Sometimes, you notice that your garden’s beauty has started decaying due to the unexpected growth of mushrooms. Though some kinds of this family of fungi are healthy and edible, some may also be hazardous. These not only ruin the beauty of your garden but are also dangerous for the children.
Some of them are so risky that they can spread diseases upon touch. With all the side effects of the wild mushrooms, their eradication is necessary. So how to get rid of lawn mushrooms?
- Keep Your Lawn Constantly Clean And Free From Debris
- Using Vinegar To Get Rid of Mushroom in Your Lawn
- Using Baking Soda Mixture To Get Rid of Mushroom in Your Lawn
- Using Washing Soap Solution to Get Rid of Mushroom in Your Lawn
Moreover, they may start decaying that will result in an odd pungent smell that will not be environmentally friendly at all. Read on to find out natural and effective ways to get rid of lawn mushrooms.
See also: How To Easily And Effectively Get Rid of Clover Faster?
What Are Mushrooms?
A mushroom is a reproductive structure created by some fungi. It is technically the fruit of a plant, but the “seeds” it produces are millions of microscopic spores forming in the gills or pores beneath the mushroom’s cap. Mushrooms belong in their own kingdom, different from plants and animals (1)
Some fungi cause mushrooms, also called toadstools, that grow in damp areas. There are numerous different varieties of mushrooms:
- Most of them have a cap and gills, forming on the underside of the cap, which are the fruiting bodies of the fungus.
- Some mushrooms have a stem as well, but not all of them.
- Some mushrooms are beneficial fungi that are edible, but there are also poisonous mushrooms.
The spores generally blow away into the wind or spread in different ways, including animal feeding. If they land on a suitable area, like wood or soil, these spores will germinate to form a network of microscopic rooting threads (also known as mycelium) that penetrate their new food source.
If you leave them unchecked, mushrooms will decrease the garden’s beauty and may also cause any hazard to the children. So, you should manage to kill them before they result in any serious issues.
What Causes Mushrooms in Your Lawn?
Generally, mushrooms only grow when environmental conditions are proper. For example, prolonged periods of wet, humid weather can cause to appear. Fungi spread to new areas via windblown spores or other means. When the spores land in an appropriate location, they grow into new fungi, which will grow mushrooms provided enough time, according to the University of New Hampshire.
New mushrooms form in humid and wet areas, mainly when those conditions last for long, in overwatered lawns or yards with poor drainage.
After mushrooms begin to form, they release mushroom spores, which cause more mushrooms to grow.
Mushrooms also prefer shade and develop underneath tree branches or around tree roots.
You might also find mushrooms growing in animal waste, a compost pile, sitting organic material, or any other decomposing or decaying matter, including dead grass or even mulch.
In general, the presence of mushrooms in your lawn indicates that you do not have a healthy lawn because mushrooms only become lawn fungi when the conditions are right.
For example, too much thatch, including dead grass, can become a food source for them, encouraging and perpetuating their existence.
Proper lawn care, aeration, and quick removal of grass clippings can help prevent mushrooms from developing and invading your lawn.
How To Naturally Get Rid of Mushrooms On The Lawn?
Different methods can prevent the spread of mushrooms in your garden. However, all these methods don’t fit everyone. Here are some easy and simple ways to get rid of lawn mushrooms. Choose any of them accordingly.
1- Keep Your Lawn Constantly Clean And Free From Debris.
You may know that wild mushrooms spread on organic decaying matter. These start their life over there, grow, complete their life cycles, and eventually die. They will automatically die if you don’t notice them.
However, if you keep noticing them and want to handle them, try handling the organic matter in your garden effectively. When there will be no habitat for the wild mushrooms, how will they grow?
- Start by digging the mushrooms up with a spade.
- Put the mushrooms in a sealable plastic bag to stop them from spreading spores through their reproductive structures.
- And then pour water and a few drops of dish soap into the hole where the mushroom lived to prevent further mushrooms growth.
2- How To Get Rid of Mushrooms On The Lawn With Vinegar?
Vinegar is a natural element that has many benefits. This will prove effective to kill the lawn mushrooms too. All types of vinegar prove beneficial to getting rid of the lawn mushrooms but the horticulture type of vinegar is most effective. So, choose this one to accomplish this task. Proceed in the following way with the vinegar solution.
- Purchase the horticulture vinegar from the market.
- Dilute it as per the directions mentioned on the bottle containing it.
- It’s good to use gloves for this task as you can prevent any side effects of vinegar on your skin.
- Put the vinegar in the spray bottle.
- Spray it on the mushrooms that are irritating you.
- But ensure that it doesn’t reach the surrounding grass as it may harm the grass too.
