Why Are Mushrooms Growing On My House Plant?

Now, finding mushrooms growing in houseplants isn’t something any of us want to experience. It’s quite the shock! Personally, I’ve only seen this happen to my mum’s plant (I forget which one). I wrongly presumed the worse, and nearly chucked it away!

A mushroom growing in your house plant doesn’t have to be a bad thing to happen. They usually develop due to overwatering or spores in your soil. The good news is that a mushroom growing in your plants doesn’t mean the end for them.

What causes mushroom to grow in plants?

There are many reasons why you now have mushrooms growing in your indoor or outdoor plants. Here are the most common reasons:

You have a rich potting mixture – Mushrooms need rich soil to grow and thrive, as it allows any spores to germinate with ease. You’re actually promoting mushroom growth by plating your plants in rich soil. An easy way to reduce soil richness is to avoid using Miracle Gro Soil and other products that are used in mushroom growing.

You had spores in the soil –It is most likely that you has spores in your plant pot. But how did the spores get there? The spores could have got there at any moment during the supply chain, whether that’s where the plant was originally grown, where the soil was sourced from, during transit, or in the shop.

Are mushrooms dangerous to plants?

No, mushrooms are not dangerous to plants. Mushrooms get their nutrients from decaying matter instead of your plant.

There’s a strong likelihood that the troublesome mushrooms are known asLeucopcoprinus birnbaumii, which are pale yellow mushrooms with underside gills. This type of mushroom creates lots of spores as they grow, so you will likely have many of the mushrooms growing in your plant. They will usually grow more in places with a warmer temperature.

It’s also worth mentioning that mushrooms growing in your soil won’t affect the safety or flavor of your vegetables.

Are plant mushrooms dangerous to me?

Mushroom spores aren’t dangerous to your health. However, they thrive in conditions that are also ideal for mold, so it is wise to make sure you have no mold growing in your house. Some mushrooms are toxic, so avoid eating them. While they can be effective in killing off unwanted insects from your plants, they can be seriously harmful to humans or pets that ingest them. As such, keep your children away from the mushroom infested plants, or remove the mushrooms.

Do I need to get rid of the mushrooms in my plant?

You do not need to get rid of mushrooms in your plant if there are no kids in your home or around the plants.

Mushrooms can be dangerous if they are eaten, so it’s important to keep them away from children, pets, or anyone else who may be tempted to eat a mushroom from your plant. You can get rid of the danger by moving the plant to a different location or removing the mushrooms from the soil.

How do you get rid of mushrooms in plants?

It can be difficult to remove mushrooms from your plant. You see, warmer climates have spores that are highly-present in the air. You could remove the mushrooms, only for them to suddenly appear again.

The best way to remove mushrooms from plants is to remove them from the mushroom stem. People often try to pull from the mushroom cap, which results in the cap falling off. This is my favorite way to remove mushrooms, as they are doing no harm to the plant.

Another way to get rid of plant mushrooms permanently is to start with a fresh pot and soil. You should start by making sure your new pot is free from spores and other contaminations so wash the pot in hot water or bleach it to kill the spores.

You could also use a fungicide on the plant. This involves soaking the soil in the fungicide mixture. However, I am hesitant to recommend this method, as there is a chance that you damage the plant roots.

How to stop mushrooms growing in plants?

There is not much you can do to stop mushrooms growing in plants. You can prevent mushrooms growing in plants by moving the plant away from warm, humid conditions. However, putting your plant somewhere cool may cause damage to the plant. Having said that, here are a few ways to reduce the chance of mushrooms growing:

  • Try not to overwater your plant – Mushrooms thrive in wet environments, so make sure to water your plants slowly. In fact, you can even let the top layer of soil become dry
  • Mushrooms feed on decaying matter, so remove any from your soil to keep it clean
  • Never use un-sterilised garden compost when growing indoor house plants
  • Make your soil less rich by adding perlite

Verdict

To conclude, having mushrooms in your plant is nothing to worry about. You can minimize the chance of mushrooms by not overwatering and by avoiding Miracle Gro Soil. The only thing to remember is that mushrooms can be dangerous if ingested. They should also be kept out of reach children, where they can be even more dangerous.

As a reminder, the mushrooms growing in your plants are due to a fungus. Oh and here’s a fact – the mushroom is the fruit of the fungus! The fungus spores are usually present due to contaminations during the supply chain or from somewhere in your home, like your shoes. Mushrooms thrive in hot, humid conditions, so you will likely have more mushroom in your plants during the summer months.