Mushrooms are a type of fungus that can grow in a variety of places like mulch, soil, and leaf litter. They thrive in areas with high levels of moisture and decomposing organic matter. Mushrooms release spores into the air to travel to new locations; these spores are often the cause of allergies in humans.
If you find mushrooms growing in your yard, it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible. There are many ways to do this, but here are some effective methods for killing mushrooms once and for all.
Clean Up the Garden
Most homeowners make sure to keep their landscaping well maintained. A potential area for mushrooms to grow will most likely contain mulch or compost. Cleaning up the garden and destroying these areas can prevent mushrooms from growing.
Remove any plants and rake the area to remove any mulch and leaves. Mushrooms tend to grow in areas with lots of decaying organic matter. Mulches can provide a perfect environment for them to grow. The mulch may also attract other beneficial insects that are harmful to mushrooms.
Many species of mushrooms are edible, so it is important to understand what you are eating. The best thing to do is to remove the mulch and dispose of it in the garbage. Another way to eliminate mushrooms is to make sure you have fertilized the soil and making sure it is clean.
Kill with Compost
It is vital to get rid of mushrooms in a timely manner. If you allow them to grow, they can damage your property and spread spores throughout your home. The best way to get rid of mushrooms in your yard is to use composting.
You can use this method on the lawn, which will reduce the need for pesticides. Compost can also help increase the pH of the soil in the area, which will reduce the risk of mushrooms growing in it. As the name suggests, this method is used to remove any dirt or debris from the area.
If you have mushrooms growing in your yard, you should remove them by hand. You can also use a cleaning solution designed for mushrooms, but you should keep in mind that they are highly caustic.
Use Chemical Fungicides
If you’re only able to do this method, it’s a good idea to work with experts who specialize in this type of pest control. Chemical fungicides can be used to kill any type of fungus or mildew, not just mushrooms. There are products specifically designed for specific kinds of fungi, so you may be able to get an effective solution that will completely eliminate your mushroom problem.
Control Your Neighbor’s Mushroom: You can also reduce your chances of attracting mushrooms to your yard if you are located next to an area that is a destination for mushrooms. If you live near a heavily mowed field, shrubbery, or a forest, this can be a problem. If you live next to an area with abundant leaf litter, be sure to keep it clean.
Use Biological Control
Mushrooms are usually spread by them being picked and the spores spreading through the air. When this happens, there is no real way to stop the spread. The only solution is to control the spore with biological means.
Biological control is done by using harmful parasitic insects like the nematode Cestode Diptera. A female Cestode will lay eggs inside the mushroom, and these eggs will hatch into larvae that feed on the tissues. The larvae then die and produce more nematodes that spread the spores to new locations.
This method has been successful for many years with various different types of mushrooms. Storing compost in a closed container is an effective way to prevent spore spread.
Prevent Mushrooms in Yard
Avoid having mulch near your plants by raking or planting your flower and vegetable beds in gravel, stone, or perlite to prevent mushrooms from growing. Keep plants out of your lawn or garden with deep-rooted plants that can’t grow in mulch.
Take care not to mow over these areas as this may break up the soil and allow mushrooms to spread. Mulch also acts as a canopy, shading the ground below from sun and rain, slowing down decomposition of decaying organic matter. Annually, prune back the plants growing directly under the mulch to prevent disease and fungus from spreading.
If you cannot prune them, apply a herbicide to kill the base of the plant, after which it will take root and spread. You can prevent mushrooms from getting into your garden by not leaving piles of leaves on the ground and use a proper lawn mower to keep the garden neat.
Clear Leaves and Dead Plants
Because mushroom spores tend to grow best in an environment with plenty of oxygen and moisture, you’ll need to get rid of leaves that have fallen and are partially decomposed. Consider raking them up, but be careful not to completely raze them, as that can harm other plants and animals.
Don’t leave them on the ground, and don’t just throw them in the compost. Water Fungus is a highly aerobic organism, which means that it thrives in high-moisture environments. Mushrooms thrive in water, but they are often killed by water, which isn’t especially safe for them.
To help keep the water out of your yard, install a spigot that completely seals the ground, and then bury the line in the ground so that no water can seep through.
Mulch Your Soil
Before any of your methods can be successful, you will need to try to contain the growth of mushrooms. Adding mulch, as opposed to leaving bare soil, will help trap the fungi. However, this can be expensive to do on a large scale.
Even if you do have the money to spend, you should keep in mind that it will still be necessary to remove mulch to control mushrooms. Mulching is great for plants but not so good for mushrooms.
The aim of all of these methods is to make the land more biologically stable and more resistant to fungi and other pests. The idea behind biotecture is to create a sustainable environment that allows for better growth of flora and fauna in the area.
Add Compost to Your Soil
Mushrooms love decomposing organic matter in the soil. It is best to use compost as a general fertilizer source for your yard, but it can also be used to control mushrooms. Compost is made up of organic matter, which is decomposed and then mixed with nutrients to make it digestible for plants.
Mushrooms are not particularly good at breaking down compost; they prefer a more alkaline pH range. However, if you mix a solution of a pH-balanced compost with a pH-balancing organic fertilizer (such as 12-12-12 or 10-10-10) to make it a little more alkaline, you can control mushrooms by making the pH too acidic.
Conclusion
No one enjoys finding mushrooms growing in their yard or bush. However, there are many ways to reduce the presence of mushrooms in your yard, so they’ll be less visible and less easy to spot. By taking a few simple steps, you can find mushrooms are much less likely to grow in your yard in the future.