If you’ve spotted mushrooms in your lawn, you might be tempted to reach for the weed killer and eradicate them immediately. However, mushrooms aren’t always bad for your lawn! Knowing how to tell the difference between which mushrooms are friendly and which can cause damage is key.

Here, we’ll explain how to identify the different types of mushrooms, answer whether they are bad for your lawn, and provide you with an easy guide on how to remove them.

Are Mushrooms Bad for Your Lawn?

Contrary to popular opinion, finding wild mushrooms in the lawn isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and they’re definitely not bad for the lawn itself – in fact, you might find mushrooms on your lawn simply because the grass and soil are healthy and contain a large amount of organic material. They can help break down this material which provides your soil with nutrients and encourages new grass growth.

While mushroom growth is a telltale sign of beneficial microbes at work, there are a range of reasons for choosing to remove wild fungi. The most obvious reason is the danger to young children and pets if mushrooms are ingested, which has the potential to lead to serious illness or death. As a general rule, you should not eat the mushrooms growing on your lawn, as some varieties can be highly toxic to humans, and misidentifying them can be fatal.

Many homeowners simply dislike the look or mushrooms in their lawn, making the task of removing them worthwhile for the improved visual appeal.

Mushrooms vs fungal diseases in your lawn

While mushrooms can be a sign of good lawn health, fungal diseases on the other hand, are not something you want. These will emerge in warm and humid or cool and damp environments – if your lawn has received heavy rainfall or flooding, you’ll likely experience some mushroom and fungal growth.

Common fungal diseases include Fairy Rings, which first appear as a discoloured patch of grass, and then a ring of white mushrooms. Powdery Mildew is another fungal issue which emerges as white powder on the leaves of your grass. Along with these, the Giant Puffball Mushroom is a fungus which is large, round and white.

A common rule of thumb is that if your lawn has small, white, and less frequent mushrooms, then they are probably beneficial. If your lawn has large, colourful clusters of mushrooms, they are likely harmful to your lawn.

How to Manage Mushrooms Growing in Your Lawn

Getting rid of mushrooms and toadstools

Right after controlling weeds, managing and removing mushrooms and toadstools is one of the more tedious lawn care tasks. Unfortunately, there’s no real quick-fix solution to the problem. The main reason mushrooms are so difficult to remove is because the roots burrow deep into the soil, forming a complex underground system that’s almost impossible to get out all at once. When left in place, these roots allow the mushrooms to lie dormant for long periods of time and emerge only when the weather conditions are just right.

If you’re determined to remove backyard mushrooms, the best way to start is by pulling them out manually. By-hand removal eliminates any chance of spores spreading and regrowing, and it’s a surprisingly simple process: wearing gardening gloves and picking out the mushrooms and toadstools one by one. Alternatively, you can use a fungicide or a mower with a collector attached for the clippings.

Preventing mushrooms from popping up

Managing lawn mushrooms is a long-term process, but the good news is that no matter how hardy they may seem, it is possible to eradicate the mushroom population from your lawn. All you have to do is make the lawn a less attractive place for fungi to grow.

• Mowing: As long as there are no live mushrooms already growing in your lawn, a simple lawn mowing routine can significantly reduce growth, but more long-term solutions will involve tending to the soil.
• Adapt your yard: Mushrooms typically thrive in shady, moist conditions, so create the opposite environment in your yard. Simple changes like limiting shade on the lawn to increase sun exposure, aerating the soil regularly, and cutting back on fertiliser will make the lawn a far less hospitable environment for mushrooms.
• Ongoing maintenance: Once you have created the ideal setting for lush lawn growth, maintenance is key, and the bulk of it lies in keeping the area clear of mushroom-friendly materials. Grass clippings, thatch build-up, old mulch, excess fertiliser, animal waste, and rotting wood commonly cause mushrooms to grow in grass, so keep these at bay to keep mushrooms away!

Consult the Experts

If you are fighting a losing battle against mushrooms and fungi in your lawn, it might be time to call in the professionals. Our team of lawn care experts can assess your lawn and provide you with any required services including lawn mowing, dethatching and aeration. Get in touch with us today!