I recently added a layer of compost about 5-6 cm thick to my garden beds, and it's packed with white mushrooms. Every other day, I find around 10 mushrooms popping up. I've been breaking them up and spreading them back on the beds thinking they're beneficial, but I'm curious: when will they finally stop growing? Will they harm my plants?
4 Answers
Mushrooms are actually a sign of healthy organic matter in your soil! They're generally not harmful to your crops. Once they exhaust their food source, they'll die out. You might see them more often if you keep adding new materials to the garden though!
You'll always see some mushrooms popping up. They can form these root-like networks in the soil and will produce mushrooms when conditions are right. Some grow fast but will eventually run out of food, while others can stick around for a long time. It’s a cool ecosystem!
Honestly, why are you getting rid of free edible mushrooms? Just eat them or let them spread their spores. They're a natural part of your garden!
I was worried they might take nutrients away from my plants since I'm a newbie gardener. This is my first year, and I'm still learning!
They’ll likely stop when it gets really sunny and dry. It depends on whether the mushrooms are from spent mushroom compost or regular compost though. Might need to check that!
Not sure about that, but I got my compost from the Netherlands. They call it CHAMPOST here—supposed to be good with mushrooms.
Thanks! As long as they aren't harmful, I might try eating some of these.