Copyright The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Q: All summer we have had an infestation of nasty stinkhorn mushrooms in our mulch beds. We see the little mushroom balls that eventually bloom into odorous glory. These are not great for entertaining guests on the patio. My understanding is the only remedy is to remove all the mulch and scrape the topsoil … and then start over with a different kind of mulch. — Mark Testerman, Canton A: I think the recommendation to scrape the mulch and topsoil is excessive. You don’t have to replace the mulch unless the stinkhorn balls are found throughout. The way to eliminate stinkhorns and have a more pleasant patio environment is to keep the mulch dry. A good way to dry out mulch is to rake it a few times with a leaf rake. If it’s being irrigated, stop until we have a freeze and it gets too cold for the mushrooms to develop.
