You pour a cup of morning coffee and glance out over your lawn. Wait a
minute! What are those little white bumps? They weren't there last
night. If you've ever had that happen to you, you can sympathize with
the frustration felt by this reader...

QUESTION: "What can I do to stop the growth of mushrooms in my
backyard? I have to remove them sometimes twice weekly." - Dorothy
Branch

ANSWER: Mushrooms (or toadstools) are often a sign that your lawn has
insufficient drainage and is staying wet. Addressing the drainage
problem is the best first step.

Simply picking the mushrooms won't get rid of the problem. The
mushrooms are the reproductive (or fruiting) structures of certain
kinds of fungi that are present below the surface of the lawn. The caps
contain millions of microscopic spores that are wind-carried until they
find a favorable site in which to grow. They then send out long
filaments deep into the soil below your lawn.

An excellent online resource is this publication from the University of
California http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74100.html and
you can click on a direct link to that report when you find this column
under the Plant Man heading at my Web site www.landsteward.org

Even though picking the 'shrooms won't do much to prevent the
underlying problem, the primary reasons for removing mushrooms from
lawns are to keep them away from children and pets and to improve the
lawn's appearance.

Always bear in mind that some species are poisonous and you should
never eat mushrooms picked from your lawn unless you are a fungi expert
and you are certain they are edible! It's a good idea to keep a pair
of dedicated mushroom gloves handy if removing them really is a
frequent chore. This will help to keep the spores off your hands so you
don't ingest them or pass them along when you touch Fido or the kids.


A few weeks ago, I wrote a column titled "Turn wet land into
spectacular bog garden." Recently I received the following e-mail
from a reader: COMMENT: "In light of the concern with rapidly
disappearing wetlands and the recent Supreme Court decision concerning
filling wetlands as a possible violation of the Clean Water Act, I
think you might at least have mentioned wetlands protection and [its]
importance. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for monitoring and
enforcing activities involving wetlands. I realize you were probably
thinking about rather small tracts; still it may not take much
disturbance such as excavating soil to come within the terms of
wetlands protection." - John Watson

ANSWER: Good point, John. I am a strong supporter of wetlands
protection and I'm pleased to take this opportunity to remind readers
about the importance of wetlands preservation. As you note, I was
specifically talking about those small patches of lawn or garden that
are simply "wet land" rather than "wetlands." Again, you can
refer to that column by visiting my Web site.

Here's another reader comment that you might find helpful:

COMMENT: "I would like to pass on some information to other
gardeners. We have tried to plant a weeping cherry tree three times and
every time it grows well and all of a sudden all the leaves fall off
and it dies. We were told to use Bayer Systematic Insect Spray.
Hopefully this is not premature but it is doing fantastic and so far
the cherry tree borer has stayed away from it. I also used it on the
crepe myrtles and no longer have the "sootie mold" on the leaves which
comes from the aphids. Hope this helps someone." - Bob Steffon

ANSWER: I have not tried that particular product so I have no personal
experience, but I'm glad to know it seems to be working for you. I
always like to receive ideas and recommendations from readers and then
pass them along.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
and landscaping to and for resources and
additional information, including archived columns, visit
www.landsteward.org