You’re Not Alone in the Fight Against Fungi
It’s just after a rainstorm when you step out onto your lawn and notice something unusual. Small, round growths popping up amongst the green grass – mushrooms. These tiny intruders have no place in your yard, and thoughts of poisonous fungi may cause you to fear for your family’s safety.
When you spot mushrooms in your yard, there’s no need to panic. These growths are common, easy-to-manage, and most importantly, harmless. Mushrooms tend to pop up everywhere and are a common landscaping problem. They thrive in dark, humid areas, and are especially common after the spring rains have ended.
We’ve asked our lawn experts to compile everything they know about lawn mushrooms in one place, so you can learn what the presence of mushrooms means for your lawn and find out how to safely get rid of them.
Don’t Panic About Poison
Despite any horror stories you may have heard, most lawn mushrooms are completely harmless. That doesn’t mean that you or your children should be eating them, but if your pet accidentally eats one, they should be fine.
Poisonous mushrooms very rarely grow in residential yards, and when they do, there are a few noticeable characteristics that you can learn to recognize to protect your family.
How to Spot Dangerous Mushrooms
Mushrooms come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and expecting you to recognize every toxic variety on sight is unrealistic. Thankfully, there are a few general characteristics present in most poisonous mushrooms, including:
- The area underneath the cap of the mushroom is white, not brown
- A ring around the stem of the mushroom
- Red coloring on the cap or stem
- An unpleasant smell
Even if the mushrooms in your lawn don’t fit any of the above criteria, you should still call a doctor or veterinarian ASAP if you, your family, or your pets start showing any unusual symptoms after coming into contact with an unidentified mushroom.
Some Mushrooms Can Help Your Lawn
Most mushrooms won’t harm your family, but what about your lawn? You work hard to keep your yard beautiful and healthy, and we know you don’t want something as small as a mushroom ruining your hard work.
But you don’t need to worry about that either – the presence of fungi can actually benefit your lawn’s overall health and encourage growth. Mushrooms feed off of organic waste and can break down layers of dead leaves and stems that can build up in your yard. This stops dead leaf buildup from stifling the growth of your grass and gets you a cleaner lawn.
Getting Rid of Unwelcome Growth
There are a few simple, DIY methods that you can use to get rid of mushrooms. The easiest by far is simply to mow over them with a lawnmower, removing their protective caps and leaving them to dry out and die in the sun. If you only have a few mushrooms popping up and don’t want to go through the hassle of starting up your lawnmower, carefully cutting off the caps by hand with a knife is also effective – just make sure you wear gloves, just in case!
If you have more questions about lawn mushrooms, contact our team online or call us at (636) 748-0734! We’ll be happy to help you fight off any unwanted invaders in your yard!