Everyone knows we can expect some rain during the state fair and by the looks of the forecast this year will be no exception.  We’ve been fortunate both this summer and last in that we have had ample rainfall.  Our lawns and landscapes are looking really good even though weed pressure has been high due to all the rain. 

With the rain you may have noticed the arrival of mushrooms in your lawn the past few weeks.  Mushrooms are any number of fungi that may appear under the ideal conditions of warm soil temperatures, abundant soil moisture, and moderate air temperature coupled with overcast skies,  all of which we’ve had a good portion of time from late August through the present.  The mushrooms “feed” on decaying organic matter such as old dead tree roots or other sources of wood underground.  Sometimes the mushrooms will grow in a circular or semi-circular pattern, a phenomenon known as Fairy Ring.  The grass may be a darker green in the immediate vicinity of the mushroom growth pattern as a result of a release of nitrates and other nutrients as organic matter is broken down.  There is really no practical means of controlling mushrooms and in fact the portion of the mushroom we see is only a small part of the overall fungus.  Most of the mushroom producing fungus is underground. While some of the mushrooms in lawns are edible others are poisonous.  Never eat any mushrooms unless you are sure of their identity.  Many of the mushrooms are spectacular in size and color and we should simply enjoy their seemingly overnight appearance knowing they will often disappear just as abruptly.