I posted previously with my freaking out about toadstools in my flower beds. My fears were put to rest. But now, they are in my vegetable beds. Isn't this a bad thing?? Does it mean my vegis will be infested with fungus? They are different than the ones previously in my flower beds. They are very small with white heads. They are EVERWHERE. Colonies of them all over the place. My 11yo dd and I were picking them out individually but it takes forever. Should I worry? I know I might be watering too much, but it's hard to tell; I water in the morning, and then by the afternoon everything is all dry again (it's been very hot here) and so I water again. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them besides hand pick them every day? They seem to especially crop up around the bamboo stakes I have for the tomato plants, and around the wooden popsicle sticks I have as plant markers.
Toadstools in Vegi Beds!
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Hi, Mama Lori--
Fear not! The mushrooms popping up in your garden will not harm your vegetables, and in fact may be HELPING them to grow by breaking down nutrients in the soil that plants cannot normally break down themselves.
Despite what many people have been taught, mushrooms are not evil, and in fact, have been much maligned throughout history. They are really fascinating, incredible organisms that play a vital role in the regulation of our ecosystems.
I asked my husband, who studies mushrooms, about your concerns, and he said not to worry about it. You may be inadvertently creating more mushrooms by picking them, as you are helping the shroom to release its spores (like tiny seeds). If you leave them alone, they will likely start to disappear. If they don't, don't worry. They will not adversely affect your vegetables. As noted above, they may even be helping your vegetables grow.
If you want, send me a picture, and I can ask my husband to identify your garden lurkers.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Karen
Fear not! The mushrooms popping up in your garden will not harm your vegetables, and in fact may be HELPING them to grow by breaking down nutrients in the soil that plants cannot normally break down themselves.
Despite what many people have been taught, mushrooms are not evil, and in fact, have been much maligned throughout history. They are really fascinating, incredible organisms that play a vital role in the regulation of our ecosystems.
I asked my husband, who studies mushrooms, about your concerns, and he said not to worry about it. You may be inadvertently creating more mushrooms by picking them, as you are helping the shroom to release its spores (like tiny seeds). If you leave them alone, they will likely start to disappear. If they don't, don't worry. They will not adversely affect your vegetables. As noted above, they may even be helping your vegetables grow.
If you want, send me a picture, and I can ask my husband to identify your garden lurkers.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Karen
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We are having the same problem here in the potato bed mostly.(Still okay, no harm with tubers?) But they are kind of everywhere. That is just where they are the worst. It's been raining alot and humid. Not sure if our toadstools are the same kind as yours...ours are tiny! And lots of them! I kept meaning to come over here and post...and just finally got here. We used to hunt morels when I was a kid, but any other kind of mushroom/toadstool kind of gives me the willies...especially in with my veggies.
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: I don't know how to use the digital camera yet, so no pics...just hoping fungii in the garden are a good thing in general? Thanks! tinybutterfly
Ours are tiny too. I know what you mean - gives me the heebie jeebies too.
But, I used to get them in my flower beds, and when Chanley told me not to worry about it, I stopped digging them out, and I found that if I just left them there, the afternoon sun would make them shrivel up and disappear. Now I don't get them at all anymore in the flower beds. So I will try the same thing in vegi beds and see what happens.
I love it when the recommended solution is "do nothing"!
But, I used to get them in my flower beds, and when Chanley told me not to worry about it, I stopped digging them out, and I found that if I just left them there, the afternoon sun would make them shrivel up and disappear. Now I don't get them at all anymore in the flower beds. So I will try the same thing in vegi beds and see what happens.
I love it when the recommended solution is "do nothing"!
Oh, I'm so sad that everyone is so freaked out by mushrooms!
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Don't be concerned. The mushrooms growing with your tubers should not be causing any problem. Generally, as long as your gardens are well-kept, any mushrooms popping up in them should be harmless (or may even be helpful). Fungi that produce a mushroom (and not all fungi do) aren't generally parasitic, so there's really no need for alarm if you see them there. They're not trying to kill or infest your crops. Take it as a compliment that they just like how your keeping your dirt!
