How to Get Rid of Mushrooms on Your Lawn.
If life is about the simple pleasures, then there’s nothing quite like walking barefoot across your lawn as the sun creeps above the trees and the steam from your morning coffee dances in the hues of sunrise. That is until you stand on a soft, squishy mushroom. Gross. And what’s even more gross is the fact that, where there’s one, there is almost always going to be more.
Will they damage your lawn? No.
The majority of the time they’re harmless and they can be a sign of a very healthy lawn. However, they’re not the prettiest and thankfully, there are a few ways in which you can get rid of any mushrooms you might find in your lawn, as well as preventing them from returning. Here’s what you need to know:
But First, Mushrooms Aren’t All Bad.
Like we touched on above, mushrooms aren’t what we’d describe as problematic or even lawn diseases. In fact, mushrooms can actually be super-beneficial to a lawn thanks to the way in which this fungus feeds on a lawn’s decaying organic matter; a move that helps make more nutrients available to your lovely turf.
That said, there are numerous reasons why you might want to remove them. From the way they make your lawn look to the fact some can be toxic or simply smell really bad. In those instances, you might want to deal with them.
Understanding Your Lawn Mushrooms
Before you start putting the mystery of your new mushrooms in the same category as JFK or DB Cooper, mushrooms don’t just pop up out of nowhere. Instead, they are just the visible result of a much bigger issue going on beneath ground, where your mushroom has a much bigger mass. That’s the source of your problem.
This hidden fungus tends to be thriving thanks to your lawn conditions. That could be poor drainage, a lack of sunlight or, an excessive amount of decaying organic matter for it to feed on. Think fallen leaves, grass clippings, pet poo, lawn thatch and that kind of thing.
In short, the mushrooms you see popping up are just there to produce spores and help the mother-mushroom spread even further.
Getting Rid of Lawn Mushrooms
The trick here is to remove your mushrooms without it releasing its spores. Of course, this won’t deal with the main issue hiding beneath your soil. But it will slow the spread and remove these eyesores from your garden.
Step 1: Pull up as much of the mushroom as you can using a little trowel to help get the root up too.
Step 2: The moment you have pulled a mushroom out of the ground, place it in a plastic bag so that it can’t spread any more spores across your lawn. Then tie your bag to prevent those spores from becoming airborne.
Step 3: The best mushroom killer is actually a DIY dish soap solution, which acts as a mild fungicide when sprayed on the area you found your mushrooms.
How To Stop Mushroom Coming Back
Now that your lawn is looking fifty shades of pretty, the next stop towards mushroom freedom is to tackle the underground fungus. As we mentioned earlier, this means addressing the overall health of your lawn: the poor drainage, lack of nutrients, shady spots and amount of decaying organic matter left on your lawn.
Improve your drainage:
The fact you have mushrooms on your lawn is a pretty tell tale sign that your soil is not draining properly. Think about it. Poor drainage means wet conditions, which leads to lawn disease and mushrooms. As for why your lawn isn’t draining properly, your best guess is probably soil compaction. This is something that can be addressed through fracture tine aeration.
Aerate your lawn:
The way aeration works is to cut deep slices into the soil to crack the area around it. This is so that water and nutrients are able to penetrate your soil much deeper, encouraging healthier grass roots as well as healthier soil makeup. And the best part: you can either hire an aerator yourself or have our team of technicians come and tackle the problem for you.
More sunlight, please:
If there’s one thing mushrooms love more than anything else it’s dark, damp areas of grass that don’t get much sunlight. So to address this problem, one of the easiest and most effective moves you can make is letting more light in. Prune those trees, clip those bushes and reduce the amount of shade across your lawn.
Keep on top of your lawn:
Listen, you are never going to be able to get rid of all the decaying organic matter on or in your lawn. Never. Nor should you want to. That stuff is just too good for your lawn’s health. However, keeping your lawn clean and tidy can make a massive difference, starting with big clean ups at the start of spring and end of autumn. As for those grass clippings you leave on your lawn, they’re nutritious. But raking up some of them will help prevent mushrooms from popping up again down the line. Oh and, try dethatching your lawn too with a scarification treatment.
Thanks for reading our guide on dealing with – and preventing – lawn mushrooms. For more lawn care tips and tricks, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.