroom killer for lawns.
Simply watch for any nearby grass and plants—you don’t want to spray and destroy them.
The most popular remedy is dish soap, which involves adding a few drops of soap to a spray bottle with around two cups of water.
While spraying any solution on mushrooms in a lawn will address them immediately, it won’t always keep them from resurfacing.
Additionally, you may try including slugs and snails, as they are natural predators of the mushrooms in a lawn.
5. Regularly Mow the Lawn
If you want to prevent the growth of mushrooms in a lawn, regularly mow it. Don’t scalp it, as this will create the ideal environment for weeds and moss to flourish.
Moreover, short grass dries out quicker than tall grass, which limits the amount of moisture available for mushroom growth.
If your garden tends to hold too much water, you may require an underground drainage.
Lastly, it is imperative to remove any existing mushrooms and any remaining mushrooms from a lawn by hand before mowing to prevent spores from spreading during mowing.
6. Promote Aeration
Additionally, aeration can enhance ventilation and drainage, preventing waterlogging and creating ideal growing conditions for mushrooms. To carry out aeration for the removal of mushrooms in a lawn, you can use either a garden fork or a machine.
Also Read: When to Aerate Lawn in Spring: The Complete Guide for Beginners
7. Set Up the Sprinkler
As mushrooms in a lawn like moist, dark environments, keeping your yard free of standing water is one approach to preventing their development.
When you water your lawn at night, you’re inviting different kinds of mushrooms into your lawn.
Watering at night encourages wet conditions for hours. On the other hand, if you water in the morning, the sun will set quickly enough to dry up your lawn and prevent mushrooms from growing there.
If you want to learn to install underground sprinklers, you can read our guide.
8. Deprive Them of Shade
Shade is another essential element for the growth of mushrooms in a lawn. Trim back any overhanging branches or other impediments to maximize the sunshine that reaches every part of the garden.
9. Fertilize Correctly
You can use a high-nitrogen lawn feed as a temporary solution to treat mushrooms in a lawn. However, if the root cause of the mushrooms’ growth is not addressed, they may return eventually.
Plant and organic debris will decompose much more quickly if you use nitrogen fertilizer according to your local fertilization schedule.
It’s likely to happen quickly enough that, even if you manage to get a few mushrooms, they won’t likely stay for very long. Fertilize your plants at least once a year; two or three times is better.
To know about fertilizers, you can read our blog on fertilizer numbers.
FAQs
What is the main cause of mushrooms in a lawn?
Mushroom buds form underground in areas with poor drainage and low light levels before they emerge. They feed on decomposing organic waste in the soil, such as the following:
- Pet waste
- Dropped leaves
- Grass clipping
- Old tree stumps that haven’t completely decayed
- Thatch
What occurs if you don’t remove the mushrooms from a lawn?
This won’t truly harm your grass if you have mushrooms on it. If you don’t address them, your grass will appear unattractive. Conversely, some fungal infections will spread further if you don’t cure lawn fungus, and eventually, your grass will perish.
What promotes the growth of mushrooms in a lawn?
The primary enemy of any garden is moisture. In fact, high temperatures lead to intolerably high humidity. This explains why most gardens have mold and fungi that ruin the flowers, plants, and grass.
Are the mushrooms in my lawn poisonous?
Although lawn mushrooms are normally not toxic to people, it is advisable to avoid attempting to eat them unless you are certain that you can recognize them. It’s also critical to remember that humans’ and pets’ digestive systems and metabolisms differ. Consequently, a mushroom that is safe for humans to eat may be harmful to pets and vice versa.
How are mushrooms in a lawn bad?
It’s not always the case that the presence of poisonous mushrooms would harm the surrounding plants or soil. The major problem that mushrooms in a lawn normally cause is that your plants or crops get diseased and lose their appearance or features.
What are the typical types of mushrooms in Canada?
The most common types of mushrooms in a lawn include chanterelles, edible boletes, morels, pine mushrooms, and the ones described above.
Contact Falcons Landscaping to Get Rid of Mushrooms in a Lawn
All these techniques will help you remove mushrooms in a lawn. However, once you get done, make sure you keep checking to see if you are doing something wrong, which may lead to their regrowth.
Getting rid of mushrooms in a lawn involves removing the current turf, digging out any waste items or roots underneath, adding new topsoil, planting grass seed, and fertilizing as needed.
However, if you want to save your time and effort, you can get in touch with our lawn care services in Mississauga to get rid of mushrooms in a lawn within no time.