How to Get Rid of Mushrooms in Your Garden - 6 Ways to Try

Jan 06 2023 Written by Ivy

When it comes to gardens and lawns, mushrooms are a typical problem with landscaping. Not only do mushrooms look ugly across your pristine green lawn, but they can also present a risk to children and pets, or release fly-attracting odors creating a secondary problem.

If you want to know why mushrooms are growing in your yard and how to get rid of mushrooms in your lawn, keep reading.

What Are Mushrooms?

Toadstools, also known as mushrooms, are fungi that thrive in moist environments. Many different types of mushrooms exist, and the majority of them have a cap and gills that develop on the underside of the cap. These caps are really the fungus's fruiting bodies. A stem is also present in some mushrooms, but not all. There are edible mushrooms that are helpful fungi, as well as poisonous mushrooms.

What Causes Mushrooms?

New mushrooms grow in moist, humid environments, especially when those conditions persist for a long time, as in overwatered lawns or yards. Upon forming, mushrooms exude spores that encourage the growth of additional mushrooms.

Mushrooms can grow around the roots of trees or under their branches because they like the shade. Additionally, you might discover the growth of mushrooms in organic matter that is sitting, compost, animal waste, dead grass, or even mulch.

Finding mushrooms in your yard might be a sign that your lawn is unhealthy. The lawn fungi only develop from the mushrooms, which originate from an underground fungus, under the right environmental conditions. They can become food sources for them if there is too much thatch (dead grass pressed to the surface), which would then continue to exist. Ultimately, you can help prevent mushrooms from growing by taking care of your lawn, aerating it, and removing grass clippings right away.

6 Strategies for Getting Rid of Mushrooms

You can get rid of mushrooms in your yard in a variety of ways. Here are some options, listed from the most simple to the most aggressive:

Ensure Proper Drainage

To prevent the development of mushrooms in the first place and to prevent moisture from reaching any existing populations of mushrooms, avoid conditions where water sits on your lawn for an extended period of time. To quickly remove water from your yard, this may require leveling some areas of the ground or even adding a French drain. Avoid overwatering your plants if you have a garden.

Try the Dish Soap Method

Use a spade to dig up the mushrooms and remove them from the lawn. After that, put them in a plastic bag that can be sealed to stop them from dispersing spores through their reproductive organs. To stop the mushroom from growing further, fill the hole it was living in with water and a few drops of dish soap.

Aerate the Lawn

You must eliminate the fungus that lives beneath your grass in order to eradicate mushrooms. Do not forget that fungus can still exist on a green lawn. To add more air and oxygen to the soil, aerate it periodically with an aerator. Dethatching (removal of compressed dead grass) your lawn will also be beneficial. If only temporarily, use your lawnmower to shorten the grass to allow the soil to breathe. Make sure the soil in your landscaping is healthy to help solve the issue at its root.

Remove All Organic Matter

Remove organic matter, such as dog and cat waste, as soon as you can to prevent it from becoming a food source for additional mushrooms.

Clean Up Your Mulch

Given that mulch holds onto moisture, developing a mushroom problem is fairly typical. Spray the mulch with a solution made up of a gallon of water and a tablespoon of baking soda. Any nearby mushrooms will be killed by this.

Use a Fungicide

Even though using a fungicide may seem extreme, it can be an effective way to get rid of bothersome lawn mushrooms, especially if other methods like aerating and mowing have failed. Spray the fungicide all over your lawn to help tackle the fungus issue at its root. Fungicidal granules are another option.

Why Are Mushrooms Growing in My Yard?

You probably already know that fungi include mushrooms. They can also include other types of fungi, which can grow in a variety of beautiful shapes and sizes. We typically think of them as a type of toadstool with a cap, stem, and gills underneath the cap.

Typically, damp, dark places with lots of rich decaying matter are where mushrooms flourish. But you absolutely must not mix up lawn mushrooms with the varieties we like to eat; doing so can be fatal, or at the very least, nauseating.

Mushroom Ecology

In order to convert the organic matter in the soil into nutrients that your lawn can use, mushrooms help break it down. Therefore, mushrooms are a sign that organic matter is decomposing and that the soil is rich and of high quality if you see them. In fact, they play a crucial role in transforming organic matter into nutrients that are more readily available to other plants.

Animal waste, dead grass, dead leaves, old, decaying tree trunks, branches, and even underground roots are frequently found in yards. All of these are excellent sources of food for mushrooms, which they can use to produce nutrients that other plants can use.

Mushrooms thrive in shady lawns and yards with poor drainage. There will be a lot of organic matter on a lawn with a lot of thatch that mushrooms can eat.

Then there are yards where pets like dogs, cats, chickens, or goats live; the waste from these animals will provide organic matter that is perfect for mushrooms to grow in.

