How to Avoid Mushrooms in Your Flower Beds
If your region has had lots of rain recently, you might have mushrooms in your flowerbeds. Mushrooms thrive in moist environments, so if the problem is not wet weather, it could be improper drainage. A few steps can help prevent mushroom growth. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Skip the Mulch and Build a Raised Bed
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Don't use wood or bark mulch in your flowerbed. If you've ever taken a walk in the woods, you will have noticed that mushrooms like wood. Mike McGrath, host of the National Public Radio show "You Bet Your Garden," explains that the mushrooms you see in your flowerbeds are probably feeding off of decaying organic material such as mulch. McGrath recommends replacing any mulch in the garden with organic compost.
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Install raised beds. McGrath advises that you can grow twice the plants in half the space when you raise a bed 1 foot off the ground. Raised beds offer a number of benefits. Among those benefits are easier access to your plants. Because you will not have to step in between them, you can leave less space in between your plants. This, in turn, keeps your soil fluffy and well-aerated because you are not flattening it with your feet. The Ohio University Extension advises that beds be built no wider than 4 feet. Improved soil conditions and water conservation are another benefit of raised beds. Because it is a contained area, you will have greater control over soil conditions and will be able to prevent mushroom growth by controlling the bed's drainage materials. Water conservation increases with raised beds. The Ohio University Extension Fact Sheet on Horticulture and Crop Science suggests that raised beds allow the home gardener to develop a watering system that gets the water right where it needs to be. The website notes that with the exception of corn, pumpkin, and other squash plants that cast enough shade to prevent their own soil to dry out, flowers and smaller vegetable plants will benefit from a more precise watering system. Raised beds produce higher yields. McGrath and the OSU Extension praise the raised bed for its slightly longer growing season. Because it is raised, it heats up faster in the spring and cools down slower in the fall.
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Build your own raised beds. Buy pressure-treated railroad ties from a lumberyard. McGrath touts cedar as especially rot-resistant, but even pressure-treated pine will hold up well outdoors. Avoid treating the wood yourself with any kind of chemical sealant because those chemicals can leach into your soil and harm your plants. The website onlinetips.org recommends digging a trench in which to place the ties, depositing a layer of gravel for drainage, and filling the rest with topsoil and compost.
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