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MUSHROOMS AND OTHER

NUISANCE FUNGI IN LAWNS


Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners

Mushrooms, sometimes called toad-


stools, are the reproductive (fruiting)
structures of some kinds of fungi (Fig.
1). Other reproductive structures some-
times found in lawns include inky
caps, puffballs, stinkhorns, and bird’s
nests. Many fungi do not produce vis-
ible fruiting structures, including those
that cause many lawn diseases. Most
fungi in lawns are beneficial because
they decompose organic matter,
thereby releasing nutrients that are
then available for plant growth.

This publication covers mushroom-


producing fungi that are lawn manage- Figure 1. Mushrooms.
ment or nuisance problems but do not
necessarily cause lawn diseases. Infor-
mation on turfgrass diseases can be white or dark, threadlike growth sons for removing mushrooms from
found in the University of California known as mycelium. lawns are to keep them away from
publications Turfgrass Pests and UC children and pets and to improve the
IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Turf- When mycelium has developed suffi- lawn’s appearance.
grass, listed in References. For informa- ciently, fruiting bodies such as mush-
tion on properly maintaining a lawn to rooms can be produced. Fungi CAUTION: SOME MUSHROOMS
prevent the development of diseases, generally survive in soil for years and ARE POISONOUS.
see Pest Notes: Lawn Diseases—Preven- only produce fruiting structures when Do not eat wild mushrooms or other
tion and Management, also listed in Ref- conditions are favorable, such as after fungal fruiting bodies unless you are
erences. periods of prolonged wet weather. well acquainted with the different spe-
cies. Many species are poisonous and
LIFE CYCLE OF A FUNGUS MUSHROOMS IN LAWNS ONLY an expert can distinguish be-
Fungal fruiting structures release tiny Because mushrooms are merely the tween edible and poisonous species.
spores that are easily carried on air fruiting bodies of fungi, removing There are no simple tests that can be
currents to new sites. When spores them does not kill the underground used to identify poisonous mush-
reach a favorable place to grow, they mycelia from which they are growing. rooms.
germinate and send out long, thin fila- Picking mushrooms, puffballs,
ments called hyphae. Hyphae decom- stinkhorns, or other reproductive Small children tend to put anything,
pose wood, fallen leaves, and other structures soon after they appear may including mushrooms, in their mouths,
organic matter, absorbing a portion as prevent their spores from spreading to so remove all obvious fungal reproduc-
food. A single hypha is too small to be new sites. However, because most tive structures from the yard before
seen without magnification; however, spores are wind-blown long distances, allowing a child to play there. Pets may
in soil or beneath bark, groups of hy- they can easily come into a lawn from also be harmed by ingesting poisonous
phae are sometimes visible as a mass of neighboring areas. The primary rea- fungi.

PEST NOTES
University of California
Publication 74100

Agriculture and Natural Resources September 2002


September 2002 Mushrooms and Other Nuisance Fungi in Lawns

Fairy Rings area of poor water


Circular or semi-circular green bands penetration (grass
of grass in a lawn may be caused by frequently killed)
grass is
fairy ring fungi (Fig. 2). Rings may be stimulated here
from 1 to 12 or more feet in diameter
and mushrooms may or may not be
present. Fairy rings get their name
from the ancient belief that mushrooms
mushrooms
grew in circles where fairies danced.
All grasses are susceptible to fairy
rings and several species of mush-
room-producing fungi may be in-
volved. In central and northern
California Marasmius oreades is a com-
mon species, while in southern Califor-
nia Lepiota species are more common.

