What to do about mushrooms in the lawn

Mushrooms growing in lawns and landscapes have become a common sight this spring. This is mainly due to the amount of moisture we have received during the month of May. While their presence can be a source of concern, most lawn mushrooms are not related to turf disease. It’s important to know that the fungi that produces mushrooms is always present in the soil your lawn is growing in. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the various fungi living in the soil.  When there’s enough moisture, the fungus blooms, producing the mushrooms we’re seeing now.  Mushrooms are basically fungal flowers, looking to reproduce by releasing spores (think flower pollen) into the air. While different varieties of fungi produce different fruit forms, the fruiting body typically consists of a cap and a stem.

Common lawn and garden mushrooms are white with domed caps. Brown as well as orange-colored mushrooms may also appear.  

 

The fruiting body is a small portion of the larger fungal life cycle. Known as mycelium, the main component of the mushroom organism remains active underground, forming an intricate root system of tiny threads called mycorrhizal networks. 

Mushroom mycelium are decomposers. They break down dead and decaying organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, thatch, and old roots.  If there is organic material available, the fungal system will continue to grow, and mushrooms will emerge again as soon as the growing conditions are right. In addition, it’s important to note that through this decomposing process, the mycelium network helps increase the nutrient availability, which helps your grass grow.  

What should you do about mushrooms growing in your lawn? Nothing. They’ll often disappear as quickly as they appeared.  Using fungicides is not recommended. Fungicides will not eliminate mushrooms. If the mushrooms really bother you, put on a pair of gloves and pick them up or use a broom to knock them down and then dispose of them.  

 

 

 

Now’s The Time to Plant Dahlias

 

Dahlias are one of the easiest and most spectacular flowers you can grow. Planted in the garden or in containers on the patio, dahlias will flower continuously from mid-summer to the first frost. Dahlias are available in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes, including ball dahlias, decorative and dinner-plate dahlias and cactus dahlias.

All told, there are fourteen distinct groups of dahlias. Dahlias are planted from tubers, generally in late May through early June. This is when the soil temperature is warm enough to safely plant your tubers. A good rule of thumb is to plant dahlias at the same time you'd plant tomatoes, when the soil temperature has reached 60 degrees F. Dahlias love the sun, so pick a place in the garden that gets the most sun during the day.  Dahlias will grow in an area where there is some shade, but the plants will be taller, and you’ll typically get fewer flowers.

When you open the package, your dahlias come in, you’ll find one or two eyes on the tuber. Sometimes you’ll find the tuber has begun to sprout. That’s okay. It’s still good to plant.

Dahlias do best in slightly acidic soils. Since our Colorado soils tend to be higher in pH or more alkaline, adding organic materials will help make the soil more acidic and improve the drainage. Plan to add 3" to 4" of organic Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost to the existing soil 8" to 10" deep. 

Once you’ve prepared your soil, add a handful of Bone Meal or Dutch Bulb Food and work it in a little before you plant your tubers.  The package your dahlia tubers came in can provide valuable information about your dahlia, including height.

Large dinner plate dahlias can easily reach 4' in height. Flower stalks this tall need to be staked. It’s best to place the stake when you plant your tubers. Set the tuber in the hole with the “eyes” or stalk pointed up. Next, set the stake near an eye or the stalk. Cover the tuber with soil and water deeply. As the stalk grows, tie it loosely to the stake to give it support. To do their best, dahlias need to be fed and watered regularly.

Dahlias don’t need a lot of Nitrogen, but they do need Phosphorous and Potash, so select a fertilizer with numbers like 5-10-5 or 7-8-5. Plan to fertilize every 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) after you plant them. Water your dahlias deeply, twice a week.

During the season, dahlias will provide forage for pollinators. Dahlias will not survive our winters, so you can elect to dig them up in the fall and store them or simply treat them as annuals and plant new tubers every spring. 

 

 

Tomato Planting Advice

 

 
As May’s weather begins to moderate and the storms dissipate it’s time to start thinking about planting tomatoes. Tomatoes (and peppers) are warm weather crops, so temperature is an important factor when it comes to deciding when to plant. Tomatoes will do best if you wait until the nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 50° F and the soil temperatures are above 55° F before you plant. This year particularly, the soil moisture level must also factor into the “when to plant” decision.  Wet, soggy soil does not present the best conditions for establishing plants. An easy way to determine if soil is ready for planting is to grab a handful and squeeze it. If the soil crumbles like a cupcake when you open your fist, it’s okay to plant in. If it stays compacted, then it’s better to wait a little longer before you dig in the garden.  

Once the temperatures moderate, the soil dries out and your tomato plants have hardened off sufficiently, it’s time to plant.  To get the best from your tomato plants this year, pick the sunniest spot in the garden. Your tomato plants need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day; 8 hours a day is better. 

Choose a spot where you didn’t grow tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplant last year. Rotating your crops every year reduces the potential for diseases such as leaf spot, blight and wilt. 

If you don’t have enough space to rotate your crops, consider planting tomatoes in containers this season and plant a soil building crop such as peas and oats or winter rye where you grew tomatoes last year. Keeping the garden covered through the season will protect the soil structure and microbiome.  

 

To get the best harvest, it’s important to provide adequate space between tomato plants. Determinate tomatoes should be planted 24 to 30 inches apart. For indeterminate varieties, allow 36 inches between plants.   

Tomato plants have adventitious root systems. This means that the tomato plant can produce roots all along its stem. Trench-planting tomatoes places roots closer to the surface, in the soil’s warm zone. Tomato plants will develop more roots and the roots will stay warmer through the course of the growing season. Warmer, larger roots will give you more tomatoes.  

 

First, lay the plant on its side in the sun for a day or two. The top will curl up, making it easier to fit in the trench. While the plant is adjusting to being on its side, dig a trench about five to six inches deep and long enough to accommodate your tomato plant. You can add a small amount of Happy Frog Tomato and Vegetable granular fertilizer to the bottom of the trench, then cover it with soil. This is to ensure none of the fertilizer comes in direct contact with the tomato plant roots.  

When it's ready, place your tomato plant in the trench and add enough soil to bury the stem. When you get to the top of the tomato, gently build up the soil until the top of the tomato is upright.  

Please note, if you are growing grafted tomatoes, they need to be planted straight down, while making sure the graft point at the soil line. 

 

Now that your tomato is planted, build a moat around each plant and water. It’s important to avoid watering your tomato plants overhead. It’s better to irrigate slowly at the base of the plant, and a moat will help assure your plants get watered deeply. Not watering consistently and deeply can lead to many problems including Blossom End Rot and cracking. Watering inconsistently can also cause the flowers to drop and the fruit not to set. Starting your tomato plants out right will lead to better yields this season.