Lawn Mushrooms in Minnesota- Good or Bad

It's been so hot and humid this Summer, overall.  Recently we  have been experiencing some cooler, less humid weather, which I like... but it's going to heat up again and inevitably get more humid.

And now I have lawn mushrooms.

My first thought- because it's not like I've not seen mushrooms growing in my lawn before, but it's the fact that I thought it needed to rain a lot in order for them to grow.  And most obviously that is wrong.  But are they bad for the lawn?  Honestly, I usually pull them out and throw them into the woods. Sometimes I just do it because it's oddly satisfying to pull them out.  It's kind of fun.  But should I be doing that?

I had to do some research.

A quick Google search and I found this out.  According to Gardeningknowhow.com  lawn mushrooms can grow and thrive in many conditions.  And they provide a service in breaking down decaying organic material.  Well, that sounds gross.  In an average lawn there can be quite a bit of that from animals running around and dropping their own "waste".  Getting grosser, to just some grass clippings left on the lawn.

Get our free mobile app

You can just leave the mushrooms there, or there is a way of getting rid of them (other than pulling them out like I was doing).  They usually grow and thrive in shady areas of the yard.

Raking your grass clippings, dethatching your lawn or replacing old mulch will help to reduce the decaying organic material that encourages mushrooms growing in lawn. If your yard is too shady, see if some prudent and targeted pruning or thinning of surrounding trees can help to send more light into your yard.

There is also the idea that you can allow more light onto your yard by pruning your trees and bushes.  This will also help to prevent the mushrooms from growing.  I'll be honest- with this summer, I'm not doing that.  My lawn is already crispy.  And the shady parts are the only parts that are actually looking good.

So, if the mushrooms aren't really that bad for the yard, maybe I'll just leave them there.  They are kind of cute.