How To Get Rid Of Mushrooms?

One of the best ways to get rid of mushrooms is to eat them. Of course, you should only eat certain mushrooms – those that you know won’t make you sick or kill you! But we’re not really concerned about edible mushrooms at this point. The growth we want to get rid of is the mushroom that grows on our lawn.

Mushrooms are fungi. To get a better idea of what mushrooms are, think of them as the fruit of a particular type of fungus called mycelium. While mushrooms are a plant they aren’t green like many other members of the plant world. Mushrooms don’t have chlorophyll as part of their life process. They don’t need sunlight for their growth. They grow best on dead trees/logs, on your compost pile and in other warm, moist conditions that provide the right kind of nutrients.

Look Small, But Are Big!
Mushrooms, like many related plants, spread under the soil surface and can stretch over a huge area. If you spy a few mushrooms in your lawn there may be roots spreading across your yard, out of sight. To prevent mushrooms starting on your lawn keep the grass areas as clean as possible. Don’t allow leaves and other litter to build up. This provides perfect conditions for mushrooms to grow. Rake up grass trimmings or use a thatching tool to keep loose grass from building up.

Don’t water your lawn any more than you have to. A combination of moisture and dead matter will certainly encourage mushroom growth. That’s why the compost pile is such a perfect breeding ground for mushrooms and other types of fungus and mold.

Since the spores that mushrooms grow from are ever-present we will never be able to get rid of all of them. If you see mushrooms in your lawn chances are these mature “fruits” have already released hundreds, if not thousands, of spores. Learn what to look for in a mature mushroom and try to catch new growth before the mushrooms mature. This may prevent them from releasing spores and spreading the problem.

You may be able to kill many of the mushrooms on your lawn with a commercial fungicide. These are designed to treat fungus growth on lawns. However, the active ingredients in these products can be toxic to human beings and animals. It is important to follow the directions on the packaging to the letter. Protect exposed skin with long sleeves and gloves. Use protective eye glasses or goggles as well.

The best way to get rid of mushrooms is to prevent them in the first place. This is generally accomplished by controlling the growing conditions on your lawn and in other areas of your property. Don’t put too much fertilizer on your lawn because this can be used by fungi just as it can be used by grass. Excessive watering will also create ideal mushroom-growing conditions. You may want to consider controlling mushrooms by incorporating them into your landscaping in some places and removing them in other locations.

 Print This Page