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Mushrooms in my mulch??| Member | Message |
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Posted: May/29/2007 4:49 PM PST
 About 3 weeks after we put in cedar mulch in the garden there are huge mushrooms all over. What can I do to permanently get rid of them? This is the first time this ever happened and I've used this type of mulch for years.
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Posted: May/29/2007 6:38 PM PST
Mushrooms love moisture, and the mulch is a haven for them. It has happened many times in my mulch beds. I just pull them out as soon as they appear. If you let them stay, they will send out spores and you will get more mushrooms. Do not put them in a compost pile if you use the compost for vegetables. The only regret that I have is that they are not the edible kind. |
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Posted: May/29/2007 7:20 PM PST
Mushrooms are an indication that decay is happening. They will stay as long as they have moisture and food (decaying matter - ie. mulch). They best way to deal with them is to remove them as soon as you see them (as Bluethumb stated) and allow the mulch to dry out if possible. As long as you don't allow new spores to be released they will die out fairly quickly. |
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Posted: May/29/2007 7:38 PM PST
The mushrooms help to release nutrients from decaying material. There is a chance they could be edible. I've actually purposefully grown Elm Oyster Mushrooms in some of my woodchips, which were really delicious. |
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Posted: May/29/2007 8:35 PM PST
Mush rooms are the fruiting organs of fungi. The fungi are living in the mulch, feeding on the nutrients present. The fungi will contribute to the decomposition of the mulch over time. As it decomposes it becomes humus and actually benefits the soil. This is all a natural process, that as mentioned above is aided by moisture. To be perfectly honest there is little you can do about the fungi and mushrooms. I simply enjoy the mushrooms as just one more miracle of nature. I find them to be rather ornamental. Go with the flow. My guess is that the fungi will stop producing mushrooms soon as there really is a relativly narrow range of environmental conditions that will support mushroom production. I really would not reccomend eating them unless you are absolutely an expert mycologist. There are a surprizing number of poisionous look-alikes to edible mushrooms. If pets or children are at risk of eating them, then removal of the mushrooms when they sprout is recommened. |
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Posted: May/30/2007 10:38 AM PST
Quote: Originally posted by treeman I really would not reccomend eating them unless you are absolutely an expert mycologist. There are a surprizing number of poisionous look-alikes to edible mushrooms. If pets or children are at risk of eating them, then removal of the mushrooms when they sprout is recommened.I would have to agree with needing an expert to identify the mushrooms first. In the Seattle area we have the Puget Sound Mycological Society, with many experts in it. On past occassions I've taken a few different mushrooms from my yard and had experts with that society identify them for me, since my dog used to eat them. Most of the wild mushrooms I have are not edible (though not poisonious either). The Oyster mushrooms I spoke of were ones I purposefully planted in my wood chips. |
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Posted: May/30/2007 11:01 AM PST
Thanks for the help. I wouldn't eat them. I really hate the way they look so I think I need to pull them. |
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Posted: May/29/2009 11:51 AM PST
I have a very small dog. Does anyone know if mushrooms would be hazardous her health if she should eat them?? |
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Posted: Jun/29/2009 11:16 AM PST
Did you ever get rid of you mushrooms. I have toms of them in my mulch that I need to get rid of. Any suggestions? 
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Posted: Aug/27/2009 8:25 PM PST
I am having a terrible problem with mushrooms in my mulch in the backyard. I also have hard black ? spores in the mulch at the front of the house. I am spending on average a half hour each morning removing these things. Also the mulch has mold in it. I just put this mulch down in May but I ordered more than I needed and ended up with a very thick layer. We've had a rainy summer which hasn't helped. I'm worried about my trees as well - is this going to affect them? How do I get rid of this problem? |
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