The Mushroom-Eliminating Lawncare Tip That May Do More Harm Than Good

One lawn care tip, using hydrated lime to eliminate mushrooms, may be causing more headaches for homeowners than it's worth. Before you start getting your hands dirty and filling your lawn with potentially damaging chemicals, you should take some time to understand what mushrooms sprouting in your yard means about your lawn's health. In some cases, the presence of mushrooms in your lawn may actually be a good thing — indicating healthy soil. However, some homeowners prefer to remove them to avoid children or pets from accidentally consuming any deadly mushrooms that could be growing in their backyard. In other cases, your lawn may be overwatered, so you will need to address the root cause of the growth to improve your overall lawn health.

While there have been some claims that hydrated lime can prevent future mushroom growth by changing the acidity of the soil, the problem is that there is virtually no evidence to suggest that it can actually eliminate them. In fact, research shows that hydrated lime is a beneficial component used in the cultivation of edible mushrooms, not for elimination. Additionally, hydrated lime is difficult to work with and can easily cause severe damage to your lawn and health, including chemical burns, if mishandled.

Some people believe that applying lime to your lawn will cause the soil to become too acidic for mushrooms to grow, therefore preventing future growth. Not only is this myth not true, but experts highly recommend never applying hydrated lime to your yard or garden. Hydrated lime is a type of caustic lime, a corrosive chemical that is damaging to the skin and lungs when there is direct contact. 

Mistakes that commonly happen when applying lime to lawns and gardens include adding too much lime to part or all of the lawn, not watering enough to remove excess dust, not wearing enough protective equipment, or interacting with the lawn before it's safe. If too much hydrated lime is added or you don't use enough water after the application, you could see immediate chemical burns on the grass. It could also lead to the slow death of your lawn, which can take months. During the application process, any contact with lime can result in irritation to the skin, lungs, or eyes. Direct contact can result in chemical burns. It is essential to avoid interaction with the lawn, especially if you have children or pets, until the lime has fully dissolved.

You don't need to spend money on fancy treatment packages or risk the damage that hydrated lime could cause. There are other, safer options to rid your lawn of mushrooms. You likely already have affordable treatment options stocked in your kitchen. Take some time to assess your lawn, carefully remove the mushrooms by hand, and research safe removal options that work for you and your family.