Fruiting bodies
The visible mushroom is only one part of an organism growing through soil or organic debris.
Lawn problems
Mushrooms in a lawn
Mushrooms in turf usually follow moisture and decomposing organic matter; they do not always mean the grass is diseased.
Moisture
Heavy rain and frequent irrigation encourage short flushes of mushrooms.
Buried wood
Old roots, stumps or construction debris can support fungi for a long time.
More useful detail
How to narrow down the cause
Grass may remain healthy
Mushrooms alone do not prove turf disease when surrounding grass has normal color and growth.
Safety comes first
Where children or pets use the lawn, remove fruiting bodies without attempting a home edibility test.
Problem
What to do step by step
- 1
Wear gloves, collect the mushrooms and dispose of them away from children and pets.
- 2
Review irrigation, drainage and the possibility of buried wood.
- 3
Improve the site instead of applying a random fungicide.
Observation
What to watch next
- Surrounding turf keeps a healthy color.
- Water no longer pools after rain or irrigation.
- Fresh mushrooms remain out of reach of children and pets.
Important
Never identify a mushroom as edible from a photograph or this guide.
Sources and further reading: University of Minnesota Extension — Lawn care
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Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.Prepared by Florli. This is general guidance. Sources are listed with each guide, and every decision should reflect the species, location, weather and the plant’s current condition.