Plant Problems

How to Naturally Get Rid of Mushrooms in Your Yard

How to Naturally Get Rid of Mushrooms in Your Yard

There’s nothing like walking barefoot on your lawn—until you step on a squishy mushroom. Where there’s one, there’s probably more, so it’s helpful to learn how to get rid of mushrooms in the yard. You don’t need to use potentially irritating fungicides to kill lawn mushrooms. While mushrooms usually will not damage your lawn, their presence signals potential problems with your grass.

Learn how to get rid of mushrooms in your yard without ruining the look and feel of your lawn.

When to Get Rid of Lawn Mushrooms

Mushrooms aren’t inherently problematic and can be helpful to a lawn in most cases.1 As the fungus feeds on the lawn’s decaying organic matter, it breaks this matter down, making nutrients available to your grass. But you may want to kill the mushrooms growing in the lawn for various reasons:

  • Mushrooms are considered unsightly, especially if you are preparing to sell your property.
  • Some mushrooms are edible (seek expert advice on which kinds are edible), while others are toxic plants, which can be problematic if young children and pets play on your lawn.2
  • Some mushrooms have a stench, especially the “stinkhorn” mushrooms.

Reasons Mushrooms Sprout on Lawns

Before they pop up, mushrooms begin growing underground when there is poor drainage and a lack of sunlight. The fungus spreads underground as it feeds on decaying organic matter in the soil, examples of which can include:

  • Pet excrement
  • Fallen leaves
  • Grass clippings
  • Lawn thatch
  • Old tree stumps that have not fully decomposed

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Small spade
  • Spray bottle

Materials

  • Plastic bag
  • Liquid dish soap

Instructions

Materials and tools to get rid of mushrooms in the lawn
The Spruce / Almar Creative

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How to Get Rid of Mushrooms

It’s best to pluck and remove mushrooms before they can release their spores. This method will not solve the problem (because the mycelium, the underground network of fungus threads, will live on), but it will cut down on future mushroom reproduction.1


  1. Pull up the Mushrooms

    Pull or use a spade to dig as much of it from the ground as possible (do not just pluck off the mushroom head).

    Mushrooms dug from lawn with spade

  2. Wrap Them Up

    • Put the mushrooms immediately in a plastic bag so the movement doesn’t disperse spores.
    • Tightly close the bag so that no spores can become airborne.
    Mushrooms placed in plastic bag after digging up

  3. Use a Dish Detergent Solution

    Mix a few drops of dish detergent and water in a spray bottle and aim where you removed the mushroom; the dish soap acts as a mild fungicide.

    Dish detergent and water solution sprayed on to lawn after mushroom removal

    Tip

    For a natural alternative, use garden (horticulture) vinegar diluted with water in a spray bottle and spray the mushroom using precision. Leave the mushroom to die or dig, remove, and respray the spot where the mushroom came from for extra prevention. Wear protective gloves and clothing to protect your skin when using this vinegar.

How to Prevent Mushrooms From Growing

Thwart the growth of mushrooms by fixing your lawn’s poor drainage, lack of nutrients, and shady spots. Remove any decaying organic matter left on the grass to hinder mushroom growth.

Create Good Drainage

Black rain barrel on edge of lawn next to green privacy fence
The Spruce / Almar Creative

The presence of mushrooms may mean the soil underneath your grass is not draining properly. Poor drainage leads to overly wet conditions, resulting in lawn diseases and mushroom growth. Besides mushrooms, look for small puddles of water and muddy patches to indicate drainage issues.

Drainage issues could result from a flat yard, impacted soil, clogged gutters, or sidewalks that block water drainage. Some solutions let you drain your soil and water better or allow you to corral and harvest excess water. Try the following:

  • Reroute or extend a downspout.
  • Clean gutters causing the flooding.
  • Harvest rain to reduce poor water drainage by creating a rain garden, rain pond, or rain barrels.
  • For severe cases of flooding, professionally install a French drain, or create a swale or dry creek bed.

Aerate Your Lawn to Improve Soil Drainage

Lawn aerator being pressed in to grass
The Spruce / Almar Creative

Aerating your lawn may work in less severe cases. Aeration lets water and nutrients penetrate your soil rather than sitting on the grass. Manual spike or core aerators are good for small lawns. For large lawns, rent gas-powered aeration equipment from a home improvement center for convenience.

Encourage Sunlight

large bush being pruned next to lawn to add sunlight
The Spruce / Almar Creative

Mushrooms love dark, damp patches of grass, so too much shade encourages growth. Prune trees and bushes to let more sunlight into your lawn area.

Maintain Your Lawn

Old fallen leaves being cleaned up from lawn
The Spruce / Almar Creative

Cleaning up decaying organic matter can make a difference when preventing mushroom growth. Consider these steps:

  • Make spring cleaning in the yard an annual priority.
  • Bag or rake the bulk of grass clippings after mowing. (A small amount of finely shredded grass clippings on the lawn after mowing is generally a healthy practice for your lawn.)
  • Rake fallen leaves off the lawn or remove them with a leaf blower in the fall.
  • Keep your lawn de-thatched.
  • Remove old tree stumps so they do not encourage mushroom growth.

FAQ
  • How can I stop mushrooms from growing on my lawn?

    Stop mushrooms from growing by fixing poorly draining spots in your yard, cleaning garden debris, and trimming growth to let more sunlight into the area.

  • Does vinegar kill mushrooms in grass?

    Use horticultural vinegar to try killing mushrooms in your yard. Apply it with precision because it can harm surrounding plantings.

  • Does baking soda get rid of mushrooms?

    Repeated applications of baking soda may kill mushrooms but it is not a quick solution.

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