How to Get Rid of Toadstools in the Yard
Tip
Avoid over-watering and over-fertilizing your lawn, as doing so can cause toadstools. Aerators are available for purchase and rent at many hardware stores.
Warning
Wear gloves when dealing with toadstools to prevent accidentally touching your mouth with your hands and possibly consuming dangerous toadstool residue.
Keep children and animals away from toadstools, as many are dangerous if eaten.
After a spell of wet weather, grass might not be the only thing that grows in your yard – you might spot a few toadstools, as well. Toadstools are a type of fungi that is potentially dangerous upon ingestion, not to mention they take away from the appearance of your lawn. Toadstools can pop up on tree roots, in patches or produce a “Fairy Ring,” in which a circle of toadstools forms on your lawn. Fungicides typically aren’t effective against toadstools but a few other techniques are helpful in removing them from your lawn.
Dig up any tree roots that have toadstools growing from them. Root fungi, such as Armillaria, can cause honey-colored toadstools to grow from the roots. Digging up the roots, the stump and essentially the entire tree is the only way to eliminate this type of fungus from your lawn.
Remove any thatch from your lawn. Thatch, a layer of dead and organic material that lies on the soil, is often a food source for the toadstools and they will often sprout in areas where thatch is present.
Walk back and forth over the thatch areas with an aerator to bring soil cores to the surface. This will also create holes in the thatch, which will help to break it up and also improve drainage issues. Cover the treated areas with 1/8 to 1/4 inch of compatible soil, which will also help to breakdown the thatch.
Dig up the toadstools. Use a shovel to dig underneath the toadstools, then throw them in a plastic bag and in the trash. Although toadstools don’t cause harm when touched, some are poisonous when ingested.
Run the aerator back and forth inside the “Fairy Ring.” The aerator will break up the fungus that grows in the ring and causes it to grow poorly. Water the ring daily until the soil no longer accepts the water and the toadstools should go away.
