Controlling the Mushrooms

• 1). Put on work gloves. Pick as many mushrooms from your lawn as you can, and place them in a trash bag. Mow the remaining mushrooms and the grass with a lawnmower.
  
  
• 2). Rake the affected area of the lawn with a sturdy garden rake. Use firm pressure to reach the soil through the grass and thatch. Thatch is dead grass that becomes matted down at the soil level, and it is a food source for the fungus. Remove as much thatch with the rake as possible, and place it into a trash bag.
  
  
• 3). Hold the handle of a rolling, cylinder-style lawn aerator, and push it across the grass where the mushrooms were. Aerators have long, metal spikes that create deep holes in the soil to encourage more air circulation and water drainage. Drained, aerated soil is an unfriendly environment for fungi. Large, heavy aerators are available to rent at some home-improvement stores. However, a small one is probably sufficient to aerate a small area.
  
  
• 4). Decide whether to water and apply fertilizer. Fertilizer and water can feed the fungus, and make it grow. However, they also cause the fungus' organic food source to deteriorate faster. If you choose to water and fertilize, spread low-nitrogen fertilizer on the area, and water in the morning hours to allow excess moisture to dry.
  
  

Removing the Source

• 1). Mark a border around the affected area with biodegradable landscaping spray paint. Dig into the soil with a spade shovel. Remove the mushrooms, grass, thatch and soil inside the border to a depth of 1 foot or deeper. Place the shoveled material into a wheelbarrow. Do not toss the material onto the grass outside the area, as doing so could spread the fungus.
  
  
• 2). Rake the soil inside the border with a garden rake. Apply fungicide to the bare soil according to the manufacturer's directions.
  
  
• 3). Fill the area with fresh topsoil using a shovel. Rake it until it is level with the rest of the yard.
  
  
• 4). Fill a seed spreader with grass seed. Roll the spreader across the new topsoil to cover it with an even layer of seed. Apply fertilizer that is recommended on the seed package. Scatter hay over the grass seed. Water the area using a garden hose with a misting spray attachment to prevent disturbing the new seeds.