Question
Hi Charlotte,

I live in the suburbs of Chicago, in case the location may help you with this question.

I've just recently had my 1/2 acre lawn become ridden with mushrooms!...some have gotten quite large, and I can where others will be developing very soon. I抎 like to get rid of these quickly, safely and hopefully economically.

Any ideas?

Thank you,
Dan


Answer
Hi Dan;
I just answered the problem of mushrooms for Connie.
Here is a copy of my answer to her.
This will work for you too. There is a little more in there about organics.
Charlotte

Hi Connie'
Most often mushrooms come from something under the ground like a rotting dead tree root or piece of wood under the surface.
Dig right under where the mushrooms are and see if there is sometning rotting under there, or, just use a fungicide.
I am an organic gardener, and wouldn't even consider going back to using chemicals.
There are organic ways to solve every problem, and they are much more premanent than the chemical remedies.
First, I would recommend NOT fertilizing, and unless you have very hard clay soil, there is no need to aerate.
Chemicals CREATE problems, they don't solve them.
Just rake out the mushrooms that are there and either disolve baking soda in water and spray the area, or get some corn gluten meal, and top dress your soil with that.
Corn gluten meal is what is left after that make corn syrup, and nurseries that carry organic products usually have it underseveral brand names. It is available in granulated or powdered form.
It is also a powerful organic fertilizer but will control such cool season plants such as clover, henbit, poa annua, chickweed and others.
Apply 20 pounds per 100 sq.ft
Nurseries that carry organics will also have potassium bicarbonate. A spray of that will kill the fungus that is the mushrooms(really toadstools)
You can use baking soda ( Sodium bicarbonate).
About 4 teaspoonfuls or one rounded tablespoonful per gallon of water, and spray all affected area.
I would use the corn meal gluten, 20 pounds per 100 sq.ft, table sugar at the rate of 4 pounds per 100 sq,ft, and water it all in well.
That will take care of weeding, feeding, anf fungicide.
Sugar is NOT a fertilizer or a week killer. What it does is nourish the beneficil microbes that enrich the soil.
Weeds will not thrive ib rich soil, so if when they come up, they die out right away.
In a couple of years, when the microbes and organic gardening have enriched your soil enough, the weeds will stop even coming up.
Not using fertilizers, weedkillers and insecticides will make a healthy enviornment for lawn critters such as beneficial nometodes and insects, and toads, lizards and grass snakes, and they will eat all the invading harmful insects like, grubs, slugs, ants, army worms, aphids etc.
It is really that simpla.
I wish I had known 50 years ago what I have learned and put into practicew for the last 8 years. I would still have knees and a back that work.
If you would like any more information on organics, feel free to write me.
Charlotte