HelpfulGardener.com

Hi guys,


I've noticed some mushrooms growing by my pepper plants. The other day I used a shovel and sorta stabbed at them to destroy them and dig them out of my garden. Now I notice a few others growing in another area. Is this bad? Are they sucking any nutrients from my plants like weeds do? Or is there any other concerns?

They are breaking down the organic matter in the soil to forms more easily used by the plants, and competing with harmful fungi spores. Typically, I believe them to be harmless and in fact helpful. Some species of fungi form symbiotic relationship with some/many species of plants and boost their health/growth.

"...is there any other concerns?"
-- not that you would, but don't try to eat them without being absolutely sure what they are.

Due to concerns about my dogs (one of whom isn't yet trained NOT to explore the raised veggie beds), I pull each and every mushroom and throw it into my compost bin. Just in case. I don't eat them myself, and I don't let the dogs near them, either. (My cats are indoor-only or outdoor on a leash.)

The mushrooms are not hurting your plants, though, so you can relax about that score, at least!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Ok cool. Yeah I wouldn't dare eat them cause I know how harmful they can be. I am worried about my dogs too, but I got some fencing around the garden and they been keeping out. As long as the mushrooms are not hurting the plants then I don't see why I shouldn't leave them. They look kinda cool/trippy.

While on my scrounge for free local manure, I stumbled onto a large pile of old sawdust.

It with some tree prunings will become the backbone of a nice hugelkultur bed I'm building for next year.

Why post this on a thread about mushrooms in the garden?

I expect this to make mushrooms (not as a food crop) in addition to being generally benificial to my garden.

My point is mycellia are part of the microherd you want in your organic garden.

I knew I saw a thread on mushrooms, somewhere

I could use some advice as to whether they're good or bad for my seedling, too. Basically, I've got some pumpkin seedlings started inside. I took my first one, and planted it in a pot full of compost- and it seems to be EXTREMELY happy (growing huge). I picked it up last night because I want to start hardening it off, and there were a huge batch of mushrooms growing on the bottom of the pot I have it in!

Is this good, or bad? Should I remove them, or...?

SPierce wrote:there were a huge batch of mushrooms growing on the bottom of the pot I have it in!

Is this good, or bad? Should I remove them, or...?

I think it just is. If it'll make you feel better pick them off.

It's not going to hurt your plants.

Somehow a gardening fairy slipped a little wood (bark? sawdust?) into your medium.

tomc wrote:

SPierce wrote:there were a huge batch of mushrooms growing on the bottom of the pot I have it in!

Is this good, or bad? Should I remove them, or...?

I think it just is. If it'll make you feel better pick them off.

It's not going to hurt your plants.

Somehow a gardening fairy slipped a little wood (bark? sawdust?) into your medium.

Compost from the farm down the street. They're also a food waste facility, and put out free compost, so I grabbed as much as I could It's proably wood.

I just wanted to make sure, as even with all my other starts going, none of them have mushrooms growing.