How Do Mushrooms Reproduce and Spread

Spores are how mushrooms spread. Small reproductive cells called spores are released by the mushroom and are carried away by the wind. They touch down and launch fresh mushroom colonies. According to Marcus Roper of UCLA, mushrooms produce their own "wind" to help disperse their spores. Because mushrooms let their moisture evaporate, the area around them is filled with cool air and water vapor. The spores are given enough lift by this to disperse widely. The spores can travel up to four inches up and out in the mushroom's natural "wind."

Spores can hibernate during dry spells or stressful times, waiting for the ideal conditions to begin the growth of new colonies and mushrooms.

How Fast Do Mushrooms Grow

One of the organisms in your garden that grows the fastest is the mushroom. Small mushrooms can grow in just one day, while medium- to large-sized mushrooms take about three to four days to reach maturity. Environmental variables like temperature and moisture content will have an impact on how quickly plants grow.

Also Read How to Get Rid of the Following Species:

Animals:

Pests:

How to Kill Mushrooms Using Fungicide

The mushrooms that you see in your yard resemble the "fruit" of a fungus that is buried beneath the soil. It follows that killing the mushrooms by spraying fungicide directly on them is unlikely to be effective. To kill the fungi that are present in the soil, though, it can be used.

You can buy a variety of garden fungicides to treat your lawn or garden. In yards where children and animals play, these should be used with caution. You can buy sprayer attachments that attach to your garden hose and let you spray the troubled areas. Finally, a granular product is also offered that you can sprinkle or broadcast across your lawn surface. You can also dilute the product with water and apply it with a backpack sprayer or pump sprayer.

The mushrooms ought to disappear over time. You may need to take additional steps to stop the mushrooms from reappearing because this might not be a long-term solution.

To prevent the spread of spores, remove any visible mushrooms and dispose of them. You should also remove any decaying matter from your lawn areas to prevent the growth of mushrooms.

You can hire a professional to use stronger products on your lawn if the household remedies are ineffective.

Natural Ways How to Get Rid of Mushrooms in Lawn

Allowing mushrooms to disappear by going through their own life cycle is the most organic way to get rid of them in your yard.

Once this process is finished, the mushrooms will naturally die off and disappear because they grow in organic matter that is decomposing and decaying. By regularly using a thatching rake to remove any obvious sources of decaying material, such as old rotten stumps, tree branches, animal waste, grass clippings, and thatch, you can aid this process.

Vinegar

You can also use vinegar to naturally eradicate mushrooms from your yard. You will need to use horticultural vinegar, which is usually 30–50% concentrated, as household or cooking vinegar is typically too dilute to be useful.

The horticultural vinegar should be diluted with 4 parts water for every 1 part vinegar. For simpler application, you could put it in a spray bottle. Since vinegar can burn skin when it is this strong, you should probably wear gloves and eye protection.

You can kill the mushrooms by simply misting them with a vinegar solution. Spray carefully because it might also kill nearby grass. You might want to perform a test area and wait a few days to observe the results.

How Does Vinegar Kill Mushrooms

A key component of vinegar, acetic acid, which is what gives it its recognizable smell, is an acidic substance. To treat bacterial and fungal infections, acetic acid is also employed in medical applications.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a gentler way to get rid of mushrooms. Baking soda is not a fungicide, but it can help by reducing the problem by increasing the pH of the soil, which stops the mushroom from growing. Even though it isn't a long-term fix, it is gentle, secure, and efficient.

One gallon of water should contain two tablespoons of baking soda, which should be thoroughly dissolved in the water. Mixture should be sprayed on the soil around the mushrooms. This will eventually slow the growth of the mushrooms and even cause them to die.

As an alternative, you can directly sprinkle baking soda on the soil and the mushrooms and then water it in. This method is inexpensive and safe to use around children and pets, but you might need to repeat it frequently to see results.

Just keep in mind that any significant alterations to the pH level of the soil may prevent nearby plants from growing.

How Does Baking Soda Kill Mushrooms

Another all-natural remedy for mushrooms is baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate. It disrupts the growth of fungi when sprayed on them after being diluted with water, which stops the mushroom-producing process. Therefore, using baking soda is more of a preventative measure than a treatment.

Dish Soap

Dish soap is a different quick-fix natural method for getting rid of mushrooms in your yard.

Add one or two tablespoons of any commercial dish soap to three gallons of water. Make holes in the ground surrounding the mushrooms with a screwdriver. In order to disrupt the fungi's life cycle beneath the soil's surface, pour the soapy water over the mushrooms and into the holes.

You can quickly reduce your mushroom colonies by repeating this procedure several times per day for a week. Making sure the soapy water penetrates the soil where the fungi live is essential to making this method effective.

How to Get Rid of Mushrooms in Yard Areas

Clean

Maintaining a clean yard is the first step in getting rid of mushrooms in your outdoor spaces. Eliminate all decaying organic matter, including leaves and dead grass clippings. It is the ideal food source for mushrooms to grow if left out in the yard. Eliminating it will therefore aid in maintaining a stable mushroom population.