Sometimes the only effect of the fungus weedy area


mushrooms stimulated grass
is to stimulate grass growth in arcs or
circles; this growth is caused by the
release of plant nutrients as the fungal
hyphae decompose organic matter in
the soil. In other cases the soil just in- fungus in soil
side the ring may become so perme-
ated by the fungal growth that water Figure 2. Diagram of a fairy ring as seen from above and in profile.
penetration is retarded and the grass in
that area grows poorly or dies. Fairy
rings often continue to enlarge for penetration. Begin 2 feet outside the than with a fungicide. Fungicides usu-
many years. As the ring expands, the margin of the ring and work inwards. ally require multiple applications and
older portions of the fungus die, leav- Sweep or rake up the cores and remove proper timing over a long period of
ing a larger area in the center where them from the turfgrass. time.
weeds and undesirable grasses may
become established (Fig. 2). If the fungal mat is more than 3 inches Where complete eradication is desired,
thick, a lawn aerator may not be able to remove the soil and sod to at least a
Management. When the only effect of effectively remove cores of sufficient depth of 1 foot and 18 inches beyond
a fairy ring fungus is a ring of tall, length. Also, lawn aerators may not be the outside edge of the ring. Refill the
green grass, increasing fertilizer and powerful enough to penetrate some trench with fresh soil and reseed the
irrigation will usually mask these soils. In these cases, a soil probe, small area. Be careful not to spill any infested
symptoms. auger, or shovel may be needed to soil on adjacent healthy areas.
penetrate through and break up the
If fairy ring has caused significant dy- fungal mat. Remove as much of the Other Mushrooms
ing or dead areas of grass, then lawn infested soil as possible. Refill large Mushrooms found in lawns often de-
renovation may be required. If the holes with fresh soil that is relatively velop from buried scraps of construc-
grass is not dead, it can reestablish free of organic matter. tion lumber, dead tree roots, or other
itself if water penetration is improved organic matter. The fungi that produce
by breaking up the dense fungal mat of Dead areas in tall fescue or other these mushrooms are beneficial be-
mycelia. To improve penetration, re- bunch-type lawns may need to be re- cause they decompose organic matter
move cores of soil that are at least seeded. Creeping grasses like ber- in the soil, making nutrients available
1⁄4 to 1 inch in diameter and slightly mudagrass will eventually fill in. After to other plants. These mushrooms usu-
deeper than the fungal mat. treatment, water until the soil is thor- ally are harmless to grasses, but some
oughly wet. Be sure to wash the coring people consider them unsightly or
Determine the depth of the fungal mat implement before using it in healthy want to get rid of them because young
by probing the lawn area with a lawn areas. children play in the area. Remove
trowel, shovel, or long screwdriver. If mushrooms growing from buried
the mat is less than 3 inches thick, the In general it is more effective to man- wood or roots by picking them as they
use of a lawn aerator a few times a year age fairy rings in the home lawn with appear or by digging out the wood.
may be sufficient to improve water the cultural practices mentioned above Many of these mushrooms are associ-

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September 2002 Mushrooms and Other Nuisance Fungi in Lawns

