Mushrooms in the Lawn
By Paul James
Mushrooms have been popping up in lawns all over town, and their presence causes many a homeowner to panic and wonder how best to destroy them – some sort of fungicidal spray or powder, or perhaps a pitching wedge? Well you might be surprised to learn that my approach to dealing with mushrooms in the lawn is much simpler.
That’s because I do absolutely nothing.
Truth is, I enjoy seeing the fruiting bodies of various fungi aboveground because it tells me that belowground their hyphae and mycelia (fungal roots, if you will) are busy feeding on and helping decompose little chunks of wood, old roots, and other organic matter and turning it into soil. And in the process, they’re releasing nutrients that feed the soil and plants. In other words, they’re part of a healthy soil ecosystem. Besides, fungicides absolutely will not control them, and a pitching wedge will likely do more harm to your grass than a million mushrooms ever could.
The presence of mushrooms in the lawn can tell you something about the condition of your soil, because most mushrooms prefer to grow in soils that don’t drain well. But even in soils that do drain well, excessive rainfall or overwatering can trigger their arrival.
There are a few destructive varieties of mushrooms, notably those that attack oak trees. The culprit is actually related to the shitake mushroom, but sadly once they show up at the base of a tree, there’s nothing that can be done to save the tree.
And of course there are poisonous mushrooms, though they’re rarely found in the lawn. Still, if you have young children or pets, it’s best to remove all mushrooms in the lawn just to be on the safe side.
Finally, unless you’re a trained mycologist or experienced amateur, you should never, ever eat the mushrooms growing in your lawn. Again, chances are the mushrooms in your lawn aren’t poisonous, but according to a friend who is a trained mycologist, most of them either have no taste at all or taste awful. And that’s reason enough not to eat them.
2 responses to “Mushrooms in the Lawn”
Back to Blog
What are the mushroom varieties that attack oak trees?
One is Armillaria, the other is Ganoderma. Both are bad news.