MUSHROOMS & YOUR LAWN

Wet monsoonal lawn conditions

Mushrooms in your Lawn? Don’t panic. We are getting a break from the hot and sunny weather with monsoonal thunderstorms. The cloudy cooler weather and rain is bringing on mushrooms in turf areas. Finding mushrooms in your yard is a sign your lawn is too wet. This is common in newly sodded lawns, especially when the weather cools down and it rains for a few days. When temperatures are in the high 90’s and you are establishing new sod, it can be tough to water just the right amount. If mushrooms show up, back the water off a little bit. If you are getting rain, turn off the sprinkler system. Once your lawn starts drying up, turn the system back on. You also may need to adjust your sprinkler clock when it cools down for a few days, using the seasonal adjust to decrease lawn watering.

Where do they come from

Mushrooms come from fungi that live in your lawn’s soil. The mushrooms you see in your yard are the fruiting body of naturally occurring fungi living within the soil. Mushrooms grow up very quickly and are a great indicator that your lawn is too wet. Let your yard dry out and the mushrooms will disappear quickly. Never eat lawn mushrooms because some are poisonous. If you have children or pets in the yard, you can rake them up or pull by hand to insure your yard is safe for play.