Mushrooms in your lawn?

Don’t panic!

Mushrooms are generally a sign of a healthy lawn and are just part of mother nature. They’re naturally occurring and can appear on any healthy lawn, depending on weather or ground conditions. 

What are mushrooms? 

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungal species. Fungi live in your soil all of the time and are the most active of all micro-organisms in turf. They help degrade thatch and other organic matter and supply the turf with nutrients. When the conditions are right, they will pop up, spread spores, and reproduce. 

Good vs bad mushrooms

Mushrooms in the lawn are not always a cause for concern. They’re usually a sign that the lawn is in good health with nutrient-rich soil. 

However, when you get mushrooms in a circle this could be evidence of a fungal infection, commonly known as ‘Fairy Ring’ which can be damaging to your lawn. Click here to read more on fairy rings.

We wouldn’t recommend eating the mushrooms. It would take an expert to distinguish whether they are edible – so it’s best to steer clear! 

What causes mushrooms? 

Mushrooms sprout in the correct conditions and can spread quite easily.  

(Mushrooms produce millions of microscopic spores that blow away into the wind.  If these spores land on a suitable surface (such as wood or soil) spores will germinate to form a network of microscopic rooting threads which penetrate their new food source).

Mushrooms thrive in a well fertile soil. As well as a few other reasons:

• Shaded or moist areas

If your lawn is covered by shade and the weather is cool after a prolonged period of rain, it’s the mushrooms time to shine! They’ll pretty much appear overnight. 

• Excess Thatch

Mushrooms can grow as they feed on decaying organic matter that is in the thatch layer.

• Drainage Issues

If your lawn has a drainage issue then moisture will sit on the surface, meaning mushrooms will likely pop up!

• Re-turfed your lawn 

Mushrooms are common in freshly laid turf. That’s because the soil has been disturbed and stimulated fungal spores that have been dormant. This is perfectly normal, and the mushrooms will eventually disappear on their own. 

How to prevent mushrooms growing in your lawn 

The cycle is usually short lived, they will disappear on their own as soon as they have distributed their spores and completed their life cycle. However, the wind will spread the spores, meaning there is a possibility that they will grow into mushrooms in the distant future. 

You must first determine the main cause of their sprouting. The ideal conditions for mushrooms are usually moist, humid, and shady. 

• If you remove the food source (fallen leaves, organic matter, grass cuttings etc) then this will reduce the chances of mushrooms growing. 
• Aerate your lawn to improve drainage - learn more about Aeration here
• Scarify your lawn to reduce thatch - learn more about Scarification here
• Reduce shaded areas

Tip: we wouldn’t recommend mowing the mushrooms, as this will cause the spores to spread further. Instead, before mowing you could pull the mushrooms out from the base. 

If you suspect you have Fairy Ring (ring of grass with fungi growing around it’s perimeter), please speak to your local GreenThumb branch: www.greenthumb.co.uk/branch