Green, lush, healthy lawns are the goal of gardeners around the world. That perfect expanse of grass can be marred in a hurry. You wake up one morning and you see them–mushrooms popping up out of the grass! Just know that it’s an easy issue to address, if you know what to do.
What causes mushrooms in your lawn?
In order to address any problem, you have to trace it to the origin. Mushrooms are a type of fungus and, like any fungus, mushrooms in your lawn help to break down any decaying organic material. The average yard is full of decaying organic material: animal waste, grass clippings and old mulch. They combine to keep mushrooms pretty well-fed.
But why does my lawn have mushrooms?
Mushrooms tend to thrive in any damp, well-shaded environment that is rich in decaying organic waste. Is there a drainage issue contributing to the overall dampness level of your lawn? Do you have old leaves or grass clippings you haven’t removed? Are large sections of your yard heavily shaded? If the answer is ‘Yes’ to any or all of these questions, that can explain the presence of your mushrooms.
Now that I know why they’re here, what can I do about it?
You can always just buy some fungicide and treat the mushrooms when they pop up. However, if the root (pardon the pun) cause for the presence of your mushrooms is not identified and addressed, there’s always the chance for them to eventually return. If drainage issues appear to be the cause for your unwanted mushrooms, assess the nature of the problem. Yards with clay soils often cause water to filter more slowly than yards with sandy or loamy soils. Avoiding compaction, adding organic material, and/or adding a raised bed are all good ways to improve filtration in your clay soils. An underground drain also can be useful in giving excess water somewhere else to run after rainfall, which specifically helps compacted soils or hard sub-layers. Creating ponds or rain gardens have become popular and visually dazzling solutions for draining problems as well. If the lawn issue begetting the mushrooms is material in nature, be diligent in raking your old grass clippings and replacing old mulch. While shade can tend to be a bit tougher to control, perhaps some focused pruning of surrounding trees can be a means to improve the matter.
Now for the good news
While the sight of mushrooms may be unpleasant to your inner gardener’s eye, they actually are beneficial to the overall health of your lawn. The vast root system of mushrooms works in conjunction with the soil in retaining water, and the mushrooms themselves help to break down the organic materials that add nutrients to the soil.
Professional lawn care in Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol in Tennessee
Ultimately, you can decide if the value your mushrooms bring to the overall health of your lawn outweighs the visual aesthetics. If you’re open to the idea of keeping them around, your yard may thank you for it! However, if mushrooms are becoming a problem in your yard, it might be time to call in the professionals. Promier Landscapes is here and ready to help. We offer a comprehensive program of landscape maintenance that can address many of the culprits behind an unwanted crop of mushrooms. To find out more about our services, call (423) 872-2988 or contact us online today.