Hello Jennifer,

Mushrooms are the visible “fruiting body” of a fungus growing beneath the soil surface. The mushrooms are a sign of a decaying process going on in the soil. This could be old tree roots, stumps or even wood that was buried in the soil at some point.

The group of mushrooms by the tree seem to follow a tree root. Was the tree or the roots injured? Is the root dying and fueling the fungus growth? Is it possible that the mushrooms in the lawn are the result of tree roots dying?

Mushrooms are generally more unsightly than a real garden problem. If you have children or pets using the yard, you can break off the mushrooms, rake them up and dispose of them. Otherwise, they will decay and melt away fairly quickly. Dish soap, baking soda and vinegar will not do anything to stop the growth of the fungus. For that matter, nothing will really prevent the mushrooms. The only way to stop this process is to dig up and dispose of the material that is decomposing below the surface of the soil.

Here is a good reference from Purdue: https://ag.purdue.edu/department/btny/ppdl/potw-dept-folder/2022/mushrooms-in-lawn.html

Hope this helps.