Mushrooms

Mushrooms and control

MUSHROOMS OVERVIEW

Mushrooms are a sign of a healthy soil. They are the fruiting bodies of fungus which decompose organic matter into nutrients which is usable by plants.

To try to get rid of them would be very detrimental to your garden ecosystem.

In the vast majority of cases, you have absolutely nothing to worry about and its normally environmental conditions ie to wet or dry that are the primary cause. As lawns dry out and re wet this creates the ideal conditions for the fungi to develop, we often have the same issue with mushrooms in our own home lawn.

The only situation where mushrooms in a lawn maybe a problem would be if you have a fairy-ring in the soil, which can cause problems with grass.

For more information about Fairy Rings click here.

Can you Leave Mushrooms growing in the Lawn?

While mushrooms in the lawn may look unsightly, they are actually beneficial to the lawn. The extensive root system of lawn mushrooms help the soil retain water and lawn mushrooms also help to break down organic materials, which help add nutrients to the lawn.

Controlling Mushrooms in Lawns

Mushroom and toadstools can be removed by picking off by hand (we recommend to wear gardening gloves as a precaution) or brushing them off. Alternatively mow the lawn with the collection box on the lawnmower in order to collect them.

You may decide to try and eliminate mushrooms from the lawn, as no fungicides are available your main focus should be on correcting the problems create the ideal conditions. Typical areas to explore first are:

If the lawn is too wet, are there things you can to reduce the moisture?

Raking your grass clippings, scarification of your lawn or replacing old mulch will help to reduce the decaying organic material that encourages mushrooms growing in lawn.

What else can I do to help?

Our Soil Enrichment treatments will help balance the soil biology naturally. You should also consider annual aeration which will also be beneficial.

Can you use fungicides to treat toadstools?

There are no fungicides available in the UK for use against toadstools and mushrooms in lawns. Fungi are beneficial to the lawn and as toadstools are only temporary and do not damage the lawn, there is no need to apply a fungicide.