I have this strange fungus under my rotodendrum(sp) that was white last week and is mostly black now. Hubby wouldn't touch it and I am very allergic to mold and have high levels of mold mycotoxins in my blood from exposure to a few bad molds so maybe it is making me paranoid. Hubby has a disc problem so we have a lawn guy (don't know if he knows anything really except mowing). However, they are coming to prune the bushes, mulch and weed and I am afraid that fungus will be thrown in the wheelbarrow with the clippings and then after the spores go all over the new mulch will be put in the wheelbarrow and I will have my spores back.
I even think that if I don't ask them to remove it that it will just be mulched over with the new stuff. Only 1 speaks English so would I appear stupid and annoying to give him a ziplock freezer bag and ask him to put the whatever it is in there and take it away.......or, am I overreacting. It is about 2 or 3 inches and an odd shape. Perhaps mulch fungus is not harmful.
Please if anyone knows out there please let me know. Thanks much
Indicating what Country you are gardening in as well as which state would be a really big help. Even bigger help would be if you could post photos.
Read this thread please and see what you think-
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8031
Now google for Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa and see if that's what you have.
Read this thread please and see what you think-
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8031
Now google for Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa and see if that's what you have.
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Charlie MV
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Sorry, I'm from Massachusetts. It definitely is not yellow and it was white but now is black. May have looked like Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa but did not get too close because of my health problems including bad immune system - had cancer.
Whatever it is - could it be bad and how do I get lawn guys to dispose properly so it doesn't spread???? esp. the language barrier.
Thanks.
Whatever it is - could it be bad and how do I get lawn guys to dispose properly so it doesn't spread???? esp. the language barrier.
Thanks.
Congratulations on being a cancer survivor! Way to go suggi!
Good news for you, you probably have a slime mold. I'm allergic to molds. mildew, etc. and don't have any problems with slime molds. I know the word mold is in the common name but slime molds aren't fungi. They're not a mold or a fungus!
Better information here to enable you to share your allergy and/or immune system concerns with your doctor(s)-
https://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2004/winter/features/lowsociety/index.html
To the best of my knowledge, you have no reason to worry about having to give your landscapers special directions at all. Slime molds are "harmless and are integral components of the decomposition process" and they are friend not foe in a garden setting.
From the other thread-
"please know that slime molds don't harm plants. They are not even close to being classified as a turf or garden pest but are actually classified as a beneficial. In other words, these beneficial organisms are highly desirable in a garden setting because of their invaluable contributions- they are decomposers. They may very well be disgusting to some but they're presence is actually a sign of a healthy ecosystem." I've always been of the opinion that a healthy ecosystem is a good thing for people with compromised immune systems.
And also from the other thread-
"If one sees these types of slime molds, best to leave them be because chances are good they have appeared for a reason and are Mother Nature's way of dealing with fungi that can be injurious to plants."
Also from the other thread I posted a link to-
"Here's the deal, slime molds are saprophytes. They feed on decaying matter. They pretty much only crawl up on mulch when they're ready to reproduce. That means you've probably got millions of tiny spores (seeds) that were already released in that area and they're all on the equivalent of a slime mold smörgasbord. If you stressed the slime mold and it didn't produce spores, it would have formed a sclerotium which is a rather unique form of reproduction that has the capacity to reproduce exponentially."
If you feel comfortable with its unsightliness knowing that slime molds are harmless for all practical purposes, it should be ok to just have your landscapers turn it under. But always best to check with your doctors if you have any reservations at all and I certainly find it comforting to call our doctors even when I don't have reservations just to run something new by them.
Some links you might be interested in reading-
https://museumofdust.blogspot.com/2006/05/garden-slime-molds.html
https://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2003/slime_mold070103.htm
https://www.biology4kids.com/files/micro_protozoa.html
https://ces.ca.uky.edu/Grayson/anr/mulchandmold.htm
I hope you are in a position to run this by your doctor(s) so that you will hopefully become more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
Good news for you, you probably have a slime mold. I'm allergic to molds. mildew, etc. and don't have any problems with slime molds. I know the word mold is in the common name but slime molds aren't fungi. They're not a mold or a fungus!
Better information here to enable you to share your allergy and/or immune system concerns with your doctor(s)-
https://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2004/winter/features/lowsociety/index.html
To the best of my knowledge, you have no reason to worry about having to give your landscapers special directions at all. Slime molds are "harmless and are integral components of the decomposition process" and they are friend not foe in a garden setting.
From the other thread-
"please know that slime molds don't harm plants. They are not even close to being classified as a turf or garden pest but are actually classified as a beneficial. In other words, these beneficial organisms are highly desirable in a garden setting because of their invaluable contributions- they are decomposers. They may very well be disgusting to some but they're presence is actually a sign of a healthy ecosystem." I've always been of the opinion that a healthy ecosystem is a good thing for people with compromised immune systems.
And also from the other thread-
"If one sees these types of slime molds, best to leave them be because chances are good they have appeared for a reason and are Mother Nature's way of dealing with fungi that can be injurious to plants."
Also from the other thread I posted a link to-
"Here's the deal, slime molds are saprophytes. They feed on decaying matter. They pretty much only crawl up on mulch when they're ready to reproduce. That means you've probably got millions of tiny spores (seeds) that were already released in that area and they're all on the equivalent of a slime mold smörgasbord. If you stressed the slime mold and it didn't produce spores, it would have formed a sclerotium which is a rather unique form of reproduction that has the capacity to reproduce exponentially."
If you feel comfortable with its unsightliness knowing that slime molds are harmless for all practical purposes, it should be ok to just have your landscapers turn it under. But always best to check with your doctors if you have any reservations at all and I certainly find it comforting to call our doctors even when I don't have reservations just to run something new by them.
Some links you might be interested in reading-
https://museumofdust.blogspot.com/2006/05/garden-slime-molds.html
https://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2003/slime_mold070103.htm
https://www.biology4kids.com/files/micro_protozoa.html
https://ces.ca.uky.edu/Grayson/anr/mulchandmold.htm
I hope you are in a position to run this by your doctor(s) so that you will hopefully become more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
Molds are ubiquitous especially in soil, compost, and mulch, and an invaluable contributor to gardens as mentioned. The molds of decay amd other garden funghi and related microorganisms will generally not harm healthy people.
However, if you have an underlying health problem, I would suggest wearing a mask or protection while gardening, after speaking with your doctor, as trying to get rid of garden funghi is only going to succeed at harming your garden.
However, if you have an underlying health problem, I would suggest wearing a mask or protection while gardening, after speaking with your doctor, as trying to get rid of garden funghi is only going to succeed at harming your garden.