Why are there mushrooms in my lawn?
Mushrooms tend to appear in your grass when there are prolonged periods of wet weather, high humidity, or you might be overwatering.
Sunday Tip:
Do mushrooms mean lawn disease? We've got good news: mushrooms don’t always equal disease. And, you can reduce fairy ring and other lawn diseases with natural pest prevention and proper identification.
How to get rid of mushrooms in the lawn
There are a few easy ways to remove mushrooms above ground in your lawn.
Do:
- Hand removal. You can either hand-pick with a gloved hand or use a weeding tool to remove them. Then set the mushrooms out on the pavement to dry out or dispose of in yard waste.
- Mowing. If you’re looking for an easy way to get rid of a larger patch, you can mow the mushrooms for a quick fix. Keep in mind mushrooms can release spores and pop up in new areas.
- Raking. You can rake up mushrooms in your lawn if you’d prefer not to mow a larger population.
Don’t:
- Compost. Avoid composting since the spores may return to the yard and grow back.
- Apply fungicides. Avoid using fungicides on mushrooms as they’re not effective and can be more damaging to your yard ecosystem than mushrooms.
How to reduce mushrooms in your lawn
Let your lawn dry out
If you have mushrooms in your lawn, it means there’s too much moisture. Fix your wet lawn by letting your lawn dry out a bit.
Water properly and audit regularly
If you live in a region where it rains often, avoid overwatering by only irrigating when necessary.
Go a step further and audit your irrigation system to turn off when it rains and make sure water is reaching the right places.
Remove dead plant material
Accumulation of leaves, thatch, and dead grass across your lawn can harbor moisture and improve conditions for mushrooms. Remember to leafcycle in the fall, dethatch when build-up reaches 1 inch or more, and don’t allow too much cut grass to accumulate when grasscycling.
Grow better grass
If you remove mushrooms, you should patch bare or thinning areas.
Planting grass will help grow turf with deeper roots that can help to absorb excess moisture in your lawn.
Sunday Tip:
Fungi, including mushrooms, love eating decaying organic matter. So, if you have a dead shrub or tree cut down, make sure to dig out or remove the entire stump. Decaying roots and stumps from woody plants hold lots of moisture and are the perfect feeding grounds for mushrooms.
Benefits of fungi
Beneath our feet, there’s a network of fungal mycelia. Fungi live in the soil to help decompose decaying organic matter which helps increase the nutrients in the soil for plants. The fungi also have co-dependent or symbiotic relationships with other plants to alert the plants to stressors like disease or pests. While perhaps unsightly or concerning, the presence of fungi in our lawns helps plants and yards function properly.
Cited sources
Mushrooms in Lawns. Clemson University Extension.
Mushrooms in Lawns. UMN Extension.
Why are there so many mushrooms coming to my yard? University of New Hampshire Extension.
