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University of California
Publication 74100
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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
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