Tag Archives: Fungus

A fungus is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms which includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified in biology as having their own distinct kingdom, Fungi. This is completely separate from the other life kingdoms of plants and animals.

A fungus is not a plant or animal

Fungi are essential to life. They break down and recycle nutrients in the environment. This enables these nutrients to be available to plants and animals. Fungi are found worldwide.

In a lawn care setting, fungi are essential in maintaining a healthy soil. Fungal mycelium is present all through a healthy soil and provide a valuable link between soil and plants.

Fungus can also be damaging to grass plants. There are several species of fungal diseases which prey on weak grass. Red thread is the most common fungal infection in the UK. It is especially seen in warm, damp summers.

Find out more about fungus and your lawn in these blog pages.

Dog lichen (Peltigera sp.)

This week I was called to a lawn which had been infested with a fantastic specimen of Dog lichen (Peltigera sp.), so in this post I will take a closer look at this fascinating, almost alien-looking species which finds its way onto very neglected lawns. Black slime on my lawn? Dog lichen is an extremely curious-looking organism. It… Read More »

Is your lawn infected with rust disease?

Recently, I have observed one or two of cases of my maintained lawns becoming infected with lawn rust disease. So I thought I’d explain a little about this disease and why grass in the UK is currently susceptible to this common infection. What is rust disease? Sometimes known as leaf rust or lawn rust, rust disease is a… Read More »

Why do I have mushrooms growing on my lawn?

I am often asked about mushrooms growing on lawns. So in this post I’ll try to explain a little about these mysterious organisms. Why do they seem to appear out of nowhere? Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungus that live on and in the soil. Toadstool is the old common name for poisonous mushrooms, but toadstools are… Read More »