How to Get Rid of Mushrooms in Your Yard: 6 Strategies to Try

There are fungi that cause mushrooms, also called toadstools, to grow in damp areas. There are many different varieties of mushrooms, and most of them have a cap and gills that form on the underside of the cap. These caps are actually the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Some mushrooms have a stem as well, but not all of them. Some mushrooms are beneficial fungi that are edible, but there are also poisonous mushrooms.

New mushrooms form in wet and humid areas, particularly when those conditions last for long periods of time, such as in overwatered yards or lawns with poor drainage. Once mushrooms form, they will release mushroom spores, causing more mushrooms to grow.

Mushrooms also like shade and will grow underneath tree branches or around tree roots. You might also find mushroom growth in animal waste, a compost pile, sitting organic material, or any other decomposing or decaying matter, like dead grass or even mulch.

Discovering mushrooms in your yard might indicate you do not have a healthy lawn. The mushrooms come from fungus underneath the surface and only turn into lawn fungi when the conditions are right. Too much thatch (dead grass pressed to the surface) can become a food source for them, perpetuating their existence. Ultimately, proper lawn care, aeration, and immediate removal of grass clippings can help prevent mushrooms from forming.

There are different ways to get rid of mushrooms in your yard. Here are some options, listed from the most simple to the most aggressive:

1. 1. Ensure proper drainage. Avoid scenarios in which water sits on your lawn for a long period of time to discourage mushroom growth in the first place and withhold moisture from any existing mushroom populations. This might mean leveling the ground in places or even installing a French drain to transport water away from your yard faster. If you have a garden, avoid overwatering your plants.
2. 2. Try the dish soap method. Remove mushrooms from the lawn by digging them up with a spade. Then place them in a sealable plastic bag to prevent them from spreading spores through their reproductive structures. Now pour water and a few drops of dish soap into the hole where the mushroom lived to prevent further growth.
3. 3. Aerate the lawn. To kill mushrooms, you need to destroy the fungus living underneath your grass. Keep in mind, a green lawn does not mean the absence of fungus. Aerate your soil periodically with an aerator to introduce more air and oxygen into the soil material. Dethatching your lawn (removing compressed dead grass) will also help. Cut the grass shorter with your lawnmower, if only for a short period of time to help the soil get more air. Making sure your landscaping has healthy soil to help stop the problem at the source.
   
4. 4. Remove all organic matter. Organic matter like dog and cat waste can cause a mushroom problem—remove it as soon as possible so it doesn’t become a food source for more mushrooms.
5. 5. Clean up your mulch. It’s fairly common to develop a mushroom problem in your mulch, since mulch retains moisture. Mix one gallon of water with one tablespoon of baking soda, then spray it over the mulch. This will help kill any mushrooms growing in the area.
6. 6. Use a fungicide. A fungicide may seem extreme, but it can be a good way to get rid of pesky lawn mushrooms—particularly if other strategies like aerating and mowing haven’t helped. Spray the fungicide over your lawn, as it can help to solve the fungus problem at its source. Alternatively, you can also use fungicidal granules.

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