Mushrooms must go

Though we usually welcome free water from Mother Nature, wet conditions often breed wild mushrooms this time of year.  Mushrooms are not necessarily a plant you should put up with--especially if you keep pets in your yard.

Depending on the variety, mushrooms can be severely toxic to dogs.  They often ingest mushrooms unintentionally in the process of grazing on grass.  That's why dealing with mushrooms as soon as you see them is the most pet-friendly approach.

Mushrooms are spread through their spores which thrive on wood and in wet areas.  To make your yard less adaptable to these conditions, consider eliminating wood mulch and in wet periods, keep the lawn mowed since long grass holds mushroom-loving moisture.

How you eradicate mushrooms when they pop up is important for long-term control. 

Spraying the mushroom cap with fungicides is ineffective.  The cap is just the fruit of the plant--so spraying it with a fungicide is like trying to treat an entire apple tree by spraying one apple.  It is ineffective.

Depending on the weather conditions, leaving mushrooms in place may lead to more mushrooms.  So when you see them, take action.

Since the key to control involves inhibiting the spores' ability to take hold or spread, the best procedure is to remove mushrooms as you see them.  Carefully pick them up with a plastic bag (like the sleeve the newspaper comes in) and keep them closed up in a bag for disposal. 

Finally, don't be tempted to kick or mow over mushrooms as this will disperse the spores throughout the yard and spawn even more growth.