What to do if mushrooms are growing in your soil!

It's not really unusual to see mushrooms growing in the
soil of potted plants or even in your outdoor garden.
Fungal spores that produce mushrooms are always
floating around in the air and can land on soil and start
to grow. Mushrooms require a medium that is high in
decaying plant matter, which soil usually has.

Mushrooms growing in your pots is not hurting the
plants! They actually help by decomposing the organic
matter in the potting mix (think bits of leaves, bugs,
any pieces of roots that are rotten, etc.). Mushrooms
are harmless and can be ignored, but if you prefer to
remove them, simply pluck them out.

Remember, mushrooms are most likely to be produced
when abundant moisture is available. Sometimes
mushroom growth can indicate your soil is overly wet
so be sure to check the moisture level of your soil.
If you're keeping it too moist, back off watering a bit or
try under-watering, which we discussed in last weeks
newsletter. A little less water can discourage the mushrooms, but
don't allow the plants to wilt severely between
waterings.

Happy planting!