In the simplest of terms, mushrooms are the fleshy body of fungus that tends to sprout from the ground. Mushrooms can grow in many different places, provided the right conditions are met.
Gardeners and landscaping experts often have to deal with an influx of mushrooms growing out in their yards, and many people are just not able to figure out why they have so many mushrooms growing on their property.
It’s a big problem to say the least, especially when you consider that not all kinds of mushrooms are good and can be consumed. In fact, there are quite a few varieties that can actually be quite harmful to human health.
Some are incredibly invasive and tend to multiply rapidly, so if you do not take action quickly, it won’t be long before your entire yard is covered by these mushrooms.
Naturally, this reduces the amount of space available for you to grow anything else, and even if you do, there are some varieties that are able to kill them. Fungi is often regarded by name as the garbage crew appointed by nature.
These mushrooms, when they sprout in your lawn, are simply working to break down all of the organic matter inside, thus freeing up the nutrients that can be used by the grass.
Lawn mushrooms are simply the bodies of the fungus that are working underneath. Mushrooms tend to spread around their spores, and this allows them to reproduce quickly.
A vast portion of the mushroom body itself is found under the ground, contrary to what most people think, and it ends up eating all kinds of organic materials.
For instance, the mushroom will devour old pieces of wood, it will eat up on dead grass, and it will also consume animal poop!
But, while they do serve a functional purpose, too much of anything is definitely harmful, and if you have a bunch of mushrooms growing in your yard, you might want to take action quickly and get rid of the problem.
Removing the Mushrooms
You might have realized that these mushrooms don’t really put much of an effort in defending themselves. You can easily kick them, stomp on them, or use a rake and get rid of the mushrooms in your yard.
But, you should know that certain types of fungi are incredibly resilient, and within a few days, the mushrooms are going to sprout back again.
It’s obviously a big problem, and instead of just kicking them every now and again, you should consider looking at the reasons why they are growing in your yard. Then, you can stop them from growing altogether in your yard.
Identifying Where They Grow
The first step is to figure out exactly where they are growing. As mentioned, mushrooms need the right conditions to grow, so you need to determine whether the ideal conditions are being met.
Mushrooms need shady, humid, and moist conditions to grow, so if there is an area of the garden that is just right, you might see them sprouting in a much higher quantity there.
If the soil has excessive moisture, usually caused by poor drainage or overwatering, there is a strong risk that mushrooms are going to grow there. Secondly, if the area is covered in shade and doesn’t receive a lot of sunlight, you are also looking at a problem.
Basically, the more food sources that are available to the fungus, the more mushrooms you are going to see above the ground.
The best way to prevent mushrooms from growing out in your lawn is to keep a close eye on the conditions of the yard, and prevent them from becoming conducive to mushroom growth. Simply put, you need to make sure that certain areas of the lawn do not receive too much shade and water.
From time to time, you need to observe the lawn closely as well. If you notice mushrooms growing in your lawn already, you might want to pull them out as quickly as possible before they spread out their roots.
This is incredibly important because otherwise, the mushrooms are going to spread out their roots.
Preventing Mushrooms From Growing
Mushrooms tend to feed on decaying matter in the lawn, so you should collect the grass clippings and other decaying matter that might be strewn out on the yard, especially when you mow after a bout of rainfall. If you don’t have a grass catcher, the next best option available to you is a rake, so use it carefully.
More importantly, you need to set up a habit for mowing the lawn. Create a routine to mow the grass once it hits the four-inch mark.
Remember, you have to let the grass grow long enough in the first place before you can mow it properly, otherwise you will just be running the lawnmower pointlessly.
On top of that, you should know that low levels of nitrogen and poor fertilizer in the lawn can also encourage the growth of mushrooms in your yard. When was the last time you added a bit of fertilizer to the lawn and spread it around?
It might be a wise idea to use a high-quality nitrogen-based fertilizer. Not only will it keep the mushrooms at bay, but it’s also going to improve the health of your plants.
From time to time, you need to think about aerating your soil as well. Aerating and dethatching the soil are both effective ways of improving drainage in the soil, and it will significantly eliminate the chances of mushrooms growing in your garden.
We have already covered the fact that mushrooms usually grow in areas where the water content is high, so as long as you maintain proper soil drainage, you won’t have much to worry about.
Mushrooms also prefer a shaded environment, so you need to set up the lawn in a way that it receives sunlight for at least a few hours every day. If there are large plants that tend to cover specific areas of the yard, you should consider pruning and trimming the branches so that sunlight is available to all areas of the yard.
Another important thing that you need to keep an eye out for is pet poop or animal droppings. It doesn’t matter if it’s your own animal or someone else’s, you need to make sure that you remove the animal poop right away from your lawn.
Mushrooms usually grow in such areas because the organic matter is considerably high, and you don’t want that to happen.
It might benefit your plants, but the rapid growth of mushrooms is definitely not going to be a good sign. Therefore, you need to make sure that you use a shovel and get rid of the poop right away.
Keeping mushrooms from your garden is not going to be easy, but as long as you follow a routine, you won’t have much to worry about. Don’t let the mushrooms swarm in one area, and as soon as you see one sprouting from the ground, uproot it right away.
These are just a few things that you should know about getting rid of mushrooms from your lawn!
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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