When the temperatures rise and there has been an abundance of rain or supplemental irrigation. Mushrooms come in all shapes and colors. For the most part, mushrooms are a good thing as they are a sign that there is plenty of activity going on in the soil food web below the ground. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the fungi that feed on organic material that exists in the soil, providing nutrients to other microorganism as well as to the roots of landscapes plants and to the turf. There are a lot of fungi varieties that can cause problems in lawns. Mushrooms are among the most visible, but least harmful of lawn fungi. Fairy rings are caused by up to 50 different types of fungi and create expanding rings in turf. Although fairy rings and mushrooms are not harmful, they are unslightly for some people. Here are a few facts about mushrooms and how to help control them on your lawn.
Mushrooms Don't Harm Your Lawn
Mushrooms are caused by a large number of different fungi, and the good news is they won't cause lawn diseases. They are sensitive to moisture and normally appear during periods of heavy rainfall and warm temperatures or on very heavily irrigated turf. Mushrooms feed on decaying organic material on the lawn in the thatch or soil, and do not attack living grass plants. Shallow dead tree roots, construction debris, or heavy thatch on the lawn can become the "host" that mushrooms feed upon. In almost all cases, mushrooms will disappear when lawn moisture levels return to normal and regular mowing will help get rid of these unsightly fungi. Some of the fungi that cause mushrooms are sensitive to fungicides. Usually fungicides will only help prevent further mushrooms from developing and not kill the current ones. Because of this, we normally advise that attempting to remove mushrooms chemically is not really feasible. It's also a good idea to determine what kind of mushrooms your lawn is developing or spotting types of mushrooms in your neighborhood area. Although mushrooms don't affect your turf, some mushrooms are toxic for pets.
How To Control Mushrooms In Your Lawn To control mushrooms on the lawn, we recommend keeping the soil open and reduce water frequency for the time being. Make sure you're following best watering practices to avoid over watering your lawn (over watering leads to Brown Patch). Regular core aeration helps keep the soil open and allows more air, nutrients and water to reach the root zone for healthy, thick grass. These tips will generally help control mushrooms, and prevent new mushrooms from emerging on the lawn. Mushrooms don't last a long time once they surface and will usually decompose in a couple of days. There are no products that will keep mushrooms from growing in a lawn or landscape bed. They can be hand-picked and thrown away, but it is a good idea to wear gloves when doing so as some mushrooms are poisonous. Normally mowing will also remove those mushrooms that grow taller than the turf. They can also be kicked over or they can be a way to improve your golf swing.
Partnering With Spring-Green For a Healthy Lawn
Having a healthy lawn is the result of a continuous process. And in the process of creating great conditions for growing grass, the very best results come when you and Spring Green lawn care services work together as partners. If mushrooms are growing in a circle within a lawn or are growing within a darker green circle of arc, this could be a sign of a disease called Fairy Ring. If mushrooms are growing in this type of pattern, call your Neighborhood Lawn Care Professional to inspect your lawn. They will provide the best recommendations to reduce the severity of this disease, which usually involves yearly core aeration on the lawn.
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