Online Articles
about nature - by Boyd
Shaffer,
artist /naturalist
Observations
of a Naturalist
This Article: Fairy Rings - what are they and what causes them?
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Being
the world's best decomposers, fungi decay
dead plant or animal material and assist
bacteria in turning it into compost.
Notice how green the grass is where the
mycelium has been working. If it gets into
a bit more dead material, and if it stays
wet, we will get a large fruiting of
mushrooms in a couple of weeks. If it
becomes dry or runs out of dead material
to compost, it will become dormant or die.
Hot weather is the worst thing for most
fungus, they want it cool, dark and wet.
Don't ask how to get rid of the mushrooms
in your lawn. You want all you can get. If
you don't like the fruit (mushrooms)
coming up, cut them off smash them or mow
them, it will make the mother plants
(mycelium) much stronger if they don't
have to reproduce. Reproduction uses vast
amounts of energy and weakens the
mycelium.
You can't remove the spores by removing
the mushrooms. There are so many spores
everywhere that all it takes is for one to
land in a favorable place and it will
grow. The spores of every mushroom on
earth is in your yard at all times waiting
for the right conditions (proper food and
water) to grow. Putting your favorite
mushrooms all over your property won't
introduce them to your particular place.
If the food that species needs (species of
dead tree root atc.) is there, the
mushrooms will come up. They are always
spores waiting. If you want a species to
grow, create the environment and it will
be there. |