Mushroom Gardening Concerns Grow in UK

Christina Thompson (Anchor, EarthxNews): A boom in growing mushrooms at home in the UK has some plant experts concerned.

According to top level gardeners in the country, fears are rising that the popular practice could lead to a biodiversity disaster. Scientists explain non-native mushrooms grown in gardens or disposed of in compost heaps could become invasive and decimate local ecosystems.

Researchers add the exotic fungi could end up spreading through the soil, altering the microbiology and become almost impossible to get rid of.

Previously popular garden plants that have ended up becoming invasive, harming homes and the environment include the Japanese knotweed and bamboo. Experts suggests when buying mushroom growing kits, growers should plant species that are native to the UK, such as oyster mushrooms and coral tooth fungus so they don’t spread and damage the local environment.