Baking soda will kill mushrooms. It does so by changing the PH of the soil to alkaline, which mushrooms don’t like. Baking soda is a good way to kill mushrooms because it is safe for humans and pets alike.
This article will explain why you have mushrooms in your lawn, how baking soda works to kill mushrooms, how to apply it, and whether it keeps mushrooms away forever. Read on to learn all there is to know about using baking soda as a natural remedy to kill mushrooms!
Why do I have mushrooms in my lawn?
If you have mushrooms in your lawn, that means you are doing something right. Mushrooms point to good soil health and a healthy microbiome.
Mushrooms also fertilize your lawn by breaking down dead plant materials and turning them into nutrients that your plants can use to grow.
Mushrooms tend to appear after it rains because they need the moisture to thrive. If you’ve had a long spell of rain, it’s a good idea to check your yard for mushrooms.
If mushrooms mean good soil health, why should I get rid of them?
Mushrooms can be toxic to animals and humans when consumed. You should especially get rid of your mushrooms if you have children or pets. You also might just find them unsightly.
According to The Ohio State University, you must be trained in identifying mushrooms before attempting to eat one that is growing out of your lawn. Your children and pets are obviously not trained in identifying mushrooms, so it is dangerous for them to eat the mushrooms.
Why should I use baking soda to get rid of my mushrooms?
Baking soda is a natural remedy to get rid of mushrooms. It is safer than using a fungicide or fungistatic (more on that later!) because it is not irritating to humans or toxic to pets.
Baking soda is so safe that we can even digest it. It is in many of our baked goods and some people drink it to calm down an upset stomach.
Should I buy a specific kind of baking soda?
All baking soda is just Sodium Bicarbonate, which is a natural mineral mined from ore. You can choose your brand based on price, reputation, or brand loyalty. You can even just use whatever you already have for baking!
There is no reason to go crazy trying to find the perfect baking soda. They are all essentially the same. They all have the same potency, contents, and effect.
Why don’t more people use baking soda to kill mushrooms?
A lot of people don’t trust natural remedies. Depending on the culture you’re from, you might not be used to using natural remedies instead of chemical solutions. Natural remedies also aren’t advertised as much on the internet or television as chemical solutions are.
Another reason people don’t use baking soda is that they simply don’t know about the trick. They may not think to stop and research other solutions and just go straight to the store to buy fungicide or fungistatic.
Why does baking soda kill mushrooms?
Baking soda changes the PH of the soil to make it alkaline. Alkaline soil is an unfavorable growing condition for mushrooms and will kill them. They can die in as little as three days.
You may feel the urge to pick them sooner than that, but it’s important to wait. Picking mushrooms only attacks the symptom, not the cause. We will explain all about that soon!
How do I use baking soda to kill mushrooms?
First, combine one tablespoon of baking soda with one gallon of water. Make sure it is thoroughly mixed. Use room-temperature water.
Focus on soaking the soil around the mushrooms. The goal is to change the PH of the soil, so focus on the soil, not the mushrooms. It is okay if you get the mushrooms wet, though.
Will baking soda keep mushrooms away forever?
Baking soda will eventually be washed away and your soil will return back to its normal PH, so it won’t keep mushrooms away forever. It is just a spot treatment that you have to keep using. This makes it fungistatic.
What is the difference between fungicidal and fungistatic treatments?
According to the National Library of Medicine, fungistatic solutions inhibit growth whereas fungicides kill fungi directly. Because baking soda is inhibiting the growth of the fungus by targeting the soil PH, instead of being poisonous to the mushroom itself, it is considered fungistatic.
Should I use baking soda on fairy rings?
The University of Wisconsin-Madison explains that fairy rings have growth that starts in the center and expands outwards. These rings can kill the grass in the middle, which makes them very unwanted in lawns.
The Missouri Botanical Gardens states that fairy rings don’t directly attack the grass. Rather, they break down the organic material in the soil that grass relies on to live.
Fairy rings need a more intense approach than baking soda because they have an extensive underground spore and communication system.
Fairy rings are very difficult to eliminate but are not difficult to prevent. If you fertilize, water, aerate, and mow your lawn, you should be able to avoid fairy rings.
I’ve been just pulling the mushrooms in my lawn up. Now what?
Pulling the mushrooms up is a short-term solution. It will remove the mushrooms, but will not stop them from coming back. No matter how many mushrooms you pick, they will keep returning.
You might be wondering, don’t they return with baking soda too? So what’s the point of going through all that trouble with the baking soda if picking them has the same effect?
Baking soda will keep the mushrooms away for a lot longer. The PH of the soil stays alkaline for quite some time before it returns to its normal PH. Plus it might be hard to pull up the whole mushroom, and you don’t want to be left with mushroom stumps throughout your yard
