Mushrooms Growing in Garden Raised Bed – Why & How To Ged Rid Of them?

It might be very disgusting to find unwanted mushrooms in your raised vegetable garden.

Although this might be pretty annoying, it is a good sign of an active soil microweb. The part you see above the ground is the fruiting body of mushrooms.

The mushrooms are growing because of too much organic matter in your soil. They mostly grow on woodchips.

Most mushrooms come from fungus in your soil that produces these flowers. However, they will not harm your garden in any way. Surprisingly, they may help by breaking existing biomass in the soil, thus providing nutrients to your plants.

It is vital to understand that fungus thrives in humid and moist areas in your garden.

Are They Poisonous?

It solely depends on the type of fungi.

You should pursue determining whether the mushrooms are safe for consumption.

If you are worried about them, you can consider contacting a specialist who can identify the poisonous mushrooms for you.

Mushrooms Growing in Garden Raised Bed – Are They Dangerous?

Mushrooms are a sign that your garden has organic-rich soil. You shouldn’t get too worried since their presence doesn’t hinder the growth of your plants.

You shouldn’t panic since the majority of fungi are harmless. Most mushrooms are fruiting bodies that help the breakdown of the mulch material.

Will The Mushrooms Kill Your Plant?

This is not something to overly panic about. Mushrooms may be of many benefits to your plants. They provide nutrients for your plants.

Unlike mols, mushrooms are a good sign that your raised garden has healthy soil. They help dead breakdown waste material and return the nutrients to the ground.

Mushroom composite is one of the best soil amendments.

Can You Get Rid Of Mushrooms In Your Garden Raised Bed?

It might be even more frustrating to have mushrooms growing even after picking them off.

Mushrooms have no roots; thus, they need to feed themselves by attaching to the roots of your plan.

Usually not action is required to get rid of mushrooms from the garden raised bed but if you still want to get rid of mushrooms, you can do the following:

You can break up the mushroom is the use of water jet. This will work well on delicate mushrooms and slime molds. If water jet is not available, you can also use rake to break it up.

Another method is to spot them and pick them off before they form spore.

Benefits of Mushrooms in Your Garden Raised Bed

It is a better option to understand both sides of the story. Although you won’t opt for them to grow in your raised garden bed, there are some benefits you can leap from them.

Below are some of the notable benefits:

They fasten the growth rates of your plants
Improved disease resistance and drought tolerance
Increased ability of your plants to take up nutrients and water from the soil
Mushrooms aren’t just sweet to your plants; they also improve your soil structure.
Make your plants reduce stress from weather conditions.

What Causes Mushrooms To Grow In Your Raised Bed?

Mushrooms Love Moist and Humid Areas

Whatever the situation is, having mushrooms pop up in your raised garden bed is a nuisance. They might show up after a rainy season.

Also, over-watering your garden can make fungi sprout. If there is excess water in your garden, there will be more specific and a more significant number of mushrooms.

They need a very healthy environment to grow. They also need moist growing media such as manure or composite.

They Prefer Alkaline Soils

Research shows that mushrooms require alkaline soil with a pH of 7.70 – 8.91. Mushrooms in your garden mean healthy soil.

Growing Medium

The growth medium for wild mushrooms may not be visible. In a real sense, they require a growing medium. Below are some of the notable mediums:

Dead vegetation under the ground
Decomposing leaves
Dung
Mulch
Soil or compost

Poor-drained Soils

Soils with poor drainage can make more mushrooms grow. Tillage practices in your garden can cause soil compaction. Some signs of compacted soils include:

Stunted growth of plants
Puddling or pooling of water in a low area

Low Light

Mushrooms don’t need photosynthesis or have chlorophyll. Mushrooms are fungi, and they can tolerate low light. Surprisingly they can grow without sunlight.

They love shady conditions. Most mushrooms can fruit without light. However, they may look strange. Sunlight does not come into play other than directing the mushrooms which way to grow.

