Don't Blame The Dog...It's Slime Mold!

You may have noticed some "not so good looking" things in our mulched beds recently. These are "Slime Molds" an interesting but not pretty fungus which is common in mulched areas this time of year. Slime molds are opportunistic organisms which don't have chlorophyll, the green colored pigment in grass and leaves which allows plants to make their own food. As a result slime molds take their nutrients from decaying plant materials including mulch. There are hundreds of varieties of slime mold, two of my favorites are "Dog Vomit" shown left (Photo by Patrick Coin - Duke University) and "Scrambled Egg" which looks like it's name. 

Slime Molds are ugly but they are not damaging to plants. If your gardening esthetics make you want to get rid of them simply scoop them up and throw them away. If that's not what you want to do, you can chop them up with a rake or hoe, and wash the parts away. If you notice a brownish cloud of spores when you chop, you will probably have insured another episode for next year.

There are no commercially available preventers for slime mold, so we won't be treating for it. However removal is an easy way to keep it under control. Even in a normal year you will see these organisms, but in a year like this one with variable moisture and high heat they are a sure thing.

In addition to slime molds, you may also see mushrooms, puffballs and "Stinkhorns" which are, as their name implies, slightly smelly. Again, picking and tossing is an easy way to remove them.

SG

Comments

[Jack]

Thanks for the information, I had no idea what this was until now.

[Barb Mings]

You helped save a dog & husband with the Slime mold comments... Thx,
Help, My Magnolia has under-belly black blotch. The leaves are falling off in GREAT numbers, and the tree in the back yard (Houston) is beginning to look like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. They are about 15 feet tall, and we just planted them in Nov.
They are blooming but the blooms only last a couple days.