Mushroom in my lettuce!

So I went out to my garden this morning, and what do you think I saw? A huge white mushroom growing up between my lettuce plants. It wasn't there yesterday, but today it's about three inches tall and two inches across.

I'll admit that I keep the soil really moist for the lettuce, because I put it (without thinking) into a really sunny spot in the yard. But I didn't think keeping the soil moist would produce shrooms! Of course, we actually live in such a wet area that shrooms are a common sight in our yard, but still, in my garden?

Is this a bad sign? I also mulch around the lettuce because it wilts in the heat of the sun if I don't. Should I take out the mulch? The lettuce seems happy and healthy.

I also had 'shrooms pop up after that rain we had the other day. I am not worried about it. It is not a bad sign that you have mushrooms, they are everywhere. Just don't eat them unless you know what species they are. I would leave the mulch as the lettuce seems to like it. Happy Gardening!

Is there a special square foot mushroom?
One of my boxes (the one in partial shade) has had lots and lots of them. The funny thing is that they look just like yours

I also have found a few mushrooms popping up in my beds - I was thinking that maybe it was from the mushroom compost that I used?

That looks like some of my back yard because of this cranky weather.

nichole wrote:I also have found a few mushrooms popping up in my beds - I was thinking that maybe it was from the mushroom compost that I used?

Mmm. I think the mushroom compost must give passing spore a nice welcome. I just think it is funny how similar they look given the distance between us (not to mention the Atlantic ocean!). I mean, these are not mushroom like the ones they grow in the compost which we use - I would call these toadstools myself

I'm having tiny mushrooms sprout among my lettuce seedlings as well. I don't worry about it, just pull them out.
To keep them from too much sun, I use clothes hangers with cheesecloth across the tented hangars held in place with clothespins. It keeps them shaded enough to so sun doesn't make them bolt too quickly.

Here's some of my lettuces and spinach under cheesecloth tents.

Well I'm glad I'm not alone! Since I posted that picture, I've been getting the little shrooms all over the garden. In my peppers, under my beans, among my squash. I think it's the wet weather we've been having. They're all the same kind except the ones under the squash, which are smaller and sturdier. I've just been pulling them out when I find them.

I have found mushrooms too and it is always in the shadiest part of the garden. What with planting everything so close, I think it is inevitable - shade and water; mushrooms love it.

Ok, so these were closer to my arugula (and some weeds) than my lettuce, but they are still nifty mushrooms:
They belong to the Lepiota genus. I suspect they are Lepiota cristata, also known as the Stinking Dapperling, but they are too old to be sure of their exact species identity. 

I have all sorts of mushrooms all over my gardens. I thought it was a sign of a healthy environment so I leave them alone. Several of these posts mention pulling them out. Why? They only last a few days and then they're gone. Am I missing something?

countrynaturals wrote:I have all sorts of mushrooms all over my gardens. I thought it was a sign of a healthy environment so I leave them alone. Several of these posts mention pulling them out. Why? They only last a few days and then they're gone. Am I missing something?

Yes, it means your soil is undisturbed enough that the part of the fungus that is underground has been able to get big/strong enough to form fruit (i.e. the mushrooms, with the spores being the 'seeds' of the fruit.) I even got some mushrooms in my compost tumbler when I hadn't tumbled it in awhile. Mushrooms in the garden make me happy. Diversity of life in my garden makes me think I'm doing a good job of gardening with the environment instead of against it.

I guessed it was just that people don't like how they look (or are worried they may be dangerous -- which is somewhat possible if one has children or pets in the garden that would eat them.) The big ones can get in the way of proper SFG spacing on occasion, or can shade small seedlings. Pulling the mushrooms doesn't do much. People think the mushroom is the 'plant', and the part underground is the roots, but that's not how it goes - the analogy I've seen is that picking mushrooms is like picking the fruit off a tree - the 'tree' is still there, but underground.

 Beetles. That's what I thought, but I have been wrong before on rare occasions.

I have mushrooms in my compost, especially the leaves.  I like them !  Also in the pine bark mulch in my milkweed beds and perennial bed.