What Should You Do To Get Rid Of Mushrooms In Garden Raised Bed?

Although mushrooms are harmless, they might not be desirable in your garden.

If you want to avoid them entirely in your garden in the future, you need to get rid of them very soon when they sprout.

Are mushroom fungi plaguing your garden? In a very moist environment, mushrooms can be a robin problem.

If you want to kill mushroom fungi, you must attack the entire mushroom. They can be potentially harmful as kids and pets may accidentally ingest them.

To get rid of the mushrooms, you must make conditions inhospitable for the fungi. Below are the best solutions to eliminate them entirely in your garden.

Reduce the Amount of Water You Apply in Your Garden

Mushrooms like specific habitats. Apply enough water in your garden for your plants to thrive. However, you should not overdo it because fungus tends to love moist places.

It is advisable to wait for the soil to dry before watering the plants again. Give your plants enough sunlight and airflow.

The best way to kill the mushrooms is by starving them. Reduce the amount of water that is making your garden dump.

Turn the Soil and Aerate It

Enough air circulation can eliminate mushrooms from growing in your garden. You can consider purchasing an aerator to make your work easier.

This will do away with the most environment. Aerating your soil will eliminate the mushroom problem.

Make Sure Soil Dries Up Prior To Planting

The critical factor of well-drained soil is oxygen. Sandy soils will drain quickly, unlike clay soils. You can try watering your plants early in the morning.

Keep the soil as dry as possible. You can use drip to water your plants. The sunlight will aid the excess water to evaporate; thus, no unwanted stagnant remains.

Ensure that the Drainage from Your Garden Bed Is Not Slowed

You will have to think twice if your garden retains a lot of water and has poor drainage. There are various ways to ensure proper drainage. The notable ones are:

Add a pond to catch the excess water from your garden
Place a rain barrel to collect water during rains
Add an underground drain

As Soon As You See Them in the Garden, Pick Them Off and Bin Them

Don’t leave the mushrooms for too long. Otherwise, they will start to spread. Leaving them to grow may lead to more mushroom growth. Remove them as soon as they pop up. Removing the mushrooms removes the spores that generate the spread of the fungi.

Mushroom spores can be carried by wind, animals, or even on your shoes. If you are concerned about your children or pets, it’s not hard to keep them under control.

Wash your hands after handling them, or use a pair of gloves.

After Picking Them Off, Bin Them Properly

The worst mistake you can make is disposing of the mushrooms anyhow. Do not throw them away in your composite pile.

You can try to find a bag to dump them there and tie it tightly to reduce spores spread. After the container is full, you can expose them completely. This will prevent fungi from spreading to your raised garden bed.

Apply Nitrogen Fertilizer

Apply Nitrogen-rich fertilizer can stop mushrooms before they can start growing. Why? Because nitrogen fertilizers increase the decomposition rate of mushroom food.

By doing this, mushrooms won’t have something to feed on.

Milorganite Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer

Non-burning slow-release
Nitrogen feeds up to 10 weeks

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Using Fungicides Might Upset your Land. Instead, You Should Consider Using Vinegar

Applying fungicides means that the chemicals must reach the soil. Fungicides don’t get in the soil to kill the mushrooms that produce the spores.

Vinegar is a natural fungicide since it’s a household item. So, this is not an effective measure. This might be harmful to your plants for your own consumption.

The acid in the vinegar will kill them and hinder their growth. But it must come in handy with the proper application.

Try Applying Some Sulphur Powder

Sulfur powder is an old garden remedy. It can work as a fungicide. What it does is that it prevents mushroom spores from germinating.

If the mushrooms are becoming more annoying, you should consider this method. It will also help lower your soil pH, which is an unconducive environment for mushrooms.

Prills Soil Sulfur

Soil sulfur – 99.0% purity
Packaged in easy to use resealable pouch
2 lb. and 4 lb. pouches