What is under my mulch? help...

[Lilley1]

I have noticed this strange stuff under the mulch in my garden. It started about a year ago and I don't know what it is or how to prevent it from happening again. It is a light orange/yellow color and very hard as you step on it. It feels like a foam or something with fibers when you actually touch it (not with my fingers).

Is it a fungus? I will be digging it up and replacing with all new mulch but I don't want it to happen again.

 

[dconklin]

We found that at my uncle's house and he said that it is just the mulch. I thought it was something that shouldn't have been there myself, but he said nope it is mulch. Not sure how correct that is, but he was not at all concerned about it. The mulch in that flower bed is a little bit older too.

 

[zigs]

Bit hard to make out from the pic but i'm assuming its a fungus mycellium. Its just what happens to a woodchip mulch, natures way of breaking things down, if it didn't we'd be up to our eyeballs in trees

 

[dconklin]

Bit hard to make out from the pic but i'm assuming its a fungus mycellium. Its just what happens to a woodchip mulch, natures way of breaking things down, if it didn't we'd be up to our eyeballs in trees

It looks just like what I found in my uncle's garden when I was helping him last weekend. It made the mulch a little hard and to me it almost looked like a paper plate or something was underneath it and starting to break down and harden into the mulch. It is hard to explain, but that is what I thought it was at first when I encountered it - some type of thick paper or something under the mulch.

I know my uncle wasn't at all worried and said it was the mulch, but does this fungus hurt any plants?

 

[zigs]

Can't tell which of the thousands of types of fungus it is without it fruiting i'm afraid.

My mate kicked himself when we walked into a Deli & saw a small bag of dried Morel mushrooms for £10, he had a load of them come up in some oak chip mulch he'd used & didn't know what they were

 

[Lilley1]

It looks just like what I found in my uncle's garden when I was helping him last weekend. It made the mulch a little hard and to me it almost looked like a paper plate or something was underneath it and starting to break down and harden into the mulch. It is hard to explain, but that is what I thought it was at first when I encountered it - some type of thick paper or something under the mulch.

I know my uncle wasn't at all worried and said it was the mulch, but does this fungus hurt any plants?

You're right, it is hard to explain, but it seems just like what you described. I may just dig it all up and lay fresh mulch down. The mulch in the picture is quite old.

I really appreciate your and Zigs' insight on the mulch. My son has asthma and I am trying to clean everything from the inside to the outside of the house even though I'm not sure if the fungus has any effects on him.

 

[zigs]

The mycellium itself shouldn't cause asthma, and if fungal spores were the cause then there's no where to hide as they are omnipresent in the atmosphere.

Having spent most of my childhood in bed due to a misdiagnosed cat and dog allergy (Lungs got so inflamed I couldn't even walk) I can sympathise there, i'd be looking to eliminate any animal products from the house, ie, no feather pillows, duvets, fur hats or live furry pets.

allergies are very lightly to be a cause for asthma, the docs can do a simple allergy test, they introduce a range of allergens usually by small pricks on the forearm.

I tested positive for Cats & dogs, slightly for chickens & horses. worth doing, because if you know the cause you can do something about it.

If its any consolation, i've got a lot better now i'm older, although I still wake up bleary eyed when the cats been kipping on my bed.

 

[Lilley1]

The mycellium itself shouldn't cause asthma, and if fungal spores were the cause then there's no where to hide as they are omnipresent in the atmosphere.

Having spent most of my childhood in bed due to a misdiagnosed cat and dog allergy (Lungs got so inflamed I couldn't even walk) I can sympathise there, i'd be looking to eliminate any animal products from the house, ie, no feather pillows, duvets, fur hats or live furry pets.

allergies are very lightly to be a cause for asthma, the docs can do a simple allergy test, they introduce a range of allergens usually by small pricks on the forearm.

I tested positive for Cats & dogs, slightly for chickens & horses. worth doing, because if you know the cause you can do something about it.

If its any consolation, i've got a lot better now i'm older, although I still wake up bleary eyed when the cats been kipping on my bed.

That must have been awful! I'm sorry to hear you went through that. We did have him tested for allergies. He had the test on his back then took it a step further to to see the severity of the allergies. He tested positive to dogs (we have a cat), bahia grass (we do have), and grass molds. I'm sure your right about the fungus, but as a mom I become quite neurotic about anything fungus, mold, or bacteria related. I really should educate myself more on the possible causes of fungus.

I'm glad you mentioned the feather pillow. We all have one and I have also considered that to be related to his allergies.

I'm glad its not as bad for you now.

 

[zigs]

It was a bit of a bummer to spend a whole year in bed once.

Its not so much the feathers in the pillow, as them being a breeding ground for dust mites, their poo is responsable for a lot of allergies.

Latex ought to be considered too, my eldest is allergic to that, its in a lot of products, i'll try to find a link to her blog about it.

 

[zigs]

Found it

http://latexfreedom.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/everyday-avoidances.html?m=1

 

[Lilley1]

It was a bit of a bummer to spend a whole year in bed once.

Its not so much the feathers in the pillow, as them being a breeding ground for dust mites, their poo is responsable for a lot of allergies.

Latex ought to be considered too, my eldest is allergic to that, its in a lot of products, i'll try to find a link to her blog about it.

I believe latex is made of polymer chemical, right? My youngest son had a terrible reaction to a product made of polymer chemicals. It was instant snow that companies market to children and teachers. Its a great product to experiment with but horrible for sensitive children.

I would love to check out her blog.

 

[zigs]

Think we cross posted there, the link is in post #10 above

 

[Lilley1]

Think we cross posted there, the link is in post #10 above

She has a great blog. Thanks for sharing!

I also just found out today that my house has chinese drywall. On top of that, my children's pediatrician informed me she had to contact CDC regarding my area do to environmental illnesses. However, I am still going to take all other precautions we have discussed in the above posts.

 

[zigs]

Don't know about Chinese Drywall

Did hear on the radio today that your average bed has over a BILLION house dust mites in it

 

[Marck]

The photo in the OP is not very clear, but the substance in the mulch is either some type of fungal mycelium or a slime mold colony (Mycetozoa). Either way, this is a normal, healthy, and necessary part of the decomposition of any organic matter, including garden mulch. Do not remove the mulch or try to kill the fungus. Instead add another layer of mulch on top. Continue this process for as long as you garden or tend the land.