Lime's Power: Can It Control Mushrooms?

Lime is often used to control the growth of mushrooms in lawns. It is believed that applying lime to the yard can boost nutrients and encourage healthy lawn growth, making it difficult for mushrooms to sprout. However, some sources suggest that lime does not directly control mushrooms and that they will reappear the following year. While lime can help improve the health of the grass, it does not target the underlying fungus responsible for mushroom growth. Additionally, the effectiveness of lime depends on the pH level of the soil, as lime tends to make the soil more alkaline.

Lime can be used to adjust the pH of soil to control mushrooms

Mushrooms can be a nuisance when they pop up in your yard, but they can be controlled. The ""real" fungus associated with lawn mushrooms, its vegetative body, is often underground, out of sight, in the form of mycelium. Mushrooms can be removed by digging them out or by using fungicides, but these methods can be tedious and ineffective.

Lime can be used to adjust the pH of the soil to control mushrooms. The kind of lime usually added to adjust pH is calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and the carbonate ion part is what raises the pH (makes it more alkaline) by neutralizing acids (hydrogen ions). Lime tends to make the soil more alkaline, which means it has a higher pH. If your soil has a pH of 7.0 or higher, it's not advisable to add lime, as it can further raise the pH levels. However, if the soil test shows a pH of less than 7.0, a lime application can help the grass become healthier and give your lawn better access to nutrients. When your lawn is healthy and full, mushrooms will have little room to grow.

Lime can also be used to pasteurize or sterilize the substrate used for growing mushrooms. Hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide), created when limestone (calcium carbonate) is burned, can effectively sterilize even at a highly dilute concentration. The addition of hydrated lime to the substrate has been shown to promote laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase activities, improving the ability of L. edodes to decompose lignin and provide nutrition for its growth and development.

It is important to note that lime by itself won't rid your lawn of mushrooms. However, you can manually remove the visible portions of the fungi and use lime to help your lawn fill in tightly, preventing mushrooms from poking through the surface. Removing some of the mushroom's food in the thatch layer can also help control the fungi and allow lime applications to work faster.

Lime can be used to sterilise or pasteurise mushroom substrates

The type of lime used for pasteurisation is called hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide), which is created when limestone (calcium carbonate) is burned. It is important to note that not all lime is created equal, and some types will not work for growing mushrooms. The lime used for treating garden soils or buffering substrates is too weak. This type of lime is typically found at garden centres in pellet form or crushed stone. It is usually called calcium carbonate lime, dolomitic lime, garden lime, quicklime, limestone, or chalk. This type of lime will not be effective in raising the pH high enough or fast enough to kill the contamination.

When using lime, it is important to be cautious as it can be hazardous. It can cause rashes and burns if it comes into contact with the skin, respiratory issues if breathed in, and can be especially dangerous if it comes into contact with the eyes. Therefore, it is recommended to wear protective equipment such as gloves, safety glasses, and a mask when handling lime.

Lime can be used to prevent mushrooms from poking through the surface

Mushrooms can be a nuisance when they pop up in your lawn. While lime can be used to prevent mushrooms from poking through the surface, it is not a foolproof method. The ""real" fungus associated with lawn mushrooms, its vegetative body, lurks underground in the form of mycelium. Mushrooms are just the sporocarps of the fungus. Therefore, trying to control lawn mushrooms with fungicides is ineffective as they are designed to stop the spread of fungal diseases that occur on stems and leaves with exposed mycelia.

When using lime to prevent mushrooms, it is important to note that it should be used sparingly in mushroom substrates. Most mushrooms prefer a slightly neutral or alkaline pH level. The type of lime typically used to adjust pH is calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which raises the pH by neutralizing acids. Calcium carbonate lime is derived from limestone, marble, chalk, eggshells, or oyster shells. It acts as a buffer, holding the pH steady as the mushrooms grow.

In addition to calcium carbonate lime, hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) is another option for preventing mushrooms. It is created when limestone (calcium carbonate) is burned. Hydrated lime is often used as a sterilizer or pasteurizer for mushroom substrates. It is crucial to ensure that the hydrated lime has a high calcium content above 90% and a magnesium content that does not exceed 10%.

While lime can help prevent mushrooms by promoting healthy lawn growth and adjusting pH levels, it is not a guaranteed solution. The effectiveness of any lawn mushroom treatment is determined by whether the mushrooms reappear the following year. Therefore, it is essential to combine lime application with other methods, such as manually removing the visible portions of the fungi and dethatching the lawn to reduce the food source for mushrooms.

Lime can be used to remove some of the mushroom's food in the thatch layer

Mushrooms can be a nuisance when they pop up in your lawn. The ""real" fungus associated with lawn mushrooms, its vegetative body, is often underground in the form of mycelium. Mushrooms feed on the thatch layer as it decomposes, and the thatch holds in the moisture mushrooms need.

Lime can be used to control mushrooms by removing some of the mushroom's food in the thatch layer. The thatch layer is a buildup of vegetation such as grass clippings, leaves, and twigs. By applying lime to your yard, you can boost nutrients and encourage lush growth, making it harder for mushrooms to pop up between the blades.

Before applying lime, it is important to test the pH of your soil using a soil testing kit. Lime tends to make the soil more alkaline, which means it has a higher pH. If your soil has a pH of 7.0 or higher, do not add lime as it can further raise the pH levels. However, if the soil test shows a pH of less than 7.0, a lime application can help make the grass healthier and give your lawn better access to nutrients.

In addition to using lime, you can also manually remove the visible portions of the fungi by picking the visible mushroom fruit by hand or running a lawnmower over the mushrooms to cut them down. You can also dethatch your lawn with a mechanical dethatcher to remove the thatch layer that the mushrooms feed on.

Lime can be used to improve the ability of L. edodes to decompose lignin

Lentinula edodes, commonly known as shiitake mushrooms, are grown commercially for food. They are also used as medicinal mushrooms. L. edodes can effectively degrade lignin using a combination of extracellular lignin-degrading enzymes, accessory enzymes, organic acids, and a few mediators.

The pH of mushroom growth substrates is usually adjusted with hydrated lime. However, the effects of hydrated lime on cultivating L. edodes and the molecular mechanisms associated with the effects have not been extensively studied. In a study, L. edodes was cultivated on substrates supplemented with 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2). The addition of hydrated lime promoted laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase activities. This implies that hydrated lime improved the ability of L. edodes to decompose lignin and provide nutrition for its growth and development.

The up-regulated GT genes in the GT1 and GT2 families resulted in more substrate and higher glycosylation activity, possibly strengthening the mycelial cell walls. L. edodes can effectively degrade lignin and cellulose in the growth substrate by secreting large amounts of laccase, lignin peroxidase (LiP), and manganese peroxidase (MnP). The increased activity of these enzymes in the hydrated lime treatments improved the ability to degrade lignocellulose in the cultivation substrate.

The addition of kraft lignin to the liquid nutrient medium of L. edodes increased the mycelium biomass yield by approximately two times compared to reference conditions without lignin. Similar results were obtained when lignocellulose or lignin from wheat straw were added to the nutrient medium. The effect was greater with good aeration compared to static culture.

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