I have noticed some of those unsightly images of fungi sprouting up in our lawn. Round white or brown colored polka dots that are completely out of place and don't really fit with the nice cut of the green grass blades... Irritating.
I have been reading, however, that mushrooms in my lawn can actually be a positive thing... According to an article on www.gardeningknowhow.com "While mushrooms in the lawn may look unsightly, they are actually beneficial to the lawn. The extensive root system of lawn mushrooms help the soil retain water and lawn mushrooms also help to break down organic materials which help add nutrients to the lawn." And www.skynursery.com states: "Mushrooms do not normally damage grass or other plants. The only problem is aesthetic."
Even though mushrooms can help in a yard, or at least not damage one, you may still make the decision that you don't like them there. And that's ok too. The article in www.skynursery.com says "one solution is to just mow or break off the mushrooms.". The information on www.gardeningknowhow.com goes into a bit more detail, however... First- identify what causes mushrooms to grow in a lawn and why they'd be growing in yours. Mushrooms are fungi that like to break down organic material; what organic materials could be found in your yard? Animal waste? Retained moisture in a shady spot? Perhaps the solutions are just to pick up some of the waste. Maybe some bushes or trees can be trimmed back a bit to eliminate some shady areas. "You can also treat your lawn with a fungicide, but if you do not address the issues that cause mushrooms to grow in your lawn, chances are that the mushrooms will just come back."
And again- the other suggestion is just to leave them alone. It is of course, your preference. Just as my wife wouldn't mind mushrooms on her part of the pizza- but my kids and I would rather have them not even near our pieces.
Have a good week!
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