Are mushrooms growing in your pots a bad sign? (see pic)

[JakeFruit]

One of my potted mangoes is seeing a ton of mushroom activity.


Over a month ago I used one of those Mycorrhizal soil additives on most my potted plants (including this one). Didn't notice anything (definitely no explosive growth) in any of the pots. Around two weeks ago I noticed the soil in the pot pictured was getting clumpy, when I broke the clumps there was a white, moldy-looking substance causing the clumping. I thought this was the Mycos, but then the mushrooms started. The first round was a powdery yellow mushroom; a few of those were actually on/touching the tree. I didn't like how that looked, so I pulled all those out. Overnight all these new ones appeared. They are even blooming from the holes in the sides of the pot. None of the other potted trees are having this issue, even though they were potted with the same mix and are right next to this pot. None of the other pots I put the Mycos in are exhibiting the white, clumpy soil, either. The tree seems fine, at this point. It's pushed growth twice this season (before these mushrooms appeared).

Anybody seen this before? Mushrooms have nearly always been a bad thing (excepting my college years), in my experience. Should I be pulling them and treating the soil?

[BayAreaMicroClimate]

I’ve never had problems with mushrooms in pots and the mycorrhiza should help everything be symbiotic. The mushrooms that kill trees usually only kill trees that are already dying. I grow oyster mushrooms and they have never killed any of my trees. I think generally mushrooms that grow on the tree specifically are only going to go after larger trees that are already decaying. Usually I find the mushrooms that grow in pots usually die off the next day or so

[BayAreaMicroClimate]

In fact I actually had an edible morel mushroom in a pot with dragonfruit and a black nightshade berry plant. Morel mushrooms are always welcome to any of my potted plants!! It was delicious and also so were the berrys growing in the same pot

[bsbullie]

In fact I actually had an edible morel mushroom in a pot with dragonfruit and a black nightshade berry plant. Morel mushrooms are always welcome to any of my potted plants!! It was delicious and also so were the berrys growing in the same pot

Do you get morels wild in your area?  Doesnt look 100% like a morel.

[BayAreaMicroClimate]

Yes I do get them wild but I also release spores into my yard. Yes the photo look deformed but I ate it and it was hollow inside and I found them around my in ground cherimoya trees as well. Winecap mushrooms also eat the woodchips and do not damage any of the trees

In fact I actually had an edible morel mushroom in a pot with dragonfruit and a black nightshade berry plant. Morel mushrooms are always welcome to any of my potted plants!! It was delicious and also so were the berrys growing in the same pot

Do you get morels wild in your area?  Doesnt look 100% like a morel.

[toadshade]

Wow.  What a bonus to have a morel in your growing pots!  You had me worried.  All I saw from the small original photo was that smaller mushroom which looks like it could be a Galerina (sp?) which can be poisonous.  The original post photo looks like it could be a type of Lepiota.  But any mushrooms in flower pots would be beneficial for the most part(to a point).  I always enjoy it when I see some mushrooms, especially the Lepiota Lutea which is bright yellow.  And for obvious reasons called the flower pot mushroom.

[BayAreaMicroClimate]

Yes I forgot the morel was growing along with the orange fungus. I’ve also had a yellow fungus in my greenhouse. Common name “ Plantpot dapperling” Did no damage to my potted guava but it didn’t come back once I moved the guava out of the greenhouse.

Wow.  What a bonus to have a morel in your growing pots!  You had me worried.  All I saw from the small original photo was that smaller mushroom which looks like it could be a Galerina (sp?) which can be poisonous.  The original post photo looks like it could be a type of Lepiota.  But any mushrooms in flower pots would be beneficial for the most part(to a point).  I always enjoy it when I see some mushrooms, especially the Lepiota Lutea which is bright yellow.  And for obvious reasons called the flower pot mushroom.

[brian]

I've had mushrooms in containers without issue.  And I occasionally see from huge blobby and yellow-powdery fungus on my greenhouse floor.

[JakeFruit]

Yes I forgot the morel was growing along with the orange fungus. I’ve also had a yellow fungus in my greenhouse. Common name “ Plantpot dapperling” Did no damage to my potted guava but it didn’t come back once I moved the guava out of the greenhouse.

These look a lot like the first yellow ones I found in the pot, stem seems thicker, but very similar in color.

[Finca Loco]

Doubt it. Most fungi that make a mushroom are fungi that eat decaying wood (xylophagous fungus), not living wood. If anything it may indicate you had a cellulose rich substrate, it's breaking down, volume of substrate may be shrinking soon.

[Fygee]

Just a sign of healthy soil and dead, woody material breaking down. Only negative is it can sometimes indicate an over abundance of watering, but that's rare and situational.

Remember not to handle them barehanded or eat them unless you're absolutely, 100% sure you know what variety it is. You only have to be wrong once to never have the chance to be wrong again.

[JakeFruit]

Thanks for the comments and reassurances. I put a top-dressing of finished compost in the pots a few months ago, it did have some woody material, the mushrooms must be feasting on that. Still strange it's only happening in one pot when all the compost came out of the same bag.

[toadshade]

That mushroom above is the Lepiota Lutea I was talking about.  They grow on the composted wood.  Not going to hurt you or your plants unless you eat them directly.  I have heard they are poisonous to the extent of stomach upset but that's all.  Pretty to look at.  I think they were recently reclassified but I am sticking to my old name until it matters.

[JakeFruit]

I'm a fan of mushrooms, but no way no how am I eating any I find in the wild. Living in Florida, I assume most everything growing wild is poisonous, it's the safest course.

[cassowary]

Amazing!
They help to break down the dead plant cells that are present in your potting mix and making your potting mix better I would say.
Could maybe put some oyster mycelium in next time

[1rainman]

I'm a fan of mushrooms, but no way no how am I eating any I find in the wild. Living in Florida, I assume most everything growing wild is poisonous, it's the safest course.

Yeah everything in Florida is poinoius except the hallucinagenic mushrooms that grow in cow manuer. There aren't any food type mushrooms that grow in Florida- or if they are they are rare because my cousin had all the mushrooms checked that were growing in her yard in florida one time- they are all poisonous.

[TylerTheTrout]

Purple Ringers 

[JakeFruit]

Purple Ringers 

Do you think so? They definitely aren't anything I've seen locally before. The purple ringers I *might* have picked in cow fields when I was much younger didn't look at all like these.

[pagnr]

I have had problems with pine bark mixes based on uncomposted pine bark fines. Mycelium totally took over, grey white threads throughout and yellow toadstools sprouted.
It took several years to calm down until fungus got in balance. If I remember, might have been some water repellence problems with the mix.

[JakeFruit]

I've been using bags and bags of pine bark fines this season, but the pot with the mushrooms is from a season when all I had access to was nuggets. There are many pots with the exact same mix from that season, only this one has the 'shrooms. I'm using RootBuilder pots, this particular pots has mushrooms growing out of holes midway down the pot, as well. The Sweet Tart tree seems happy, but now I have new types of fungus growing in it. I'm hoping we get some relief from the rain here, we've been getting an almost-daily downpour for weeks.