What's this weird fungus-like stuff appearing overnight in raised bed? (mushrooms, growing)
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What you have there is called Orange Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo septica) and it can also be found in a bright sulphur yellow colour that changes to grey or ivory colour as it ages and dies and is called Scrambled Eggs Dog Vomit Slime Mold.
LOL.
It particularly grows on rotting wood and it thrives and fruits out like that in wet, warm, humid, shady conditions. Those conditions are one of the consequences of doing hügelkultur gardening which uses wet rotting logs as a warm growing medium.
Not to worry, it is not harmful. While ugly to look at the slime mold may be helping your plants by consuming pathogens and bacteria that could harm the plants. Slime molds will not hurt the environment or your plants and there is no slime mold control except dry weather and direct sunlight.
You say you've been noticing its occurrence once a week. Has this been shortly after watering the garden once a week? Is the garden partially shaded by trees or big bushes? If so there is no coincidence. Do not add any water to the hügelkultur garden for awhile (there is nothing you can do about rain of course) until after you see the mold is drying up and faded away. Then you can resume watering your garden again LIGHTLY. If your garden plants show signs of wilting and not getting enough water later in summer you can give them more water then. The fact that you have so much slime mold growing is an indication that there is more than enough moisture in the soil at this time and your garden plants are getting all the water they need.
It isn't toxic but if I found that much growing in my garden I would for sure scrape or wipe away and remove any encroaching parts of it that are actually creeping up on or covering any garden plants that are being cultivated, just because I don't want it on the plants or interfering with the amount of direct sunlight they get. In all likelihood I would rake away any excess big pieces of it that are growing on the soil in between the plants too.
There are pictures of that mold and lots of explanations about it in the websites posted below:
What you have there is called Orange Dog Vomit Slime Mold (Fuligo septica) and it can also be found in a bright sulphur yellow colour that changes to grey or ivory colour as it ages and dies and is called Scrambled Eggs Dog Vomit Slime Mold.
LOL.
It particularly grows on rotting wood and it thrives and fruits out like that in wet, warm, humid, shady conditions. Those conditions are one of the consequences of doing hügelkultur gardening which uses wet rotting logs as a warm growing medium.
Not to worry, it is not harmful. While ugly to look at the slime mold may be helping your plants by consuming pathogens and bacteria that could harm the plants. Slime molds will not hurt the environment or your plants and there is no slime mold control except dry weather and direct sunlight.
You say you've been noticing its occurrence once a week. Has this been shortly after watering the garden once a week? Is the garden partially shaded by trees or big bushes? If so there is no coincidence. Do not add any water to the hügelkultur garden for awhile (there is nothing you can do about rain of course) until after you see the mold is drying up and faded away. Then you can resume watering your garden again LIGHTLY. If your garden plants show signs of wilting and not getting enough water later in summer you can give them more water then. The fact that you have so much slime mold growing is an indication that there is more than enough moisture in the soil at this time and your garden plants are getting all the water they need.
It isn't toxic but if I found that much growing in my garden I would for sure scrape or wipe away and remove any encroaching parts of it that are actually creeping up on or covering any garden plants that are being cultivated, just because I don't want it on the plants or interfering with the amount of direct sunlight they get. In all likelihood I would rake away any excess big pieces of it that are growing on the soil in between the plants too.
There are pictures of that mold and lots of explanations about it in the websites posted below:
Thanks for the detailed and accurate description! This picture is exactly what I've got. I feel greatly relieved; just took the trowel and shoveled the stuff out of the bed.
Yes I was probably over watering. This bed is like a giant sponge; the hügelkultur must be holding a lot of water, and I did put cardboard at the very bottom (on top of the 1/2" metal mesh) so that's probably not broken down yet.
I've stopped watering since the weekend, and given we had a good downpour today, will probably just leave it alone for another week or so. We were in a drought there for a couple of weeks but I guess this is the advantage of a 2' bed -- don't need to drench it every day.
We built a raised bed with hügelkultur (rotting logs in the bottom). Added a foot of organic raised bed soil and compost.
Now, about once a week, I've noticed this growth, that is fungus-like. At first, I thought some wild critter jumped in and puked.
It's soft, paste-like. Does not smell. Can anyone enlighten me what this is? Is it dangerous?
Thanks for any help!
Never seen that before but will agree with others that you have a ton of organic matter underneath so its all part of the process.
BTW - I saw a YouTube video on a guy who put logs underneath his raised beds and after some time dug it up to see how far its broken down. Was pretty interesting to see. Smart idea too fo some awesome soil.
I would just clear the top stuff out by hand if you can but I'm not familiar with what you got. Thanks for the pics!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HB2HSV
Piggybacking on an existing thread.
I found this in my garden bed this morning. It was not there yesterday evening so it must have sprouted overnight.
I am not 100% sure since I had this quite awhile back, but it looks like an Alcohol Inky. I did not make that up and it is a miracle that I recalled the name, but the minute I saw the picture it brought back the gales of laughter because it sprouted up a night after we had a huge summer party years ago. Suffice to say plentiful alcohol was involved.
There will be others that can answer for certain and if it is not, at least you made me laugh. If it is that, it is ugly but harmless.
There will be others that can answer for certain and if it is not, at least you made me laugh. If it is that, it is ugly but harmless.
Glad that I can do that for you.
Now just waiting for the knowledgeable folks to chime in.
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LOL.
