Orange Mold in Mulch: The Unique Slime Mold – It is actually common to have an orange mold in mulch. However, most homeowners are trying to figure out what to do with the mold because it makes the mulch unattractive and seemingly disgusting. Before taking a further action, let’s find out about the function of the mulch and the possibility of a mold growing on it.
The Organic Mulch: The Main Function
What is a mulch, anyway? It’s a biodegradable, natural, and attractive way to ‘decorate’ the flower beds, generally consisting of chipped or shredded bark, wood, and also pine straw or needles. If you have trees or shrubbery and you have beds around them, the mulch will increase the visual appeal. There are a lot of benefits of the mulch. One of them is to prevent evaporation and save you a lot of money for the water. With the mulch, water loss can be prevented and avoided. Not to mention that you won’t have to deal with herbicides and wild weeds.
Orange Mold in Mulch: The Uninvited Guest
Spores are the nemesis for the mulch. When they grow, the spores will look like a slimy goo or unattractive blob – which can make your garden unappealing or attractive. Also known as the dog vomit fungus, the yellow or orange substance is considered a protist – something that you can’t really describe or understand. In the past, the orange thing-y was referred to as a mold but then scientists decided that they were actually fungi before they decided that it is a slime mold. But then the scientists changed their mind again and still unsure what the yellowish substance is. What’s strange is that this slime mold can actually move – which is scary, if you give it a second thought.
Breaking It Up
Some people would break this orange mold in mulch and be fascinated how the small pieces of them get back together in order to form a single complete unit. If you have seen The Terminator 2 or 3 where the robot was made of liquid material, you know what I’m talking about Mold Cleaner and What to Know about Them. Some people are okay with it because it is basically harmless. If you leave them be, they will go on their own and leave a little yellowish powdery substance.
If you are not okay with the presence, you can always hose them down. You can also mix a vinegar solution and use it to spray the orange mold in mulch and make them disappear.