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What is this jelly like substance please?

Jess91Jess91 Posts: 159
in Problem solving
It's in a terracotta pot that hadn't been used since summer.



It doesn't photo particularly well but hopefully someone might know?

It's in the middle, clear jelly type stuff. Shall I leave it alone or get rid? I wanted to use the pot but depending on what it is I may leave it be.

Thanks in advance 
Slowly building a wildlife garden, in a new build in East Yorkshire.

Posts

  • BluejaywayBluejayway Posts: 392
    Maybe water retaining gel?
  • Jess91Jess91 Posts: 159
    @Bluejayway I wouldn't have thought so, I haven't used anything like that to my knowledge. 

    Pot had Nicotiana in it last year, that I grew from seed. I didn't knowingly put any water retaining gel in the pot.
    Slowly building a wildlife garden, in a new build in East Yorkshire.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It may be a slime mould - harmless, but if you're going to plant it up I'd clean the pot and start afresh.
    The round yellow  things look like either a slow release fertilizer or slug eggs

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • BluejaywayBluejayway Posts: 392
    I wonder if it was gel that was pre-mixed into the potting compost?  Can you recall the make of the compost used?  Can't think of anything else it could be.
  • Jess91Jess91 Posts: 159
    @Bluejayway Maybe, but no unfortunately not, I tend to just grab whatever is cheapest!

    @Pete.8 I don't need the pot immediately, think I might leave it a week or so and see if anything happens. 
    I hoped it was frog spawn when I first saw it as the pot is close to a mini pond, but there doesn't appear to be eggs in it, just clear jelly.
    Slowly building a wildlife garden, in a new build in East Yorkshire.
  • BluejaywayBluejayway Posts: 392
    :D:)
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    I can't really see it in the photo but another thing that I see in my garden regularly that matches the description is Nostoc which is a type of algae that grows naturally in damp environments as a jelly like lump. You could just add it to your compost if you want to make use of the pot for something else.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
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