Lawn Installation: Why Mushrooms are Popping? - My Landscapers

Lawn Installation: Why Mushrooms are Popping?

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Mushroom is fungi that thrive deep within the soil, and the one that you see popping above your lawn is the fruit. Most of this fungus can grow unnoticed after your lawn installation. They are doing all the works within the soil by feeding on decaying organic matter like leaves, stumps, dead roots, and even dog poop. The good thing is that these mushrooms are most of the time not harmful and will not cause any damage to your grass. Surprisingly, they are beneficial to your lawn by having nutrients in the soil readily available for your lawn grasses. This is especially true if you just did sod replacement.

lawn installation
A cluster of mushrooms growing on a lawn.

Environmental Factors

Mushrooms are not always present after a lawn installation as they can only grow when the weather condition is right for them. They easily grow in wet soils and humid conditions. They can spread through spores carried by the wind. When these spores landed on a suitable location, then new fungi will develop and grow like mushrooms. They are advantageous for new yard installation as they can increase nutrients in the soil to help roots grow healthy.

Mushroom Popping Means Healthy Lawn

Growing mushroom popping up in your lawn is a sign of good soil, which means abundant organic matter. Fungi only decompose living matter with lignin. Hence, it is found on woody garden materials such as tree leaves, branches, twigs, dead tree roots, tree stumps, and more. Sodding a lawn requires enough nutrients from the soil that comes from decaying organic matter. Lawn can benefit from it as it can get rid of hard-to-decompose garden waste that can pile up after lawn installation. 

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Fungi produce a very strong enzyme that can break down almost anything from woods to animal bones. There are species of mushroom that you can found beneath the trees that mean there is a presence of mycorrhizal, which is a fungus root. Also, this is a very beneficial type of fungus that can aid plants to survive harsh weather conditions and stresses. 

Mushroom Pooping Means Decaying Bulk of Wood

One can only see a mushroom in a lawn with decaying woods especially if trees are surrounding your lawn. The only way to get rid of mushrooms is to avoid decaying wood materials. However, it is hard to do if there are lots of them as you do yard installation. You can reduce the presence of mushrooms by eliminating wood materials. You need to take out tree leaves and replace them with leafy materials like grass and vegetable clippings. 

lawn installation
A vertical shot of some exotic mushrooms on the grass covered field in the middle of the forest

Having a balance between wood and leafy materials can also reduce mushrooms from growing in your new sod replacement. You should not be bothered about these mushrooms because, unlike weeds, they do not snatch nutrients and water from the soil. They help the soil become nutrients rich and ideas for grass growing. However, you need to make sure that mushrooms growing on your lawn are not poisonous, especially if you have pets and children at home. 

Aside from woody materials, added moisture in the environment can also promote the growth of mushrooms. Having them only means the soil is healthy, and your soil is ready for lawn installation. Also, they will disappear quickly once they do not have something to feed on. During the winter months, you will rarely see a mushroom growing around the lawn. They will start growing when springtime begins and fall. 

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Poisonous Mushrooms in Lawn

Diverse mushroom species can grow after lawn installation, and it might be very difficult to know if it is poisonous or not. However, deadly mushrooms are very rare in a lawn, but they can grow. You need to research the types of mushrooms that grow in your area because mushrooms spread through the air. If you are not sure if it is deadly or not, you should not consider eating any. You may contact a mushroom expert if you consider eating these mushrooms. If you have pets like dogs and cats, pick them and dispose to keep your children and pets safe. You need to use gloves when handling mushrooms, especially if you are unfamiliar with the species growing in your sod lawn. 

Experts do not recommend using fungicide while sodding a lawn as it can do great damages to the sod. Mushroom is a vital part of the ecosystem that promotes the growth of healthy microbes. The fungicide will kill not only mushrooms but the rest of the microbial activity in the soil. 

Thinking of having your sodding grass installed as the climate cools? Speak to a sodding expert at My Landscapers.

My Landscapers has been sodding and replacing lawns for over 17 years throughout Toronto, Markham, Vaughan & Richmond Hill. Our professionals only use natural fertilizers and solutions to help your lawn look lush, healthy & green. Request your FREE, no-obligation, detailed estimate today, and one of our landscaping experts will contact you. Prefer to speak over the phone? Give us a call.

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