What Are Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that helps break down organic material once it begins to decay. While they may not be the most attractive things, mushrooms serve a necessary purpose and do no harm to your lawn.
Why Are Mushrooms there?
Because they break down decay, mushrooms usually show up in areas where there is animal waste, old mulch, grass clippings, fallen leaves, etc. They also thrive in wet, shaded areas.
Check your lawn for possible drainage issues that would allow for damp areas and keep the lawn as dry as possible. Look for things that shouldn’t be there. If you have animal feces or any lawn care or gardening waste make sure to clean it up and keep it off the grass.
Using a fertilizer that has the proper amount or nitrogen can also be beneficial as too much nitrogen helps mushrooms thrive. When watering your lawn always do it in the early morning and aim for a deep and infrequent watering method to encourage the lawn to absorb the moisture but not retain it and aid in fungicide growth.
Always clean up grass clippings, fallen leaves, and any other type of litter on your lawn. Shady areas in your yard may benefit from some pruning or thinning so the lawn gets more sunlight. Fungicides are also an option but I recommend addressing the main sources because the fungicide can be expensive and mushrooms will still grow if the conditions are right.
You can also pick the mushrooms while they are still young so they cannot release more spores to multiply. You can tell the mushrooms maturity by the gills (the ridge material under the mushroom top). If the gills are not visible it is still young and you can get rid of it.
There is no science to support either side, but some people swear by corn gluten meal as a fungicide and for those of you wanting to stay as natural as possible, this could be something to try.
Mushrooms serve a purpose and even though they do not look good, they are there to help, not hurt. If you do not want mushrooms on your land keeping your lawn dry, free of debris and full of light will help keep them at bay. Even though it may seem like more work, I recommend addressing these issues rather than using fungicides as prevention in the long run will be much more effective that treating with costly fungicides.