Mushrooms are disgusting, right?
If you recently spotted them on your lawn, then you probably have some questions like:
- What are these disgusting spores?
- Where do they come from?
- And most importantly, can I kill them with baking soda?
This blog post will answer all those questions and more! So stick around to the end to learn the answer to every question you have right now about mushrooms.
Understanding Mushrooms in Yard
What Are Mushrooms?
Mushrooms are fungi that grow from spores, which are microscopic organisms that produce asexually.
Fortunately for you, they can’t make their own food through photosynthesis as plants do. So instead of making their own food, they resort to absorbing nutrients from the soil and air around them to survive.
Why is that fortunate for you? We will get to that in a bit. But before we do that, let’s first answer some other questions people frequently ask about mushrooms.
Why Are Mushrooms Growing In My Lawn?
There are many reasons why mushrooms grow in your lawn.
The main reason is that they need moisture to survive. So if it has been raining recently or you have watered your yard within the past few days, then there’s a good chance that these fungi will appear after some time.
Another reason for their appearance could be because of other plants near your lawn.
For example, if you had some dying plants in your yard and they recently got taken away through the trash collection service, then that can be another reason why mushrooms are growing here.
And lastly, there might not even be any apparent reason for their appearance at all! Since these spores don’t need much to survive — just some moisture and nutrients to absorb — they can appear anywhere as long as those two elements are present.
Are Mushrooms In My Lawn Bad?
Well, that depends on who you ask.
Some people say they are good because mushrooms help the environment by breaking down dead plant matter and other organic material through their digestive system similar to how earthworms do it in soil.
And while this is true, others view them as bad for killing plants with their spores or causing allergic reactions when they get into people’s eyes.
Getting Rid of Mushrooms
How Do I Permanently Get Rid of Mushroom?
There are several ways to kill mushrooms, but the most common way is by killing these spores with baking soda.
Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, a chemical compound that has been used in removing harmful fungi from surfaces for several decades now
It works by killing off fungus when they come into contact with it and absorb its nutrients through their cell membranes.
How Can I Be Killing Mushrooms With Baking Soda?
Here’s a simple three-step method to kill mushrooms with baking soda:
- Mix two teaspoons of baking soda with a gallon of water and place the mixture inside a spraying bottle.
- Spray baking soda over your lawn. You can also use a spoon or a cup to sprinkle baking soda around the area where the mushrooms have grown.
- Check if the mushrooms have been killed. This can take up to a day. So you’ll need to be patient.
Notice that killing mushrooms with baking soda is just as easy as killing them with any store-bought fungicide solution. In fact, killing them with baking soda is one of the easiest and easiest ways because it costs virtually nothing and all you have to do is spray it on their spores for them to die from contact with it.
Is Baking Soda a Fungicide?
Yes, baking soda is a fungicide. It’s also one of the cheapest and easiest ways to kill mushrooms with killing them using chemicals that are commercially available in stores.
On top of being easy, killing mushrooms with baking soda is virtually free!
Furthermore, killing mushrooms with baking soda is also the safest way to do it because unlike other chemical fungicide solutions, baking soda does not harm your skin even upon direct contact.
What Type of Baking Soda Should I Use to Kill Mushrooms?
You can use any type of baking soda to kill mushrooms. However, it’s important that you get the right concentration so as not to burn your lawn by killing all fungi in a single shot.
To create a perfectly balanced mix of baking soda and water, simply mix two teaspoons of baking soda for every gallon of water you use in making the solution.
How Long Does It Take to Kill Mushrooms With Baking Soda?
It typically takes up to a day for killing mushrooms with baking soda. So you’ll have to be patient and wait until the fungi are all gone from your lawn before it’s safe to water again.
However, in some cases, killing mushrooms with baking soda can take as long as three days or even more.
So if after two or more days you see some little green specks growing back, you’ll have to apply killing baking soda solution again. What that means is while using baking soda is the safest and cheapest way of killing mushrooms, it might take a little longer than other fungicides which are more potent.
Is There An Alternative Way of Killing Mushrooms?
Yes, there are several fungicides available in stores that can kill mushrooms. However, you don’t really need to buy them unless the spores in your lawn are immune to baking soda — which is highly unlikely.
What Are Some Other Mushroom Control Steps I Can Take?
Aside from killing mushrooms with baking soda, you can also take preventative steps to keep them away.
To do this, make sure that your lawn drains well and doesn’t stay wet for too long. This is because water encourages the growth of fungi spores just as much as it does grass seeds.
Another thing you can do is create a barrier between your lawn and the grass outside. This will prevent spores from coming in to colonize your soil.
Furthermore, you should also keep your lawn dry by watering it less and killing moss as soon as you see any green specks.
By following the simple prevention steps we just discussed, you can minimize the chances of mushroom growth in your lawn. So you won’t even have to resort to killing them with baking soda or another fungicide!
Conclusion: Killing Mushrooms With Baking Soda Is Simple, Easy, and Effective!
Killing mushrooms with baking soda is a simple, easy, and effective way to get rid of the unwanted spores in your lawn.
While killing mushrooms with baking soda can take up to three days or even more in some rare cases, it’s worth waiting if killing them could save you from using chemicals that may be harmful to your skin — not to mention the extra money you will have to spend purchasing a fungicide solution from your local store.
The only time you should invest in a chemical solution is when you have tried a baking soda solution and it didn’t work on the mushrooms in your lawn.
