Your Most Frequently Asked Questions Answered
At Be Green Pro, we get many phone calls about mushrooms during our lawn care season. Spotting mushrooms in your lawn can be quite a surprise. You may ask yourself if it means something is wrong with your lawn or if they're connected to the way you are caring for your lawn. The good news is that nothing is wrong with your lawn, and they have nothing to do with how you are caring for it. Mushrooms are common in many healthy lawns, especially in midwestern regions like Southeastern Wisconsin, where alternating warm and cool temperatures mixed with dewfall and rainy days create a perfect environment for them to grow. Here are the answers to your most commonly asked questions.
Why Do Mushrooms Appear in My Lawn?
Mushrooms are the visible part of fungi, which play an important role in keeping the soil healthy. They usually appear when the conditions are just right—moist soil mixed with warm temperatures and decaying organic material.
Here are the top 3 reasons why mushrooms might show up in your lawn.
Moisture: After heavy rains, watering, and even steady dewfall, damp soil can lead to mushrooms sprouting. They thrive in moist environments, so consistently wet lawns often see more mushrooms.
Decomposing Organic Matter: Mushrooms enjoy areas where organic materials break down. This could be old mulch, rotting tree roots, fallen leaves or other plant matter, or buried wood. Fungi help recycle nutrients into the soil.
Seasonal Changes: In the Midwest, mushrooms often form in spring and fall when cooler temperatures are present for part of the day, and the weather is paired with sufficient moisture.
Are Mushrooms Harmful to My Lawn?
In most cases, mushrooms are harmless and benefit the environment by releasing nutrients back into the soil and are considered nature’s recyclers helping to keep thriving ecosystems in motion. Mushrooms are incredibly fascinating, can be beautiful, and come in all shapes and sizes. They do not damage your lawn and typically only pose a risk if eaten by pets, children, or unknowing people. It's wise to stay cautious when it comes to poking around mushrooms. Don't ever eat them unless you have expert knowledge or advice. When you are uncertain of the type of mushroom, or if you think a mushroom may have been ingested, contact the poison control hotline and seek medical attention. Some mushrooms are deadly if ingested so it’s best to be vigilant.
How Can I Get Rid of Mushrooms?
If you'd rather not have mushrooms in your lawn and don’t want to wait for them to disappear on their own, consider these 3 easy solutions.
Disturb Them: Mushrooms are delicate and can easily be knocked down by hand. Try to remove as much of the stem as possible to minimize the number of spores that can spread. You can mow them over, however, it is not recommended since this can cause the mushroom spores to get inside your mower and across the surface of your grass causing the mushrooms to spread.
Improve Drainage and Airflow: Persistent mushrooms may indicate drainage and airflow issues. Aeration can enhance soil structure and lower moisture. Consider adding a French drain to manage excess water for chronically soggy locations or where standing water pools.
Reduce Organic Material: Mushrooms thrive on organic matter. Clearing away old mulch, leaves, decaying wood, and other debris can help decrease their food source.
When Should You Worry About Mushrooms?
Most mushrooms don't cause any discernable harm, but if you see persistent growth or mushrooms with unusual colors or shapes, this could mean a different fungus is present. In such cases, contacting a reputable lawn care professional for advice could be beneficial.
Do You Need To Chemically Treat for Mushrooms?
Mushrooms in your lawn are generally normal, especially in Midwest landscapes. They often mean your soil is active and healthy, and they typically fade as conditions change. There's no need for chemical treatment such as fungicides. Fungicide treatments can harm beneficial fungi and cause resistance. Instead, focus on simple management practices, like enhancing drainage and removing organic waste, to keep mushrooms in check.
Do Lawn Care Services such as Fertilization Cause Mushrooms to Grow?
A common question is whether lawn care services like fertilization lead to mushroom growth. The answer is no! In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Be Green Pro uses an organic-based, slow-release fertilizer in our fertilization treatments that is applied in a form that makes it readily available for soil and nutrient consumption by the grassroots. The entire process of fertilization, weed control, and aeration is designed to allow a better flow of air, water, and nutrients, which promotes lawn health without encouraging fungi.
Whether it’s your lawn, trees, shrubs, or pest issues – we’re ready to help you with Eco-friendly solutions. No matter what season.