Mushrooms in potting mix

[aquietpath]

Originally Posted by thedwightguy

What kinds of mushrooms? If they're commercial (there are 29 different kinds) your potting mix could have some spent greenhouse mushroom spawn. Due to the dark and heat in the mushroom grow room it's usually inert and without issues.

Peat does hold way too much water for most plants, though.

Mushrooms are small, gray and start out pointed, then open to the size of a quarter and grow 1.5" tall. I have never seen anything resembling them in the grocery store, but have seen them growing wild in the woods.

I'm surprised Hyponex would use spent mushroom spawn in their mix because of the risk of developing mushrooms in potted plants.

[J&Em]

All or nearly all potting soils contain spent growing medium from mushroom farming, not the spawn (the term spawn in mushroom culture is the equivalent of seed packages for growing flats of plants). This means that the occasional spores will survive the composting/heating/ pH adjusting of the soil making process. If you spend some google time you'll find complaints just like yours with Miracle Gro potting soil. Both are made by the same company anyway since Scotts and Miracle Gro have been one company since 1995.

There is nothing wrong with having a mushroom or two pop up but it may indicate over-watering as it takes damp conditions for a while for any spores to develop into mushrooms. This is what Nitram already stated.

If having a mushroom or two to pull out of the soil really bothers you then go through a little extra work and sterilize it before you use it with any of these methods: Start Seed and Transplants in Sterilized Soil

You can also make your own soil with recipes like these:
Potting Soil Recipes - Fine Gardening Article

Potting Soil Recipe for Annuals - Fine Gardening Video

[thedwightguy]

the little brown ones in the cowpies with little nipples are the illegal ones, by the way.

[Lisa105]

I just repotted my house plants. A few days ago with miracle grow potting soil. And now mushrooms are growing out of the soil with the house plants. Are the plants going to die should I remove them from this potting soil?

[OwlKaMyst]

Mushrooms will not kill your plants.
Mushrooms do not have a root system. Usually volunteer plants that kill, kill because the roots strangle the other plants roots, or fight for nutrients.