How can I safely (around children) get rid of mushrooms on our lawn?
Answers:
Two safe remedies for mushrooms in the lawn are core aeration of the lawn and mowing or removing them with a rake.
Other answers:
First of all, you should try to eliminate to source of the problem - damp ground that breeds fungi. Make sure you're not overwatering your lawn. A sunny lawn needs about two inches of water per week during the hotest part of the summer (well, in my area it does). You should check with your local agricultual cooperative to see how much water they say your area needs. Also, if your lawn is shady, make sure it gets less water and DRIES out totally before you water it again.
Next, you should fertalize your lawn with an organic lawn fertalizer that doesn't have weed killer (that's toxic) at least twice a year - in the spring after the last frost and in the fall before the first frost. Mushrooms will have a harder time grow if there's a thick, alive lawn growing.
You can try to find a fungicide that's non-toxic to kids and animals, but I've never been able to find one. They also take repeated applications to work.
Finally, you should patrol your lawn and pick mushrooms weekly or more. This is for the same reason you want to pull dandylions before they go to seed. You don't want them maturing and spreading their spores across the rest of your lawn.
Good luck, I hope you're able to take care of this!
First of all, you should try to eliminate to source of the problem - damp ground that breeds fungi. Make sure you're not overwatering your lawn. A sunny lawn needs about two inches of water per week during the hotest part of the summer (well, in my area it does). You should check with your local agricultual cooperative to see how much water they say your area needs. Also, if your lawn is shady, make sure it gets less water and DRIES out totally before you water it again.
Next, you should fertalize your lawn with an organic lawn fertalizer that doesn't have weed killer (that's toxic) at least twice a year - in the spring after the last frost and in the fall before the first frost. Mushrooms will have a harder time grow if there's a thick, alive lawn growing.
You can try to find a fungicide that's non-toxic to kids and animals, but I've never been able to find one. They also take repeated applications to work.
Finally, you should patrol your lawn and pick mushrooms weekly or more. This is for the same reason you want to pull dandylions before they go to seed. You don't want them maturing and spreading their spores across the rest of your lawn.
Good luck, I hope you're able to take care of this!