The yellow houseplant mushroom is one of those surprising things you often see in your indoor plants.
This type of mushroom grows in the soil, especially when the conditions are wet and humid in your place.
It is a typical plant fungus that does not harm your houseplant.
However, there are a few things you need to understand when you see this yellow mushroom in your plant.
So, let's learn more about them in the following guide.
What Is Yellow Houseplant Mushroom?
Yellow houseplant mushroom, also known as Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, is a common fungus in potted plants.
It is usually found in greenhouses and indoor places, as the weather conditions are conducive to this fungus's growth.
The fungus is known to grow in tropical and subtropical environments.
If you live in places like Florida, especially South Florida, where the climate conditions are pretty much tropical, you will likely see the yellow mushrooms in some of your potted plants.
The yellow mushroom feeds on the decomposed matter in the soil.
If you have recently added homemade compost or vermicompost to the soil, it could be the reason why you see such mushrooms in the ground.
The mushrooms get their peculiar yellow color from alkaloids called Birnbaumins.
As for consumption, these mushrooms are not similar to the ones we find in vegetable markets or stores.
These are toxic in nature.
Therefore, it's better to avoid them completely.
Should I Remove Yellow Mushrooms From My Pot?
Ideally, there is no need to remove the yellow houseplant mushroom.
As I mentioned in this guide, these mushrooms are not harmful to plants.
They simply grow and complete their lifecycle within a few days, if not more.
The fungus grows in the soil and doesn't spread on the parts of the plants.
In fact, they look pretty around the plant and complement the color of the leaves and soil.
If you like seeing such wonders of nature in your garden, I'm sure you'd want them to last forever.
However, if you don't like these cute mushrooms for some reason, you can surely get rid of them using the methods suggested in the next section.
Important: Even though these yellow houseplant mushrooms look stunning, don't touch them.
If you do, wash your hands with soap.
Also, try to move the pot away from the kids and pets, if possible.
Now, if you don't want to go through so much hassle, clean them off the ground.
How To Get Rid Of Yellow Houseplant Mushroom?
Here is a step-by-step guide to removing yellow fungus from your houseplant -
1. Put The Gardening Gloves On
When you want to remove mushrooms from the soil, you should always wear gloves on your hands.
It not only protects you from them but also makes the digging process much easier.
For this task, try to use the gardening gloves only, as they come with an extra layer of material that can help in gripping the tools.
Note: Once you are done with this whole process, you should rinse the gloves with soap water.
Do not use the same gloves for carrying out any other task in the garden.
It would be best if you cleaned them with soap before reusing them for other tasks.
2. Take The Shovel And Dig Up The Soil Around The Mushrooms
If you want to remove yellow mushrooms from the potted plant, you will need to use some gardening tools for this task.
Generally, it would help if you used a spade or shovel to dig up the soil in your garden.
However, you won't need a full-sized shovel or any such tool when it comes to a small-sized plant container.
For this type of container, you should probably use a mini-shovel or mini-spade.
If you don't have any of these gardening tools, you can also use an old fork or spoon from the kitchen to remove the mushrooms from the soil.
3. Remove The Mushrooms
Once you are ready with the gardening tools, you can start removing the mushrooms from the soil.
Since mushrooms contain the maximum amount of water in their systems, they feel lightweight.
Therefore, it becomes easier to lift them off from the soil.
If they are too many in numbers, work on the small group.
Get rid of them in batches so you won't feel like a tedious task.
Moreover, when you perform this task, make sure you don't hurt the roots of the main plant.
Move your tool slowly inside the soil so that the tender roots don't break into pieces.
4. Discard The Yellow Mushrooms!
Once you are done with the process, you should discard them safely in the bin.
Do not put them in a compost bin, though.
It's better to get rid of them completely.
If you put them in your compost bin, there is a possibility that they may spring up again next season when you use the same compost for your plants.
Note: The mushrooms often grow on the surface of the soil, so you don't have to dig deep.
Simply remove the topsoil, and that should be good enough to clean the surface.
Well, that's it for this task!
As you can see, it's not as difficult as it sounds.
Still, you need to be a bit careful when you dig up the soil and pull them off.
Quick Tip: Whenever you want to perform such tasks, do them in open spaces like the patio or home garden.
Do not perform this task in your room, as it might turn into another additional cleaning task later.
Bonus Tip: Stop Overwatering Your Plant
As you know, most fungi thrive in moist and wet conditions.
When they get the same conditions along with decayed material, they grow rapidly in the soil.
So, stop watering your indoor plants if the soil is already moist.
If you are not sure about the soil conditions, you can get a moisture meter and regularly check your plants' water requirements.
This will significantly prevent the overwatering situation in your houseplants.
Alternatively, you can check the soil surface every 3-4 days.
If the topsoil looks absolutely dry, you can go ahead and water the plant as required.
Note: Do not water your succulent plants a lot, even if the soil appears dry for a few days.
These plants are known to survive in arid conditions, so they won't mind if you neglect them for some time.
Alright now, here are some of the FAQs related to this topic.
Take a look at them if you have any similar queries in your mind.
FAQs
No, the yellow fungus is not bad for plants, as it doesn't spread like other types of fungus.
As suggested above, the mushrooms will grow for a certain period and will not last too long.
So, if you see mushrooms in the garden, you shouldn't be too worried about it.
In fact, the mushrooms growing in the soil are considered an excellent sign for the growth of plants.
It indicates that the soil has enough decomposed material, which can benefit the growth phase of your plants.
There are three reasons why your houseplant gets yellow mushrooms, i.e., humid environment, moist soil, and decomposed material in the soil.
When these conditions are met, you might see yellow, or any other colored mushrooms shoot from the potting soil mixture.
The arrival of mushrooms depends on one more factor, i.e., the spores present in the soil.
If there are no mushroom spores in it, you will not see any such fungi growth around the plant despite the abundance of required elements.
Yes, cinnamon has natural properties to prevent mold growth in the soil.
If you see mold growing in your potting soil, use a dash of cinnamon powder on it and wait a few days to see the magic.
The powder will work effectively and stop invasive growth around the plant.
Alternatively, you can also use cinnamon oil to spray on the affected parts of your plant.
For the spray, you will have to mix the oil with water and soap solution.
This will help in getting rid of mold on your houseplant.
Yes, Baking Soda works well against fungal growth!
You just have to prepare a spray mixture and apply it to the affected parts of the plant or soil.
However, you only need to remember that Baking Soda is alkaline in nature.
So, if you overuse it in the soil, it will affect the acidity levels and create an imbalance in the pH value of the ground.
No, it's not edible, and you shouldn't even think of experimenting with it either.
Over To You
Whenever you see the yellow houseplant mushrooms growing in the pot, it does become quite an attraction in your house.
The beautiful yellow color and the umbrella-like shape make it such a beautiful sight in the garden.
Having said that, you should be a bit careful while handling them in the potted plants.
It may look pretty, but you shouldn't fall for it.
Moving on, if you have any questions or doubts related to this topic, please let me know in the comments below.
Do share this guide with your friends and family if you really liked the information shared in this guide.
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