How To Remove Mushrooms From Your Lawn 

Believe it or not, mushrooms growing on your lawn is a good sign! Mushrooms indicate the soil underneath is rich, high in nutrients and full of goodness – everything you want for thriving turf!  

However, we get that they might not be the prettiest of sights, especially if you have a cluster of them right in the middle of your lawn. To help you deal with lawn mushrooms as and when they pop up, we’ve pulled together this helpful guide on how to get rid of mushrooms in your lawn and, more importantly, how to prevent them from returning. 

Why Are There Mushrooms On My Lawn? 

As we said, mushrooms on your lawn are actually a positive thing. You might experience mushrooms and toadstools growing in your grass because they’re from the same fungi family and essentially do the same job. That job involves breaking down organic matter within the soil or debris that has built up and left to decay on top. It’ll then transfer the nutrients it collects back into your soil – so they really are doing a good thing. Once the matter has completely decomposed, their job is done and mushrooms tend to disappear, but not always.  

Mushrooms love dark, damp environments, where the garden matter they munch on is often disregarded. This is why you’ll usually spot mushrooms in areas of your lawn with thick thatch, around piles of leaves, within decaying plant and tree stumps, or under benches or behind sheds.  

Even when you remove the mushrooms, they will have already reproduced by dropping spores into the air, which will be distributed across your lawn. They’ll lie dormant until the conditions are perfect for them to grow.  

Can I Remove The Mushrooms From My Lawn? 

Yes, lawn fungi are safe to remove, but we recommend always wearing gardening gloves as some can be poisonous. Often, you can just tug them out of the grass, but you can also use secateurs or remove them with your lawnmower – which is much easier if you have a large infestation. 

It’s important to note that the ‘cap’ you see above ground is the fruit of the mushroom, and the fungi are still in the soil. So, this will need to be dug out and removed, too. Ideally, you want to remove the mushroom as soon as you spot it for the most effective results.  

The Best Environments For Lawn Mushrooms 

The best way to remove mushrooms from your lawn is by taking preventive measures to stop them from thriving. To achieve this, you have to eliminate their ideal growing conditions, which include: 

• Dead grass 

• Decaying garden matter 
• Damp areas 
• Dark/shaded areas 
• Areas with poor drainage  
• Thatch piles 
• Moss infestations 

How To Prevent Lawn Mushrooms 

To help you prevent mushrooms from growing in your garden, follow these 6 easy steps: 

1. Clear your lawn – leaving grass clippings, fallen leaves, moss, and general garden debris creates a little dark, damp den for mushrooms to appear from.
2. Dethatch your lawn – sometimes, you have to go a little deeper and dig out any weeds or dead grass in your lawn, as mushrooms will tuck right into them!
3. Check the drainage – poor soil drainage can lead to all sorts of problems, but pools of water and damp soil are ideal for mushrooms to grow.
4. Start aerating – adequate aeration will help solve the poor drainage issue; poking holes into the soil with a garden fork allows water to be absorbed thoroughly.
5. Water sparingly – mushrooms love damp environments, so we don’t want water to pool. Water the turf only if your soil needs it, either in the morning or evening.
6. Apply high-nitrogen fertiliser – a more robust, healthier turf will keep mushrooms at bay! Using a fertiliser will not only improve your lawn’s health but prevent creating a mushroom’s favourite environment. 

Are There Different Types of Lawn Mushrooms? 

The fungi family produce over 15,000 types of mushrooms! But don’t worry; they’re not all in your backyard. The most common mushrooms found in UK domestic lawns include: 

Field Mushroom – this is your typical mushroom shape and colour, appearing in Spring or Autumn. 

Yellow Stainer – these are white in colour and leave a yellow stain around the cap and base of the stem.  

Lawyer’s Wig – with a pointy tip, these have a shaggy-hair look and change from white to pink to grey to black and are found from April to November. 

Fairy Ring – the easiest one to spot as they literally form a ring! They look like regular mushrooms and appear from late Spring to early Summer.  

Speak To The Experts 

If you’ve spotted an infestation of mushrooms in your lawn and are unsure how to remove them, the GDT are on hand with support and advice to keep your turf in tip-top condition and mushroom-free.