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White mold in raised oak flower beds

antonyawad7NMSbf5TSantonyawad7NMSbf5TS Posts: 13
in Problem solving
Hello,

Earlier this year I made a few raised oak flower beds out of oak sleepers.

All was well until I bought some mulch that was slightly contaminated with white mold/ fungus. I didn't think much at the time and went ahead and used it.

However after a few weeks I wasn't happy with the stringy appearence the mulch, so replaced it with some large pine mulch which looks much better. However after the recent wet weather I noticed what I believe to be white spores/ mold that has formed on the oak sleepers and on the new mulch. Which I think is from the old mulch.

I will attach some pictures.

Does anyone know of any good white mold killer for use in the garden, that wont damage the plants or soil? Or anything that looks like it could remove these white spores, as I am no expert in plant/ fungal microbiology.

Any appropriate feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,

Antony






«13

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It's probably a slime mould or similar - quite natural and harmless and live on dead plant material.
    Enjoy it's weird beauty while it lasts, or you could brush it off if you don't like the look of it.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree with @Pete.8 … it’s doing no harm, it’s part of the wonderful variety nature gives us, and will disappear on its own as magically as it appeared. 

    Nothing to worry about 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • antonyawad7NMSbf5TSantonyawad7NMSbf5TS Posts: 13
    Thanks for your feedback, thats good to hear its nothing to worry about
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited November 2022
    I can't see any problem in your pics.  But I know what you mean.  With a bit of dry weather, I believe it will soon fade away (maybe a repeat next year).  

    If you ask again, I may have some chemical answers.  But the general response on these forums is let nature be.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    They are beautiful organisms and don't need to be killed.
    Most of the time it's under the soil turning dead plant material into nutrients for plants, then it fruits and it's the fruits that we see.
    If you look closely - very closely you'll see their natural (and rather weird) beauty

    https://www.barrywebbimages.co.uk/Images/Macro/Slime-Moulds-Myxomycetes/

    I suspect the one you have is Powderpuff Bracket - Postia ptychogaster

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The majority of fungi are the opposite of a problem - they're highly beneficial, as @Pete.8 and @Dovefromabove describe.  :)
    Enjoy them @antonyawad7NMSbf5TS, and hopefully you'll see more next autumn, and maybe in other areas of your garden. Maybe a few different types too - there are hundreds [thousands] of varieties   :)
    There are a few threads on the forum about them [I'll se if I can find a recent one] and if you're ever worried about them being harmful in any way, just do what you've done - add a pic and ask  :)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Those photos are stunning, @Pete.8.  Yet another life form I've never really thought about.   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Here's a link to that recent thread @antonyawad7NMSbf5TS - you might find it useful  :)https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1066029/uffs-fungi-finds/p1

    Stunning aren't they @Liriodendron? The miniscule world of all sorts of creatures and natural life are a real joy. I think we often overlook all these things because we're distracted by the big stuff.
    There was a thread about lichen yesterday - another beautiful natural wonder  :)
    I'm off to have a proper look at @Pete's link.


    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • antonyawad7NMSbf5TSantonyawad7NMSbf5TS Posts: 13
    Thanks again for your replies @bédé, @Pete.8, @Fairygirl , @Liriodendron . All of your feedback sounds really positive. Thank you for identifying the actual species Pete. I looked it up and think you are right it does look like a powerduff genus. From your feedback they seem quite symbiotic to the plants. I guess my main concern was I don't want it to rot the oak sleepers. Since it took me a lot of work and time to get them right. Hopefully they are quite inert in terms of damaging them.
  • antonyawad7NMSbf5TSantonyawad7NMSbf5TS Posts: 13
    Fairygirl said:
    The majority of fungi are the opposite of a problem - they're highly beneficial, as @Pete.8 and @Dovefromabove describe.  :)
    Enjoy them @antonyawad7NMSbf5TS, and hopefully you'll see more next autumn, and maybe in other areas of your garden. Maybe a few different types too - there are hundreds [thousands] of varieties   :)
    There are a few threads on the forum about them [I'll se if I can find a recent one] and if you're ever worried about them being harmful in any way, just do what you've done - add a pic and ask  :)  
    Thank you for this information, its really good to hear
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