From Kym Pokorny in the Oregonian 8/4/2020:
“It appears overnight and looks like a horror-show blob that’s slithered its way into your garden.
The gross-looking substance known as slime mold shows up on mulch and lawns, but is harmless to plants. Instead it feeds on decaying matter, fungi or bacteria, according to Neil Bell, a horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service.
“It’s called slime mold and is not harming the grass or plants in the mulch,” he said. “It appears really suddenly, seemingly overnight. It occurs after rainfall in summer, which we had in June.”
Slime mold, which is a primitive organism placed in a family by itself, comes in sizes from several inches to 2 feet or more in diameter and shows up in many colors, ranging from bright yellow, orange or white to shiny black. In its fresh state, it’s often called by the descriptive term “dog vomit.” As conditions change, the substance begins to dry, turns brown, then produces spores that float away. Many times, you’ll find it in the woods in other colors, Bell said.
While active, slime mold can “flow” across mulch for several feet, eating dead matter as it goes. It may appear to grow on plants during this stage, but is only devouring organic mulch like bark dust or compost.
In the lawn, Bell said, slime mold looks almost like grayish black beads. One morning they’re apparent, the next they’re gone.
“People are surprised to see it and want to do something,” Bell said. “You can rake it out to speed up drying. It’s okay to put it in the compost pile or just mix it into the mulch. Or spray it off with a blast of water from the host. It’s certainly not something you’d apply a pesticide to because it will disappear of its own accord.”
Read the full article in The Oregonian HERE.
