What Causes a Fungus to Take Hold in the Yard?

Mushrooms and Lawns

• Mushrooms are essentially the reproductive organs of fungal species. A mushroom in your yard indicates the presence of a much larger fungus living underground. There are many reasons that a fungus is more likely to live in a lawn than other areas. For starters, dead insects, leaf debris and grass clippings that tend to collect on a lawn are a major food source for fungi. Lawns also collect lots of rainwater, and underground fungal structures called mycelium will grow successfully to the extent that they receive a regular source of moisture.

Fungus and Lawn Health

• A new homeowner may be alarmed to see mushrooms pop up all over the lawn after a rainfall. On the contrary, the presence of a fungus is typically an indication of good lawn health. Fungus breaks down and helps decompose dead organic matter as a source of energy, thereby releasing nutrients from the organic matter into the soil. Many of the nutrients released are essential to healthy plant growth, as evidence by the presence of green, healthy grass around "fairy ring" mushrooms formations.

Possible Hazards

• Some mushrooms are toxic and can cause potentially serious health problems if people or animals eat them. This is the primary reason that homeowners want to remove mushrooms from their lawn. Even benign mushrooms can be a tripping hazard to children that play in the yard. Sometimes homeowners just wish to remove the mushrooms for cosmetic reasons. Use a rake or pull the mushrooms up by hand using gloves to remove them.

Other Considerations

• Because of the crucial role they play in natural ecosystems, mushrooms should be tolerated whenever possible. Obvious toxic mushrooms need to be removed right away, but simply pulling the mushrooms out of your yard and discarding them will do nothing to remove the mycelium colonies underneath the grass. Even if you aggressively remove mushrooms from your lawn, you are likely to see new mushrooms pop up after a rain storm.