What It Says About The Health Of Your Lawn If Mushrooms Start To Sprout

It's always a little surprising to see a clump of white mushrooms in the middle of an otherwise perfectly green lawn. But what they say about your lawn might surprise you. Most of the time, mushrooms are a good sign. They typically mean your lawn is well watered, and it's got organic rich soil. Mushrooms feed on decaying matter, like dead branches or roots. The wetter the material gets, the faster it decays. If you see mushrooms growing in a circular pattern, however, this could mean your lawn might be waterlogged.

Mushrooms can grow almost anywhere. There are even mushrooms that grow in mulch. The fungi spores that produce mushrooms are probably already present in the soil, whether you can see the caps above ground or not. Fungi often stays underground, happily feasting on decaying leaves or branches. After a lot of rain and cool temperatures, mushrooms might have a growth spurt, and tend to pop up from the surface of the soil in clumps.

Seeing just a few mushrooms here or there is no cause for alarm and typically means your lawn is healthy, so that's a good thing. Most of these fungi will go away on their own when the sun dries out the soil. While some mushrooms can be poisonous to people and pets, they don't usually damage your lawn. Of course, if you see mushrooms growing in a large circle, you might have a fairy ring, which could indicate a more serious fungal infection.

A fairy ring looks like it sounds. It's a large ring, either of dead grass or growing mushrooms, up to 15 feet wide. You'll find grass either inside or outside the ring. A mushroom fairy ring is caused when you have fungus in the soil eating some kind of decaying matter – usually buried wood or decaying tree roots. (Side note, if you ever see mushrooms at the base of a living tree, it could possibly be a sign that the tree is struggling.)

If you want to get rid of mushrooms, know that it's not as simple as just pulling them up. Unlike weeds, just plucking mushrooms won't get rid of them entirely, since the mushroom's mycelium — kind of like a root system — will be left behind in the soil. The best way to treat fairy ring or any mushrooms in your lawn is to cut back on watering. You also might need to look at how to adjust sprinkler heads so that they don't soak particular areas too much. 

To reduce mushroom growth, think about improving drainage as well. One way to do this is to regularly aerate your lawn so it doesn't get so compacted and water can easily flow through. This can help treat or prevent lawn fungal infections like fairy ring. You can even use a battery-powered drill to help with aeration, which makes it the unexpected power tool that can bring your patchy yard back to life.