What is the nasty looking stuff that is appearing on my mulch?

Question

At first, I thought some animal was regurgitating food on my mulch, but I was suspicious because it was in about the same spot each time (in the front yard on the mulched area near the main entrance). Today it appeared in the back yard on top of a small mound of mulch. It's foamy on top with a cream like texture underneath and it's yellow. My neighbor says that it is a fungus due to inferior mulch.

Is that right? If so, How do I rid my yard of it? I just put the mulch down in the summer. I never got around to completely spreading it in the backyard so it sits there in various tiny mounds. When I ordered it, I asked for a natural mulch without dyes that would keep the ground fertile and ready for whatever we decided to plant. So we settled on a natural wood chip type of mulch.

What should I do now? I hate the fungusy vomit look alike stuff that keeps appearing in my yard.

Answer 1

the 'dog vomit fungus' answer is the right one.... it's a slime mold....

http://www.personal.psu.edu/sam21/dogvom...

when conditions change it won't appear anymore.....

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/...

Answer 2

I think its just from moisture ....every once in a while use a rake and "toss" the pile a bit.... the  fungusy stuff will dry out .... call Home Depot or OSH and ask the experts what they think.....inferior mulch....HA....silly neighbor ....... I mean you can make your own mulch from garbage waste etc. and make incredible mulch....inferior tee-hee

Answer 3

It's a very common fungus for natural (not inferior) mulches.

Not harmful just ugly.

About once every month or so mulch should be turned. It makes it look fresh again, avoids the fungus & helps the decomposition process, which benefits the soil.

You can pick up the fungus, be careful to dig under & try not to disturb it so you aren't spreading the spores, you will be throwing away some of the mulch with it.

Answer 4

It is just a harmless fungus.

Answer 5

Fungii, (Molds and Mushrooms) are natures work men that break down everything organic into soil again. Both plant and animal.

There are millions of types of fungii and they spread by spores that drift in the air until they find the type of organic material and growing conditions they like, then they start growing and turning the organic matter into soil. Every time you breath in, you inhale millions of mold spores. Only a few will harm you becuase you aren't the food or growing conditions most fungii need.

Apparently a mold has drifted into your yard and found the food and growing conditions it likes. It will recycle your mulch into soil, and then dissapear. It won't harm you.

Answer 6

Its called dog vomit fungus.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/sam21/dogvom...