How do mushrooms grow? How to prevent mushrooms?

How do mushrooms grow?

Mushrooms belong to the fungus kingdom under the family of “Agaricaceae”. They grow by shedding spores and require certain conditions to grow properly. The spores can effectively travel and spread in the surroundings with a total of 0.2% of the actual mass and this shows how strong they are in their growing game. This spore spreading process is very technical and an art of its own. The spore secretes a hygroscopic material which forms a shape of a droplet by absorbing the humidity from the environment. The speed of the spore is considered 1ms^-1. The scientists believe that a catapult action is formed between the droplet and the spore and this leads to further growth. The lifecycle of the mushrooms is very hypnotic and absorbing. They grow extremely fast if the conditions are favourable. Given the conditions, they can emerge on your lawn’s surface in about 24 hours and if the conditions are less favourable, it can take up to 4 days. They do not emerge from the surface suddenly and so quickly rather they are the output of months of growth beneath the surface of the soil. Light favours the mushroom growth a lot. A proper light only for a few hours can help them in their fruit-bearing process.

Should I get rid of the mushrooms on my lawn?

People often wonder “should I get rid of the mushrooms on my lawn?” but the truth is, this fungus loves a humid place because humid soil is enriched with everything it requires to grow fast and strong. So, if you are getting a lot of heat from the mushrooms on your lawn it is a good sign as your lawn is fertile and enriched with all the good nutrients and you can grow anything you want. You can have your vegetables and fruits and all you need to do is sow the desired seed. In fact, these fungi will work as an enzyme to break products like dead roots and wood and the soil will become more fertile and richer. Normally there is no need to worry about them because they do not cause any problem or disease on your lawn and although their weird shapes might look very alerting, they usually come in peace.

Types of mushrooms

There are many shapes of mushrooms like:

• Toad-stools are umbrella-shaped
• Stinkhorns are finger-shaped
• Round or circular-shaped are called puff balls
• Some of them might be found in the shape of clusters or groups

It is evident that mushrooms are not harmful but sometimes, they might grow in a place where you do not want them to grow or they can be poisonous as well so it is better to remove them. Some mushrooms can be very stinky and they use their smell to attract flies and other small insects towards them. This helps them in spreading their spores to different locations and in this way, they spread all over your lawn in no time. If you are wondering “how to prevent mushrooms from growing on my lawns”, you have plenty of options to end their siege.

How to prevent mushrooms from growing?

I have mentioned several ways to prevent mushroom growth below:

• Proper drainage is a must. You must not let the water stand still on your lawn. You should have it removed by levelling the lawn
• You should water your lawn only when it is needed. In this way, you can control the moisture of your lawn. Less dampness means less outgrowth.

• You can have them all dig down but that is not easy because it will require countless tiring hours of proper inspection and dedication
• You can remove all the organic material and dead grass from the soil but that will make your soil less fertile and rich hence this method is a less favourable one
• Another great method is to aerate the lawn and provide it with more oxygen and air. You can aerators for this purpose. It will require a good investment of time and money
• You can mow your grass neatly to allow a good airflow
• If you are still not satisfied will all the above-mentioned methods, you can always use fungicides to get rid of them for an unlimited period. It will get the job done for sure but it might affect the fertility of the soil so, it is advised to always go for a natural way

Conclusion:

The conclusion is that mushrooms are quite harmless and it will always be your choice; whether you want to keep them or get rid of them because we live in a world of solutions.

If you do this with proper precaution, you will get the desired result in no time.

References:

J.C.R. Turner, J. Webster, Mass and momentum transfer on the small scale: how do mushrooms shed their spores?, Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 46, Issue 4, 1991, Pages 1145-1149, ISSN 0009-2509, https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2509(91)85107-9. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0009250991851079)