What Are Mushrooms And How Do They Form?
Mushrooms are a type of fungus that generally have a cap and stalk. The conditions for mushrooms to grow are optimal when it is warm and humid or cool and moist. Mushrooms spread by producing spores on their gills, which eventually fall off and root in new areas to produce more mushrooms
Why Does My Lawn Get A Lot Of Mushrooms?
When the temperature and humidity are just right, fungal diseases can appear. Sometimes they occur in warm and humid conditions, while other times they occur in cooler and damper conditions. But they only set in when the environment is optimal for fungi to fruit.Seeing mushrooms in your lawn is a great sign that there is a lot of organic material present in the soil. This is good news because mushrooms help to break down this organic matter, resulting in more nutrient-rich and productive soil.
Ways To Prevent Mushrooms From Growing On Your Lawn
Although mushrooms are harmless, some people may want to remove them from their lawn for cosmetic reasons. This can be easily done by hand, and usually the conditions that allow mushrooms to grow don’t last very long anyway, so they will eventually disappear.
To help prevent the growth of mushrooms, do not water your grass in the evening. Watering your grass in the morning or during the day will allow the moisture to dissipate and be absorbed.
By trimming back your trees you can prevent or inhibit the growth of mushrooms and allow more sunlight to reach the grass. This increased amount of sunlight helps the grass produce food and oxygen more efficiently.
If your lawn is compacted, water drainage and absorption will be inadequate, fostering mushroom growth. Aerating your lawn will improve drainage and enable oxygen and nutrients to reach the roots.
Different Types Of Fungi’s
What Are Fairy Rings In The Grass?
Fungal disease Fairy Rings show up as large, round patches of discoloured grass. The edges of these patches are typically bright green, and there’s often a ring of mushrooms surrounding the whole thing.
There are no ready-made treatments for Fairy Rings, so they must be treated in the same way as mushrooms. To prevent Fairy Rings from cropping up, make sure to frequently fertilise, mow, reduce thatch and aerate your lawn.
What is Powdery Mildew?
A fungal disease known as Powdery Mildew produces white powder Mycelium threads that cover your lawn. The first symptom of this disease is usually small light spots on blades of grass; however, they often go unnoticed until powdery mildew appears.
To prevent Powdery Mildew from spreading on your grass, treat them with Mancozeb fungicide.
What is Brown Patch Fungus?
Brown, circular patches ranging in size from very small up to a few metres in diameter are indicative of Brown Patch fungal disease.
Commonly found in warm, wet conditions, these patches sometimes have a grey, smoky outer ring, while other times there is simply an outer ring with green grass in the middle.
Mycelium fungus is responsible for the rRing surrounding the patch. Affected leaf blades will have thin brown edges as well as yellow spots and lesions.
To stop Brown Patch fungus from growing on your lawn, avoid watering in the evening. It is recommended to water during the day where natural sunlight is available so that it can be absorbed into the soil. Similar to Powdery Mildew, it is recommended to use Macozeb fungicide to prevent spreading.
Not Sure How To Fix This Issue?
Get in touch with the team at Musturf to find out the most suitable option for fixing these fungus issues occurring on your lawns.