- After a few days of spraying, the lawn mushrooms will die eventually.
2- Get Rid of Mushrooms On The Lawn With a Baking Soda Mixture.
Another commonly used and easy way to get rid of useless lawn mushrooms is by using a baking soda solution. Baking soda will kill the mushrooms by raising the pH of the soil containing the mushrooms.
Using baking soda to get rid of mushrooms is one of the safest, easiest, and most effective methods. Move in the following way with the baking soda solution.
It is pretty common to develop a mushroom problem in your mulch since mulch often retains moisture.
- Purchase the baking soda powder from the market.
- Prepare its solution with the water as per your need with the ratio of 2 tbsp of soda and one gallon of water.
- Shake the mixture well to mix it thoroughly.
- Spray the mixture over the mushrooms and the surrounding area.
- It will gradually kill the mushrooms by raising the pH of the soil.
- If you notice that the killing process is slow, go for the second round.
- Once you’ve gotten rid of them, keep noticing and spray the solution instantly you see them growing.
3- Get Rid of Mushrooms On The Lawn With a Washing Soap Solution
If you can’t manage any of the above-mentioned methods to get rid of lawn mushrooms, you can also use dish soap to naturally get rid of mushrooms in your lawn. Here is how to do this.
- Prepare a mixture of dish or washing soap and water with a 2 tbsp: 1-gallon ratio.
- Stir the mixture to mix it thoroughly.
- Use a screwdriver to make holes in the surrounding of the mushrooms.
- Sprinkle the soapy water over the mushrooms and also fill the holes.
- The soapy mixture in the holes will reach their base to destroy their life cycle.
- This will eventually kill the unwanted mushrooms.
- If you want the instant killing of the mushrooms, keep spraying many times a day.
- But make sure that the mixture penetrates the soil to affect the life cycle of the mushrooms.
Post-Cleaning Preventive Measurements
It’s not good to leave the lawn mushrooms unchecked once you’ve gotten rid of them. Keep inspecting your lawn to prevent its growth again. Here are some post-cleaning measurements that will keep the hazardous mushrooms away from the lawn.
1- Keep the Area Clean
As you know unwanted mushrooms grow on decaying organic matter. If you handle the debris off your lawn or yard properly, it will prove beneficial to keep the hazardous mushrooms away.
Organic matter, including dog and cat waste, can cause a mushroom issue. It is better to remove organic matter as soon as possible so it does not turn into a food source and attract more mushrooms.
2- Control the Moisture
Avoid overwatering your plants or any situations in which water sits on your lawn for an extended period to prevent mushroom growth in the first place. For example, you can level the ground in areas or install a French drain to faster transport water away from your yard.
Lawn wild mushrooms are moisture lovers. So, try not to overwater your lawn. Also, keep on trimming the lawn regularly to prevent the humidity that will also welcome the mushrooms.
3- Eradicate the Single Mushroom You See
Sometimes, you may get the wild mushroom immediately. If left unchecked, it will cause the growth of more mushrooms. So, remove them by hand after wearing the safety gloves.
- Aerate your soil frequently with an aerator to introduce more air and oxygen into the soil material.
- Dethatching your lawn and removing compressed dead grass will help you rid of mushrooms on your lawn.
- Use your lawnmower to cut the grass shorter to help the soil get more air.
- Ensure that your landscaping has healthy soil to help prevent the issue at the source.
4- Use Nitrogen Fertilizer Adequately
Nitrogen speeds up the decaying of the organic matter which will lower the chances of mushroom growth. So, use nitrogen fertilizers to keep the hazardous mushrooms away.
See also: Fertilizer And Plant Food Are They Actually The Same?
Are Mushrooms in Lawn Good or Bad?
Even though their presence might affect the beauty of your property, mushrooms are not destructive to your lawn. Generally, the presence of mushrooms in a garden is a good sign, meaning your soil is healthy.
The mushrooms will generally disappear almost as quickly as they appeared in some cases. Keep inspecting and removing them off your lawn as they appear.
Why Are Mushrooms Growing In My Lawn?
Typically, mushrooms indicate that your lawn has a lot of organic material in the soil. In addition, mushrooms break down organic material and ensure that your soil is more productive.
Mostly, the mushrooms grow on decaying organic matter. So, your lawn will also have a pile of organic matter that will welcome these fungi.
See also: Do You Want To Get Burnt Grass Green Again? (Here’s how!)
Final Thoughts
In moist weather or when your lawn features organic matter gathered at one place, the growth of wild mushrooms is possible.
Some types of mushrooms, including death caps, may prove dangerous to you, your child, or your pets. So, remove them immediately with any of the safe and natural methods given in the above section.