Moisture Control

Only occasionally water your lawn. Early in the morning is the best time to water the lawn so that the sun has time to dry off any additional moisture. Because dampness promotes the growth of mushrooms, avoid overwatering your lawn.

Because shady areas are the perfect habitat for fungi, trim away and remove any extra branches from trees and shrubs.

Lift Mushrooms by Hand

If mushrooms start to grow, you can manually get rid of them. If you are handling them by hand, put on gloves, place them in a trash bag, close the bag, and throw them away. Because of the possibility of further spore spread, avoid adding mushrooms to compost piles.

A shove or the lawnmower can also be used to destroy them. Before they become large, try to remove or destroy mushrooms. Before they get big enough to start releasing more spores, they need to be removed.

Do Mushrooms Regrow After Being Picked?

After being picked, mushrooms do indeed grow again. To be clear, the mushroom is simply the end result of the underground mycelium root system. Therefore, it's possible that the mushroom you picked didn't release spores to reproduce. However, you can be sure that the mycelium or other mushroom spores will get to work and produce more fungi if the problem is not treated with a fungicide or other similar remedy.

Nitrogen Fertilizer

To stop new mushrooms from growing, fertilize your lawn with a nitrogen-based fertilizer. The decaying matter in your soil will provide food for the mushrooms. The organic matter in the yard will decompose more quickly if nitrogen is added to the soil. The life cycle of the mushrooms will end more quickly the faster it decomposes.

This is a fantastic dual approach when thinking about how to get rid of mushrooms in lawns. Simple lawn maintenance will solve both of your problems with mushrooms.

What Does Mushrooms Popping Up in Lawn Indicate?

Fungi are abundant in your soil and aid in the decomposition of organic matter. Regarding the ecosystem of your lawn, the leaves and grass clippings that accumulate there give fungi in your yard carbon and other nutrients, and fungi in turn repay the favor by converting the clippings and leaves into soil nutrients.

The fact that fungi produce mushrooms indicates that they are constantly producing healthy soil below the surface.

On the other hand, the emergence of mushrooms might also be a sign of excessive moisture, which might be the ideal environment for the development of fungi.

Should You Be Concerned About Lawn Mushrooms?

The response may or may not depend on who you ask. A few mushrooms in my yard are the last thing I'm concerned about, though I do believe they (a few of them) contribute to the aesthetic appeal.

But many mushrooms can be unsightly in a lawn that has been kept in reasonably good shape. While some types of lawn mushrooms are edible, others can be toxic. leading to a severe stomach upset if kids or pets get a hold of them.

When your lawn starts to grow mushrooms, you may have overwatered it, which not only wastes water but also drowns your grass plants and leaves some areas of your lawn with bare or yellow patches.

Types of Mushrooms That Grow in Yards

There are several different types of mushrooms that can grow in your yard, with the most common being "inky cap" (The dark, ink-like liquid that appears when the mushroom's cap decomposes gives this lawn mushroom its scientific name, Coprinus spp.

Another type of mushroom found in lawns is the mycorrhizae fungi, which is regarded as a beneficial mushroom species because it helps plants and grass absorb nutrients.

Common Garden Mushrooms	Characteristics
Lawyer's Wig	Grows in tall cylinders, Looks similar to a wig, releases spores fast, then shrivels and dies
Green-Spored Lepiota	Toxic to humans and pets, measures between 2-4 inches, prevalent in Southern regions
Puffball	Doesn't have stems, caps, or gills, looks like a round puffball, releases a small cloud of dark brown spores when stepped on
Fairy Rings	More than 60 species of mushrooms can create fairy rings in your lawn, a good sign your soil is high in organic matter, can affect all types of lawns

Both the honey-colored Armillaria mellea fungus and the stinkhorn fungi mushrooms should be removed from lawns because they draw insects that disperse the spores. Both of these fungi can kill trees.

Are Mushrooms in My Lawn Dangerous

The mushrooms that you discover growing in your yard are not harmful to the yard itself. They are actually advantageous organisms since they can convert organic matter into nutrients that your lawn can easily absorb.

Once the organic matter has decomposed and there is nothing left for the mushrooms and fungi to feed on, they won't spread disease to your yard and are likely to vanish.

In contrast, there are over 100 species of poisonous mushrooms that can produce a variety of symptoms, including vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Some types of mushrooms can cause the kidneys to stop working, and the deadliest mushrooms can cause liver failure and death.

Verdict: How to Get Rid of Mushrooms in Lawns

Although they won't harm your yard, mushrooms can be unsightly and even poisonous to people and animals. It is sensible to get rid of them as quickly and securely as you can just for that reason.

We have investigated how to eliminate mushrooms by combining various methods for their removal and control. As soon as you see any mushrooms, quickly remove them by hand to prevent spore production. In order to stop the fungi from spreading further, treat the mushrooms and soil using natural or chemical means. Eliminate the conditions that encourage the growth of mushrooms, such as dampness, shady areas, and excess organic matter in the yard.