Mushrooms in lawn and garden areas are generally thought of as an eyesore. Here is some pertinent information about how to prevent mushrooms in lawn areas and how to get rid of them if you already have them.
What causes lawn mushrooms?
Mushrooms in your lawn areas are usually the result of fungi that have infested your soil in some areas of your yard. Mushrooms feed off decaying or decayed matter, including rotting tree stumps, animal waste, and old mulch.
If you have an abundance of these types of matter in your yard, then mushrooms will likely make a home there. The more sources of food that are available, the more mushrooms you will have. Mushrooms may be small or large, depending on the number of food materials available to them.
How do you get rid of mushrooms once they have made a home in your yard?
Many people spend lots of time getting rid of mushrooms in lawn and garden areas around their homes. You can pull them up as you notice them, but that is only attacking the evidence and not the food source. If you are continually removing mushrooms from your lawn, your yard will look better, but they will keep coming up as long as they have something to feed on.
You can also use chemicals to get rid of mushrooms in lawn areas. These chemicals will probably kill the mushrooms that are out now, but they will return if you don’t locate and eliminate their food source.
The ideal way to rid your lawn of mushrooms is to find a permanent end to the problem. You need to find and get rid of all their food sources.
If you follow these simple rules, you will be well on your way to eliminating mushrooms in lawn areas around your home:
- Remove or grind up old tree stumps
- Get rid of old and rotting mulch
- Clean up waste left by your pets
If you remove or grind up your old tree stumps, you still may see what are called fairy rings, and the mushrooms may return. In cases like this, you may assume that the soil where the stump was had mold spores in it as well, and you will need to remove that soil to eliminate all food sources.
Here are some other helpful hints for removing or preventing mushrooms in lawn areas:
Rake your grass clippings up as soon as you mow so that mold doesn’t develop. Replace old mulch if you have determined that it is a factor in your mushroom problem. Dispose of the old decaying mulch somewhere off-site. If your yard is very shady, you may want to prune back some of your trees because shade also helps mold and grow fungi.
With some effortless work, you too can have a mushroom-free lawn, and you’ll be able to enjoy it more.
You might want to see other lawn care posts here.
