Gardeners warned to look out for mushrooms in their lawn — here's what to do

It's the time of year when mushrooms love to pop up across your lawn, thriving in the wet weather and damp soil. And while most mushrooms are harmless, they can be unsightly. But, sometimes, they can actually be deadly to pets, the plants around them, and even humans.

Fortunately, most of the time mushrooms are really good for biodiversity, but if you have pets it might not be a risk you want to take. Or, like me, maybe you just don't like the look of them sprawled out across your lawn.

The soggy climate is great for buildup of dead grass and moss, known as thatch, and that's where mushrooms love to grow. You're also likely to find them around dead shrubs, trees or along the borders of your flowerbeds that are collecting water in the soil beneath.

And while there are many ways to get rid of mushrooms in your yard, it's important to know exactly what you're looking for and what to do to stop them from returning. It's peak mushroom season after all, and while that's great news for cooking, it can be not-so-great news for your lawn.

Here's what to do if you find them growing.

What to do if you find mushrooms in your lawn

The first thing to say is that not all mushrooms are harmful to your lawn. In fact, they can be pretty helpful when it comes to contributing to the ecosystem of your yard and indicate that you've got healthy soil.

Unfortunately, it can be pretty hard to identify one mushroom from another if you're not a fungi aficionado, and some of them can be extremely toxic and therefore dangerous to you and your pets.

So, unless you're planning on getting an expert round, you might want to think about removing unwanted mushrooms from your lawn to make sure they're not up to trouble.

Fortunately, it's simple to do. As BBC Gardeners World advises: "In the first instance where unwanted mushrooms have developed, remove them physically by hand soon after the mushrooms appear, before they mature and spread their spores.

"With gloves on, pull up larger mushrooms. Use a stiff-bristled garden broom to scatter clusters of smaller ones, ideally on a dry, sunny day when the fungi quickly shrivel to a fraction of their size."

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How to keep mushrooms away

So, getting rid of the mushrooms on your lawn is fairly simple, but how do you avoid them returning? Well, fortunately, the experts at BBC Gardeners World have more wisdom to share.

To discourage mushrooms from growing in the future, it's all about "making the lawn environment cleaner, drier, and airier, all of which are less welcoming to fungi.

"Rake up fallen twigs and leaves in autumn and cut the lawn regularly as short grass dries much faster than if left long. Scarify (rake) to remove the layer of dead grass and moss that builds up on the surface of a lawn."

Although another type of fungi, known as 'fairy rings' for their circular appearance on your lawn, are known for remaining under the soil surface and reemerging each year. For this, you'll just have to reach for your gardening gloves and broom on an annual basis.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've lost too many plants to cold weather — garden experts share 3 tips to help them survive the winter
• Don't skip these garden tasks in October — 9 essential steps to set you up for spring
• How to protect your garden from early frost this fall