What It Means When Mushrooms Start Growing In Your Yard

Perhaps yesterday you freshly mowed your lawn, but when you walked out to get the mail today, you noticed fresh little mushrooms spattered around the yard. While this may ruin your idea of a perfectly manicured lawn, those mushrooms could be a good sign. Mushrooms are attracted to the organic materials in your soil, and their presence means they're working to break down those materials, which, in turn, helps make your soil even healthier. Yes, you read that right — mushrooms are good for your lawn and are a sign of a healthy lawn. Of course, we also know that doesn't mean you have to like them.

The fungi that sprout mushrooms are living under your soil, doing good things even when you don't see their caps in your lawn. It's under certain, perfect conditions that these mushrooms pop up to live their life, release some spores, and then die. Luckily for those of you who think mushrooms growing in your yard are an eyesore, there are things you can do to change the conditions that inspire their appearance.

If you are sick of seeing those cute little 'shrooms in your yard, consider the times they pop up most. It's most likely in the morning when the grass is dewy or after some rainfall that they emerge. This is because they need that extra moisture to flourish. To stop them, ensure your lawn has good drainage and doesn't suffer from being waterlogged. They like that extra moisture, so aerating your lawn can help prevent mushrooms. They will also flourish in shady spots. You can fight them by keeping trees and bushes trimmed.

Even if you love the look of mushrooms in your yard, whether they pop up sporadically or come up in cute and mystical fairy rings, there are some other reasons you may want to deal with them as soon as possible. If you have pets or children who may eat those mushrooms, dealing with them promptly could save them from getting sick. While some mushrooms growing in your yard may be edible, others may not. Mushrooms may be the last thing you want to eat from your backyard unless you have experience foraging and know what's safe and what isn't.

While you're working on better aeration for your yard and removing any overabundance of shade, pull the mushrooms that have sprouted up and toss them safely in the trash. Avoid throwing non-edible mushrooms in the compost, as they are one of the things you should never put in your compost bin. Much like weeds releasing seeds that can spread from the use of compost, so too can the spores released from the mushrooms you put in there.