Mulch & Nuggets Reduces weeds, enhances growth, conserves water.

Augustine Soil and Mulch Ltd supplies aged mulch and soil products to Meadows Landscape Supply. Our soil is compost-based soil that is heated to high temperatures. When we supply the soil, it likely does not have mushroom, inoculum {spores or filament) in it. However, as most mushroom spores are airborne and can travel long distances, they can easily come into contact with the soil products from neighbouring areas. All compost products are a very desirable medium for mushroom and other fungal growth, so when the conditions are optimal temperature and moisture, the spores can grow, becoming mushrooms. This is especially true when there is a spore concentration within the wind stream.

Our research indicates a few ways to reduce the mushrooms once the spores have germinated.

Reduce Irrigation: In gardens or landscaped areas, mushrooms are associated with abundant water or poor drainage and cooling nights, and mushrooms tend to go away as the soil dries out. So water less.

Better Air Movement: Aerating the soil to improve water penetration may help.

Fertilize: You can sometimes eliminate mushrooms growing from organic matter by applying nitrogen fertilizer. This helps because fertilization speeds up the decomposition of organic matter.

As mushroom inoculum is most likely not immediately present in our piles of soil these are just recommendations that we have looked into, but we do not have any firsthand experience with these methods.

Mushroom spores and other fungal vegetative filaments are everywhere and are easily spread from one area to another through tools, boots, air currents and garden implements. As the nights cool and if moisture is optimal, a fungus is triggered to develop its reproductive structures-mushrooms. This is a natural process, but with limited water, the reproductive structures are inhibited, and mushroom development is limited. Remember, mushrooms and other fungi are one of the driving forces in the decomposition process, so their presence indicates that the soil, mulch and other substrate is healthy and decomposition is proceeding.

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