Yes, I had a number of little mushrooms growing at the start. The puffball on the plant was what made me concerned however. It was spreading from the hay onto the thyme. I didn't want to use the thyme because I had no idea of the toxicity of the puffball. And, if I do it again this year do I need to do some sort of "fungicide" around the dead bales to prevent it from happening again?
I thought the point of hay bale gardening was to have a "warm and wet" growing zone. (sigh) I'm so bad at this!
“I thought the point of hay bale gardening was to have a “warm and wet” growing zone.”
Well, it is, but it also sets you up for fungal issues.
I would say that the thyme had some other fungal issue - like powdery mildew. I’ve not known mushroom-like spores to grow on anything other than hay, wood mulch or something rotting in the woods like a fallen tree.
I wouldn’t use a fungicide; just watch for the mushrooms and pluck them off when you see them. They won’t hurt you, but I probably wouldn’t eat them. ;)
And I’m assuming you’re using STRAW bales. HAY is what animals eat, STRAW is for bedding and using in Straw Bale Gardening.
If you truly ARE using HAY, then that could be the problem, as it breaks down differently than STRAW and holds more moisture.
Hay and straw can be confusing - unless you’re a farmer. ;)
You should be using STRAW bales, not HAY bales, so change that this season if that’s the case.
I use TONS of straw on my garden as mulch. I’ve even used baled soybean stems with no problems. Hay goes to the mule and the steer for lunch. :)
One option would be to inoculate the hay on purpose. You’d still have mushrooms growing on them, but you’d know it was a safe type of mushroom. “King Stropharia” is a good mushroom for that. It not only loves growing in hay and straw, it also forms symbiotic relationships with some vegetable species, making the plants healthier and stronger.