Why do you have mushrooms in your lawn?
Mushrooms are a fungus, and most fungi are able to propagate when something is decaying. In your lawn, when mushrooms pop up, it usually means something is dead and decaying beneath the surface.
It could be from buried construction debris, old tree stumps and roots, and even a buried pet that causes mushrooms to appear in your lawn. A popular mushroom pattern seen in lawns is called a “Fairy Ring” which is just a group of shrooms growing up from an old tree stump.
Some types of mushrooms also may grow due to soil conditions and pooling water. Whatever the reason, it is really nothing to be overly concerned about. Mushrooms only look bad, and don’t really cause any harm to your lawn. However, many homeowners are concerned about the presence of mushrooms in relation to their young children or pets and the possibility of them ingesting them.
How to get rid of Mushrooms in your lawn
If you see mushrooms, try to think back about what might have been there years ago. Did you cut down an old tree there? Did you dig a shallow grave for your beloved pet?
Whatever the case, you can try digging up the area and removing the source of decay. In some cases, this may to be feasible, so here is an old home remedy that I used with very good success:
* First, break off the mushrooms with our lawn mower or a shovel.
* Second, mix up some liquid dish soap (about 1/4 cup) in 3 gallons of warm water.
* Third, saturate the mushrooms and surround areas with the mixture. Make more as needed until the entire area is covered with the soapy water.
* Fourth, repeat these steps again in one week.
The dish soap will not harm the grass, but something in it seems to neutralize the fungal growth. This is just a temporary fix, and you may need to try it again in a couple months, but it DOES WORK!