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Fungi that are pathogenic on plants are usually microscopic or near-microscopic but make their presence known by somehow discoloring or otherwise physically affecting your crops.
I'm glad you gals are asking these questions. Forgive my nerdiness. (I joked with another poster that when I get to 1,000 posts I should call myself: "Advocate for the fair and equal treatment of fungi.")
:LOL
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Best of luck with your gardens!
K
Don't be concerned. The mushrooms growing with your tubers should not be causing any problem. Generally, as long as your gardens are well-kept, any mushrooms popping up in them should be harmless (or may even be helpful). Fungi that produce a mushroom (and not all fungi do) aren't generally parasitic, so there's really no need for alarm if you see them there. They're not trying to kill or infest your crops. Take it as a compliment that they just like how your keeping your dirt!
Fungi that are pathogenic on plants are usually microscopic or near-microscopic but make their presence known by somehow discoloring or otherwise physically affecting your crops.
I'm glad you gals are asking these questions. Forgive my nerdiness. (I joked with another poster that when I get to 1,000 posts I should call myself: "Advocate for the fair and equal treatment of fungi.")
:LOL
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Best of luck with your gardens!
K
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12,915 Posts
Mama Lori I love the "do nothing" advice,too! Kharen, my husband usually gets sterilized top soil and this year he got lots of bags of organic topsoil(there are woodchips in it) , so maybe they do like our dirt.
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It is kind of sad to be freaked out by fungii...maybe there should be Society for the Education of People Who are Freaked Out by Fungii.
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There could be t-shirts that read Fungii are Your Friends! Toadstools are Terriffic! Mushrooms Matter! Okay, I'll stop now. I do like it when fairy rings show up in my yard. They are charming...I've just never had any fungii in my veggies before. Am trying to take a big breath and calm doooowwwnnn. Glad you and your husband are educated about this because when I tried to look on the internet, I couldn't find anything about whether they were harmful in a veggie bed and if it was okay to eat the veggies who had been cohabitating with fungii.
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: There is no hotline for questions like this. LOL! Thanks! tinybutterfly
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Ha! Those are great! Believe it or not, I think shirts like this probably pop up all the time at the conferences my husband goes to. I'll have to ask him about that!
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Take care and let me know if you have any other questions! (Oh, and, spread the message ... fear not the fungi!)
K
| Society for the Education of People Who are Freaked Out by Fungii. There could be t-shirts that read Fungii are Your Friends! Toadstools are Terriffic! Mushrooms Matter! |
Take care and let me know if you have any other questions! (Oh, and, spread the message ... fear not the fungi!)
K
I went out this morning and sure enough there were large colonies of them all over the vegi bed, far more than yesterday. I resisted the urge to yank them out, and just left them there. It still really freaked me out! I couldn't even look at the garden all day! But the afternoon sun made them all disappear. For now. Ha! I'm sure they'll be back tomorrow. I got some decent pictures, will send soon Kharen.
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Fear not the Fungii!!! All I can hear in my head now is the tune from that old Blue Oyster Cult song...Don't Fear the Reaper, except they are singing Don't Fear the Fungii!!!
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Spreading the message through music would work...we could start a band...Kharen, does your husband, the mycologist, sing? bye! tinybutterfly (who now has that song with alternate lyrics stuck in her head!) P.S. Mama Lori am looking forward to your pics.
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Ha! Tinybutterfly, that's great Now it's stuck in my head, too. I saw that there are a few wonderful lyricists over in the TTC threads that rework popular songs as odes to the challenges of TTC. Maybe the Diggin' in the Earth thread needs some songs of its own now!
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He's pretty good with bass. I am actually a wanna-be rock star, so I can take the vocals and guitar. If you can handle the percussion, I think we're all set!
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[now, if I only had a little mushroom icon ... oh well]
Take care,
K
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| Spreading the message through music would work...we could start a band...Kharen, does your husband, the mycologist, sing? |
Take care,
K
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ROCK ON!!! ( not shouting, just very exhuberant!)
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I'm afraid I am musically challenged in the talent department, but can I play a tambourine with ribbons on it? tinybutterfly ( I can draw, so I could make up posters) P.S. Going on vacation, so can't join the band until I get back.
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