I live in Phoenix, AZ, and lately I’ve had an outbreak of mushrooms in the backyard. I don’t know what type they are (I’m no mushroom expert), but they’re big and white.
My roommate tells me the yardworkers mow them down, but they keep coming back.
I figure they’re probably something I want to get rid of for good, but I don’t know how.
So, how do I get rid of them? Any info would be appreciated.
Mushrooms are actually rather difficult to control on lawns, because they are essentially just the fruiting bodies of an organism that is almost entirely underground. My understanding is that fungicides for lawn mushrooms have a spotty success rate at best. Frankly I’d just learn to live with them - If you take care of your lawn ( keep it well-watered and fertilize it once in awhile ), they generally don’t cause too much damage. If you’re worried about a pet or child muching on 'em, just be sure to pick them or mow them down when they come up.
As for what kind are they? There is a fairly large list of potential candidates. Some are toxic ( but generally not the very worst, mostly they’ll cause severe gastrointestinal upset at worst, like the ‘Poison Pie’, Hebeloma crustuliniforme ), some are delicious edibles ( the ‘Scotch Bonnet’ or ‘Fairy Ring Mushroom’, Marasmius oreades, has caps that are delicious when sauteeded in butter ). You can even find ( somewhat rarely, but I’ve seen them on lawns ) the wild version of the common store-bought ‘Button Mushroom’, Agaricus bisporus growing on your lawn.
But as always don’t try any unless you know what you are doing or an expert has verified ID.
Why do you want to get rid of them? Mushrooms in the lawn are usually harmless and often even improve your soil condition. They decompose organic matter and add nitrates to the soil, causing your grass to grow greener and lusher.
Different types of fungus can be harmful to your lawn, but generally, mushrooms aren’t. If you do want to get rid of them anyway, try raking them. They will generally be rather short-lived though, should you decide to leave them be.
Could you give us a better description of the mushrooms* and if possible a link to a photo - they might actually turn out to be edible (but don’t take risks until you have a positive identification
*For a mature, but not decaying specimen:
Cap diameter
Stem height
Does it have gills underneath? or something else?
Are the gills (if any) attached right to the stem?
What colour are the gills?
What does it smell like when broken
Does the flesh discolour after a having been broken for a few minutes?
Does the stem have some kind of ring on it?
Is the cap patterned or smooth?
Is the base of the stem bulbous? Does it look as though the stem grew out of a little ‘bag’?
I like those mushrooms that create ‘smoke’ when you kick 'em or run over with a mower. Cool. 