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Mushrooms
Sue Manton
Posts: 2
in Talkback
I have 2 large raised beds in my front garden underneath a huge oak tree. They are used for annuals and perennials. - nothing edible but periodically a huge number of cream mushrooms take over! I fig them up then dig into the soil and add chicken manure and sterilised top soil. We do have a huge amount of rain in a Norfolk which may be responsible! Any experience / suggestions please to save my sanity?
Sue Manton
0
Posts
Hi Sue and welcome! Mushrooms/toadstools break down woody matter and are nothing to worry about. I wouldn't recommend eating them unless you are 100% sure of identification but they won't poison the soil or any crops which you grow; very few mushrooms are deadly poisonous but many will give you an upset stomach. In fact, without fungi we would all be several metres deep in dead leaves and twigs as fungi break most of these down and return the goodness to the soil for plants to re-use.
If they're the ordinary field or horse mushroom (Agaricus campestris or A. bisporus) you have an extra crop. Some people can identify them but they don't necessarily follow the same rules as ducks.
Thanks guys! I feel better now!