Toadstools in Newly Laid Turf: What They Mean & What to Do
Small brown toadstools in fresh turf are a natural part of the turf settling in — not a disease. Learn why they appear, whether they harm your lawn, and when they'll go.
Diagnose the Problem
If small brown toadstools have appeared in turf you laid a few days or weeks ago, it's a common and entirely temporary part of new turf settling in. During harvest, the turf's roots and underground stems are cut and damaged. Bacteria and fungi already present in every soil begin breaking down that dead and dying tissue — and the toadstools are simply the visible, reproductive stage of that natural process. They are not a disease in your new lawn.
Roots damaged at harvest
Lifting turf severs roots and underground growth. The fungi that feed on this dead material are what produce the toadstools.
Warm, damp weather
The fungi only move into their reproductive phase when conditions are warm and moist. Watering new turf provides exactly that microclimate.
Spores are already everywhere
Fungal spores travel on the wind and are present in all soils. They only grow where there's a suitable food source — here, the dying tissue in the turf.
Buried wood or old tree roots
Toadstools in colours other than brown usually mean buried dead wood, such as old tree roots. They appear directly above the decaying wood, and removing the wood stops them.
The Solution
There is nothing to treat. Toadstools in new turf don't damage the grass, and no fungicide is approved for them in the UK. They disappear on their own once the dead material they're feeding on has gone.
Do nothing — they're temporary
The flush normally appears within a few days of laying and lasts a few weeks at most, then stops. Once the dead material in the turf has decomposed, the food source is gone and the toadstools won't return.
Mow or brush them off if you need to
If small children or pets use the lawn, mow the affected area daily until no more appear — keeping the cut at 25mm or higher so the turf isn't damaged — or brush the toadstools over to break the stems. They're mostly water and dry out quickly.
Treat every toadstool as potentially harmful
Without expert identification it's impossible to say whether a toadstool is poisonous, so it's sensible to keep small children away from them — as you would with anything unfamiliar in the garden.
Expect at most one repeat flush
A second brief flush can follow the next spell of warm, damp weather. If turf was laid in the cold, they won't appear until temperatures rise. If decomposition isn't finished before winter, a few more may appear the following year — but repeat flushes after that are very unusual.
Don't confuse them with fairy rings
Fairy rings are a different fungus and a genuine problem on mature lawns. The small brown toadstools in freshly laid turf — usually brown hay caps — are unrelated and have no long-term consequences.
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Once the toadstools have gone, feed your established new turf to help it knit into a thick, even lawn.
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