Why do I have mushrooms in my lawn?

Mushrooms in lawn

With Lakeville and the surrounding Twin Cities receiving 5 inches of rain to finish out June, you may begin to see mushrooms appear in your lawn. With the recent significant rainfall, our service area finished the month of June with above-normal precipitation leaving the lawn conditions ripe for mushroom growth.

Climate in Lakeville MN June 2020

The appearance of mushrooms may cause you to be concerned about the health of your lawn, but thankfully a vast majority of mushrooms in lawns are related to excessive rainfall or irrigation and not lawn disease.

Contact us for further advice regarding mushrooms in your lawn.

Learn More About Mushrooms in Lawns

Mushroom cluster in lawn caused by environmental conditions

Why do mushrooms develop?

  • Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi living in the soil and thatch.
  • Plant material (roots, stems, leaves, grass blades, thatch, old tree roots) are constantly breaking down in the soil naturally.
  • Wet conditions speed up the decay of organic matter.
  • Fungi live on decaying organic matter in the soil.
  • As organic matter decays, nutrients (especially nitrogen) become available for plant growth.
Cozy living area in backyard

Reduce the chances your lawn gets mushrooms

Although we can’t control the amount of rainfall, there are some best practices to help reduce the onset of mushrooms in your lawn.

  • Complete a Spring Cleanup to remove plant materials that may contribute to their growth.
  • Don’t leave behind tree roots or stumps after removing a tree.
  • Monitor your irrigation system and reduce watering times or turn off if necessary.
  • Aerate your lawn in the Fall to reduce soil compaction and improve drainage.
Rain and heat induced mushroom in the lawn

Are the mushrooms in my lawn dangerous?

Probably not, but it is best to assume they are.

There are roughly 100 species of mushrooms that can have negative health affect of varying degrees if ingested.  The best defense is to keep pets away from mushrooms and to teach your children at a young age that mushrooms are nothing to play around with.  The most important thing is to make sure your pets and young ones aren’t eating the mushrooms.

It is very hard to look at a mushroom and tell if it is poisonous or has any health risk threat at all.  If you see your child ingest a mushroom, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately.  Learn more about the health risks of mushrooms.

Lawn tools in the yard

Conclusion

Mushrooms are primarily caused by environmental conditions.  They are usually temporary and don’t pose any immediate threat.  It is important to remember there is a possibility that mushrooms could be poisonous and to seek medical attention if ingested.

As far as the short and long-term consequences of mushrooms in your lawn, they aren’t too bad.  If you have single mushrooms popping up here and there, there is a good chance once the environmental conditions change the mushrooms will disappear and your lawn will return to its prior state.

If the mushrooms in your lawn are forming large clusters, this will more than likely leave bare spots in your lawn when the mushrooms disappear.  It will be necessary to re-seed these areas so weeds do not take over.

If you have mushrooms in your lawn and need help eliminating them, contact your local lawn care pros at Paradise Property Services and we would be happy to take care of them for you.

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