You pour a cup of morning coffee and glance out over your lawn. Wait a minute! What are those little white bumps? They weren't there last night. If you've ever had that happen to you, you can sympathize with the frustration felt by this reader...
QUESTION: "What can I do to stop the growth of mushrooms in my backyard? I have to remove them sometimes twice weekly." - Dorothy Branch
ANSWER: Mushrooms (or toadstools) are often a sign that your lawn has insufficient drainage and is staying wet. Addressing the drainage problem is the best first step.
Simply picking the mushrooms won't get rid of the problem. The mushrooms are the reproductive (or fruiting) structures of certain kinds of fungi that are present below the surface of the lawn. The caps contain millions of microscopic spores that are wind-carried until they find a favorable site in which to grow. They then send out long filaments deep into the soil below your lawn.
An excellent online resource is this publication from the University of California
Even though picking the 'shrooms won't do much to prevent the underlying problem, the primary reasons for removing mushrooms from lawns are to keep them away from children and pets and to improve the lawn's appearance.
Always bear in mind that some species are poisonous and you should never eat mushrooms picked from your lawn unless you are a fungi expert and you are certain they are edible! It's a good idea to keep a pair of dedicated mushroom gloves handy if removing them really is a frequent chore. This will help to keep the spores off your hands so you don't ingest them or pass them along when you touch Fido or the kids.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a column titled "Turn wet land into spectacular bog garden." Recently I received the following e-mail from a reader: COMMENT: "In light of the concern with rapidly disappearing wetlands and the recent Supreme Court decision concerning filling wetlands as a possible violation of the Clean Water Act, I think you might at least have mentioned wetlands protection and [its] importance. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for monitoring and enforcing activities involving wetlands. I realize you were probably thinking about rather small tracts; still it may not take much disturbance such as excavating soil to come within the terms of wetlands protection." - John Watson
ANSWER: Good point, John. I am a strong supporter of wetlands protection and I'm pleased to take this opportunity to remind readers about the importance of wetlands preservation. As you note, I was specifically talking about those small patches of lawn or garden that are simply "wet land" rather than "wetlands." Again, you can refer to that column by visiting my Web site.
Here's another reader comment that you might find helpful:
COMMENT: "I would like to pass on some information to other gardeners. We have tried to plant a weeping cherry tree three times and every time it grows well and all of a sudden all the leaves fall off and it dies. We were told to use Bayer Systematic Insect Spray. Hopefully this is not premature but it is doing fantastic and so far the cherry tree borer has stayed away from it. I also used it on the crepe myrtles and no longer have the "sootie mold" on the leaves which comes from the aphids. Hope this helps someone." - Bob Steffon
ANSWER: I have not tried that particular product so I have no personal experience, but I'm glad to know it seems to be working for you. I always like to receive ideas and recommendations from readers and then pass them along.
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to snipped-for-privacy@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit