Are Mushrooms Good for Plants? (Growing Healthy Soil)

As a home vegetable gardener, you may have found the seemingly sudden appearance of different fungi in your garden and wondered are mushrooms good for plants ? Good news! Mushrooms are typically a sign of healthy soil. But wait, there’s more. We’re answering all of your questions that surround discovering mushrooms in the garden, and then some.

Are Mushrooms Good for Plants ?

Mushrooms are not only good for plants, they seem to be a vital part of the ecosystem of your soil biology. Garden plants and mushrooms have a symbiotic relationship wherein they benefit from one another.

A Sign of Healthy Soil

Yes, mushrooms can be an indicator of healthy soil. Mushrooms, specifically the visible fruiting bodies, thrive in environments rich in organic material and nutrients. Healthy soil that contains a diverse range of microorganisms, including fungi like mushrooms, tends to be fertile, well-structured, and abundant in nutrients necessary for plant growth.

The presence of mushrooms in soil often suggests that it is well-aerated, has good moisture content, and contains a balanced ecosystem of microorganisms. However, the absence of mushrooms does not necessarily mean the soil is unhealthy, as different factors can affect mushroom growth, such as temperature, moisture levels, and the specific types of fungi present in the area.

Why and How Mushrooms Grow in Gardens?

Mushrooms grow in garden soil through a process that involves the development and spread of fungal mycelium, the vegetative part of the fungus, followed by the formation of fruiting bodies (the visible mushrooms).

Mushrooms start from spores, which are tiny reproductive units released by existing mushrooms. These mushroom spores are dispersed by various means such as wind, water, or animals. When conditions are suitable (e.g., moisture, temperature, substrate), spores germinate to begin the life cycle of the fungi.

What Causes Mushroom Growth

Once a spore lands in suitable, moist soil, it germinates and produces thread-like structures called hyphae. Hyphae grow and interconnect, forming a network called mycelium. This mycelium expands through the soil, breaking down organic matter and absorbing nutrients.

What Do the Mushrooms Do?

They form a symbiotic relationship with the soil, aiding in the decomposition of organic matter and recycling nutrients. Breaking down dead plants and roots left in the soil are an important job for mushrooms in our gardens.

Can Mushrooms Growing in My Garden Be a Bad Thing?

In some cases, mushrooms might compete with plants for nutrients and water. However, this is typically more of an issue in specific situations where certain fungi are overly abundant and might temporarily overshadow plant growth.

While the presence of mushrooms generally indicates healthy soil, the type and abundance of mushrooms can sometimes suggest imbalances or specific conditions in the soil. For instance, some fungi thrive in compacted soils or where organic matter is excessive or imbalanced.

Mycelial Network

According to The National Forest Foundation, “Mycelium are incredibly tiny “threads” of the greater fungal organism that wrap around or bore into tree [or plant] roots. Taken together, myecelium composes what’s called a “mycorrhizal network,” which connects individual plants together to transfer water, nitrogen, carbon and other minerals.”

Amazingly, researchers have recently learned that plants not only transfer nutrients through the mycorrhizal network, but they seem to communicate through it too. They are able to warn each other about environmental stresses like possible drought and pest pressure. Healthy plants can then release hormones, or pheromones, to help strengthen themselves against the stresser. 

Fungi First

The sight of mushrooms in my garden makes me smile. Their presence means the mycelial network is working with the nearby plants, and that’s always a good thing.

Some professional gardeners would advocate for attempting to treat your soil as an invitation to mushrooms. Purposely create a space for fungal spores to thrive when they happen to land there, and your plants will be happy too.

How Do I Attract Mushrooms to Grow in My Garden?

Providing the tiny spores of mushrooms the right conditions to grow will help your garden build that important mycelial network. Most types of mushrooms thrive in dark, damp places. Making sure that the first six inches of soil in your garden is well-moistened is a good start. 

Providing the growing space with shade during a part of the day is helpful to mushrooms too. My garden is in mostly sun, in Florida, leaving not much chance for mushroom development. My solution to this is to continuously add compost and to mulch with dead leaves to shade out the soil.

Stop tilling your soil. Turning over the soil breaks up the mycelium network, preventing the fruiting of mushrooms. Instead, begin moving towards no-till practices. Using tarps and ground covers to improve the soil but keep weeds at bay will encourage good fungal growth.

Last, I highly recommend using spent mushroom compost in your garden soil as outlined in this post. You can add it to garden beds periodically, or plant in directly. I like to mulch garden beds with it once or twice each year to add nutrients to the soil. It will come with mycelium that will eventually flourish into a network beneath the soil surface.

Protect Small Children & Curious Pets

It’s important to note that not all mushrooms are beneficial or harmless. Some mushrooms could be toxic, while others might have beneficial roles in the soil or for plants. Proper identification of mushrooms before consumption or handling is crucial for safety. Be sure to research whatever you might find in your vegetable gardens.

Mushroom Prevention

Preventing mushrooms from growing in a garden entirely can be challenging because they are a natural part of the soil ecosystem. I’d strongly discourage you from attempting to prevent mushrooms from growing in your garden. 

However, you can take some measures to reduce their occurrence or mitigate their presence:

• Improve Drainage: Ensure proper drainage in your garden beds to prevent waterlogging, as too much water can encourage mushroom growth. Amending the soil with organic matter or using raised beds can help improve drainage.
• Reduce Organic Debris: Mushrooms feed on decaying plant matter. Regularly remove dead leaves, wood debris, and other organic material from the garden to minimize the food source for mushrooms.
• Adjust Watering Practices: Water plants directly at the base rather than overhead watering. This helps reduce excess moisture on the soil surface, which can promote mushroom growth.
• Aerate the Soil: Loosen compacted soil to improve aeration. Properly aerated soil is less likely to provide a suitable environment for mushroom growth.
• Use Fungicides: Fungicides can be used to control fungal growth, but this approach may affect the overall soil health and the beneficial fungi as well. Consider this option carefully and use it sparingly, especially if you’re aiming for an organic garden. Copper fungicide is a good option to spray.
• Remove Mushrooms Promptly: If you see mushrooms, remove them promptly to prevent them from releasing spores and spreading further. Use gloves and dispose of them safely, especially if they’re suspected to be toxic.

Getting Rid of Mushrooms

Use a hand shovel to dig out the fruited mushrooms from your soil, and place them in a sealed bag to dispose of. You can spray your garden soil with antibacterial dish soap, but this is going to severely affect the good life in your soil too. 

Remember, getting rid of the part that you can see doesn’t remove the soil fungi. They’re going to fruit again eventually. But if you keep removing the mushrooms before they open and spread their spores, eventually the seasons will change to unfavorable environmental conditions for them. They may die off during your hot or dry periods.

How to Get Rid of Mushrooms in Mulch

Since mushrooms love decaying organic matter, like wood chips, you’re likely to find them growing in your mulch. Again, attempting to rid your growing space of mushrooms may harm your soil life.

Sometimes, you’ll end up with a something like a stinkhorn mushroom, that smells like dead animals, making your garden an unbearable place to be. I can understand the desire to remove this one.

Put on some gloves, use your spade or other garden tool to dig it out, and dispose of the unwanted mushroom in a plastic bag. Spray the sprouting location with peroxide or fungicide to help prevent its spores left behind from growing.

Lichen

Lichen is a unique organism resulting from a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. This partnership forms a composite organism where the fungus provides a structure and protection, while the algae or cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis, producing food for both partners.

Some species of cyanobacteria in lichens are capable of nitrogen fixation, converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants. This can contribute to the soil’s fertility.

Since they appreciate an undisturbed space, you probably won’t encounter lichen in your annual vegetable garden.

Endophytes

Endophytes are microorganisms, primarily fungi or bacteria, that live within the internal tissues of plants without causing any apparent harm to the host plant. These microorganisms can reside inside the roots, stems, leaves, or other plant parts.

Endophytes have a relationship with their host plants. They provide various benefits to the plants, such as enhanced tolerance to stressors like drought, pathogens, and pests. They can also convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable nutrient to the plant.

How’s that for magic mushrooms?

FAQs Related to Are Mushrooms Good for Plants

Here are some other questions that gardeners may ask about mushrooms in their garden soil.

Is it a Mushrooms or a Toadstool?

The term “toadstool” is simply another name for mushroom. There is no scientific difference between the two.

Are Mushrooms Good for My Potted Plant?

Just like the outdoor garden, mushrooms can provide many benefits to your potted plants.

Should I Get Rid of Mushrooms in My Vegetable Gardens?

Whether it’s your flower garden, general home landscaping, or vegetable gardens, mushrooms should be encouraged to thrive to benefit your growing spaces. The mushrooms will generally not harm you just because they’re in your vegetable garden. Wash produce before consuming to remove any possible spores.

How did my indoor plants get mushrooms?

Most likely, mushrooms came in the potted soil that your plant was planted in. Many bagged soils have mushroom compost as the base for the potting mix.

Do Mushrooms Mean Overwatered Plants?

It’s unlikely that mushrooms are a sign of overwatered plants. Plants and beneficial mushrooms generally have the same soil moisture requirements. If you overwatered, then your plants would suffer as well.

So, Are Mushrooms Good For Plants in Your Garden ?

Let them grow! The benefits of keeping mushrooms in your garden far outweigh any possible negative impacts. Those mycorrhizal relationships between fungi and plants are probably the most important thing for your garden. Remember, the appearance of mushrooms just means that you have plenty of organic matter in your garden, creating the right growing conditions for both plants and mushrooms. 

Happy Gardening, Friends!

Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+  years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.