Toadstool is another name for a mushroom with a stalk and a cap. Some people think a toadstool is any mushroom that is inedible or poisonous, but that’s not accurate. Just because something is called a mushroom, not a toadstool, does not mean you can safely eat it. There is no easy way to eliminate unsightly toadstools from your lawn.
About Gills, Spores and Eating Toadstools
Toadstools typically release spores from the gills on the bottoms of their caps. The wind blows the spores, scattering them across your lawn. You can pick toadstools by hand as soon as they appear to prevent their spores from spreading, but more spores might blow in from your neighbor’s lawn. You can pick them to make your lawn look better, but that’s no guarantee that more won’t pop up. Only an expert can tell the difference between poisonous and edible mushrooms and there are no simple tests to identify a poisonous species. Never eat any kind of toadstool or mushroom unless you know -- beyond any shadow of a doubt -- that it is not poisonous.
Fairy Ring Toadstools
Fairy ring toadstools grow in 1- to 12-foot-wide semicircles or circles on grass. They release filaments from their spores, forming mats that decompose organic matter. The toadstools can stimulate growth of grass on the outside of the arcs or circles and cause it to die on the inside. Use a long screwdriver, trowel or shovel to measure the depth of the filament mat. If the mat is less than 3 inches thick, aerate the grass several times a year, watering it well after each treatment. If the mat is more than 3 inches deep, you might have to dig up the infested area 1 foot deep and 18 inches outside the ring or arc and reseed it. Professional landscapers may have access to chemical controls for mushrooms.
Toadstools Growing Above Wood
Some toadstool species grow above dead tree roots or buried scraps of lumber or other wood. The toadstools that grow above organic matter are usually harmless to grass. As they decompose the dead roots or old boards, they make nutrients available to plants. If you don't like how the toadstools look, dig out the wood or pick the toadstools as they appear. You can also hasten the decomposition of organic matter that the toadstools feed on by applying 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 feet of lawn. The first number in a fertilizer indicates the percentage by weight of actual nitrogen in a fertilizer. For example, 6 pounds of 16-6-8 fertilizer would give you roughly 1 pound of actual nitrogen.
Toadstools on New Lawns
Laying new lawn sod requires frequent watering. This is the right environment several species of small toadstools with slender stems and either brown or light colored caps or cones. These won’t hurt your growing lawn and will disappear when you water less frequently.
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images