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Mushrooms in my lawn!


Mushrooms are popping out of the lawn(tip of the iceberg)

We have been getting several calls regarding the growth of mushrooms in the lawns recently.  Which makes perfect sense because we have had rain almost every day for the last two weeks!   Why does this make sense?  Let me explain.  Mushrooms are the fruiting body of fungal spores located below the surface of the soil in the lawn.  They are the the mere tops of the icebergs.  The active fungi spores are not large enough to even be seen and are located under the surface of the soil, where they are naturally found in nature and are actively decomposing organic matter in the soil.  This organic matter is usually made up of woody materials like dead tree roots, old stumps, construction lumber and most commonly wood mulch dumped into the lawn when doing the last mulching project in your landscape.  The fungi spores survive in the soil for years and produce fruiting bodies (mushrooms) when conditions are favorable. Favorable conditions are extended periods of wet weather and a lack of sunlight which also accompanies heavy rains and which have been very prominent during the past two weeks.


Tree bark from a recent storm that will develop mushroom problems in the future if not removed from the lawn.

The mushrooms that develop in the lawn during prolonged wet periods are actually a positive sign for your lawn.  Their presence indicates that the lawn is naturally and organically decomposing organic matter in the soil and therefore allowing nutrients from fertilizers, lawn clippings and leaf mulching to be broken down and available for the turf to uptake.  Although the fungi responsible for the common lawn mushrooms pose no threat to the lawn itself and are not going to harm the turf, many homeowners find them as an eyesore.  The best way to eradicate your lawn from this eyesore is to physically remove them from the lawn with a hoe or rake or simply mowing them over.  

Proof that mulch chunks left in the lawn from a previous years mulch project decaying and becoming a source of fungi growth.

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