ated with overirrigation or poor drain- Mushrooms in Newly Laid Sod. Slime Molds. Slime molds are not true
age. Removing excess thatch and aerat- Mushrooms often appear in a new sod fungi but primitive organisms that
ing the soil to improve water lawn during the period of sod estab- grow in similar environments and aid
penetration may help in some cases. lishment. Common species of mush- in decomposition of organic matter.
You can sometimes eliminate mush- room include Panaeolus foenisecii, which They form a gooey mass (plasmodium)
rooms growing from organic matter by are small mushrooms with slender that may look like vomit on the lawn
applying nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of stems and brown gills and spores, and surface. This substance may be white,
1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 cone heads, Conocybe spp., which are gray, yellow, brown, or red. The mold
square feet of lawn. The nitrogen small light-colored mushrooms with eventually dries on the lawn surface.
should be readily available and not slender stems and smooth cone-shaped Undisturbed slime molds usually dis-
slow-release or water-insoluble formu- caps. New sod lawns usually require appear in a week or so, but damage to
lations. Examples include 5 pounds of frequent irrigations to become estab- the lawn underneath may result from
ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) or special lished, creating an ideal environment shading and suffocation. Slime molds
lawn fertilizers such as 6 pounds of 16- for the growth of mushrooms. The can be removed by raking, mowing, or
6-8 or 4 pounds of 27-3-4 per 1,000 mushrooms do not harm the lawn and spraying with a stream of water from a
square feet of lawn. Fertilization has- will disappear when irrigation is re- hose.
tens decomposition of organic matter. duced.
COMPILED FROM
Inky Caps. Inky caps (Coprinus sp.) are OTHER FUNGAL Moore, W. S., C. S. Koehler, and
a common and distinctive group of REPRODUCTIVE A. H. McCain. 1998. Mushrooms in
lawn mushrooms. They are so named STRUCTURES IN THE LAWN Lawn and Landscape. Oakland: Univ.
because the cap of the mushroom de- The following fungi do not cause real Calif. Agric. Nat. Res. Publ. 21050.
composes into dark liquid resembling damage to a lawn, but may be unpleas-
ink shortly after its appearance in the ant, unsightly, a concern for children REFERENCES
lawn. and pets, or merely a curiosity. They Grebus, M. E., J. Hartin, and A. H.
are not infectious or parasitic on lawns McCain. Mar 2000. Diseases from UC
Mycorrhizae. Some beneficial fungi, but live on decaying plant material. IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Turf-
known as mycorrhizal fungi, connect grass. Oakland: Univ. Calif. Agric. Nat.
themselves to tree, shrub, and herba- Stinkhorns. Stinkhorn fungi produce Res. Publ. 3365-T. Also available online
ceous plant roots. These fungi help a fruiting body that sticks up through at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/
plants absorb nutrients and water from the lawn when mature, resembling a PMG/selectnewpest.turfgrass.html
the soil. Mushrooms produced by these giant finger. The tip of the stalk is cov-
fungi can sometimes appear in lawns. ered by spores in a gooey slime that Hartin, J. S., P. Geisel, and M. A.
Digging up the source of these mush- stinks. The terrible odor attracts flies Harivandi. Jan 2002. Pest Notes: Lawn
rooms (plant roots) may be detrimental and other insects, which pick up and Diseases—Prevention and Maintenance.
to the plant or tree. Many trees, particu- spread the spores. Dig out or hand- Oakland: Univ. Calif. Agric. Nat. Res.
larly pines and other conifers, cannot pick the stinkhorns. Publ. 7497. Also available online at
grow or grow poorly without the help http://www.ipm. ucdavis.edu/PMG/
of these fungal partners. Puffballs. The fruiting body of puffball PESTNOTES/pn7497.html
fungi is an enclosed ball that opens or
Armillaria. Mushrooms growing from ruptures to release thousands of spores McCain, A. H., R. M. Endo, and H. D.
the base of a stump or tree in a lawn when mature. In lawns, puffballs are Ohr. 1989. Fungal Diseases. In Turf-
may indicate that a fungus is attacking usually an inch or less in size, but may grass Pests. Oakland: Univ. Calif. Agric.
the tree. The most common is the be larger. Most puffballs are creamy Nat. Res. Publ. 4053.
armillaria root rot fungus (Armillaria white on the inside and outside when
mellea), which often produces clusters young. At maturity the inside of the Raabe, R. D. In press. Pest Notes:
of honey-colored mushrooms at the tree puffball is filled with dark-colored Armillaria Root Rot. Oakland: Univ.
base in fall. Several hundred different spores. Calif. Agric. Nat. Res.
trees and shrubs are attacked and killed
by it. The mushrooms do not usually Bird’s Nests. Bird’s nest fungi produce
appear until the host tree is dead or in fruiting bodies that resemble tiny nests
advanced stages of decline. (For more with eggs. Though not eggs, these
information on armillaria, see Pest small spheres contain spores. Bird’s
Notes: Armillaria Root Rot, listed in Ref- nest fungi usually occur in groups that
erences.) may be a few inches in diameter.

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September 2002 Mushrooms and Other Nuisance Fungi in Lawns

For more information contact the University


of California Cooperative Extension or agri-
cultural commissioner’s office in your coun-
ty. See your phone book for addresses and
phone numbers.

AUTHORS: M. Le Strange, C. A. Frate, and


R. M. Davis
EDITOR: B. Ohlendorf
TECHNICAL EDITOR: M. L. Flint
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: M. Brush
ILLUSTRATIONS: from Moore, W. S., C. S.
Koehler, and A. H. McCain. 1998. Mush-
rooms in Lawn and Landscape. Oakland:
Univ. Calif. Agric. Nat. Res. Publ. 21050.

Produced by IPM Education and Publica-


tions, UC Statewide IPM Program, Universi-
ty of California, Davis, CA 95616-8620

This Pest Note is available on the World


Wide Web (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu)

This publication has been anonymously peer


reviewed for technical accuracy by University of
California scientists and other qualified profes-
sionals. This review process was managed by the
ANR Associate Editor for Pest Management. The University of California prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or
To simplify information, trade names of products seeking employment with the University on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical
have been used. No endorsement of named products or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status,
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supported by the Extension Service, U.S. Department of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University’s nondiscrimination policies may be
of Agriculture, under special project Section 3(d), directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Director, University of California, Agriculture and
Integrated Pest Management. Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, CA 94612-3350; (510) 987-0096.

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