Author Topic: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum  (Read 2793 times)

Orkine

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Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« on: April 27, 2018, 03:50:29 PM »
I was out looking at a seedling yesterday and saw the orange blob climbing out of the mulch onto the seedling.
The appearance was of a dry powdery deposit.  On touching with a stick I realized it was actually slimy n wet. Almost like a deep yellow orangish custard.
I looked it up and came across an article "What is the Orange Fungus Growing in my mulch?"
Interesting read.  Anyone experienced this and do you need to manage it or is it a good thing?

Will post photo later.

« Last Edit: April 27, 2018, 08:26:07 PM by Orkine »

00christian00

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slume mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2018, 04:24:13 PM »
Oh god thank you. I always wondered what that vomit I keep finding around was.

Dangermouse01

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slume mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2018, 04:29:19 PM »
Probably what we call dog vomit fungus.

KarenRei

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slume mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2018, 05:48:46 PM »
Slime molds are fascinating "animals". They're technically not plants, not animals, not fungi... they're sort of colonial amoebas, that can live either as microscopic individuals, or join together to act as a single organism.  And when they do, they're probably the smartest thing in the world without a brain.  Not only can they do feats like solve the shortest path between two points in a maze, but they can actually learn.  For example, if you make it get cold at regular intervals, or a short period of time after a particular stimulus, they'll start preparing for the cold before it happens.  If you put down a line of a "unpleasant" (but not dangerous) chemical between them and food, they'll at first recoil from it, but after discovering that it doesn't harm them, will start ignoring it.  Etc.  Really amazing things.  They're generally harmless to plants (eating bacteria and fungi), and might even do you a favour, so I'd just leave them be.  :)

Já, ég er að rækta suðrænar plöntur á Íslandi. Nei, ég er ekki klikkuð. Jæja, kannski...

simon_grow

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2018, 08:21:09 PM »
Karen,

You are a wealth of information. Thanks for sharing!

Simon

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2018, 02:04:00 AM »
It is also edible. But I would prefer to eat better types of Fungi.
Biodiversity is key.

Orkine

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2019, 07:46:29 PM »
Its back and with a vengeance.  And this time it does not limit itself to mulched plants.  It grew in a pot that had an almost pure sand mix for dragon fruit seedling.  It grew on a hose sitting in a patch of grass.  Its grown in several pots, anywhere it can get a foothold.

Unfortunately, it covered a small mongo seedling killing it.  The dragon fruit seedling looks like it will be OK and some pineapples that it grew on are no worse once washed it off.  I will leave them be so long as they are not smothering any small plants but it appears these will be a fixture in my yard this year.





« Last Edit: April 14, 2019, 07:48:11 PM by Orkine »

pineislander

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2019, 09:13:30 PM »
So this likes moist rotting material? If you want to ship it over I could use several hundreds pounds of innoculant to help break down a dump truck load of cucumbers I'm composting.
 ;D





« Last Edit: April 14, 2019, 09:15:22 PM by pineislander »

zephian

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2019, 11:14:32 PM »
So this likes moist rotting material? If you want to ship it over I could use several hundreds pounds of innoculant to help break down a dump truck load of cucumbers I'm composting.
 ;D





I guess what we are all wondering is...why do you have so many cucumbers. lol
-Kris

pineislander

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2019, 07:29:22 AM »
I guess what we are all wondering is...why do you have so many cucumbers. lol

They go well with and are higher in calcium than the peppers.



zephian

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2019, 01:27:25 PM »
I guess what we are all wondering is...why do you have so many cucumbers. lol

They go well with and are higher in calcium than the peppers.


Ah, yes of course. ;)
-Kris

pineislander

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2019, 05:16:09 PM »
The whole story is I'm composting discarded vegetables from a packing house next door. Some days they ship in multiple semi truckloads and generate a dump truck load of oversized, damaged, or overripe vegetables that I mix with rough mulch to make compost. All farms should look out for any organic waste in the area, even breweries generate stuff which can be useful. We have rum factories, vegetable, fish, shrimp, and crab processors, you'd be surprised what folks have which may be a problem for them but a solution for the farm. Our county is currently raking seaweed algae off the beach but it is a little too far from my place that would be a great score.

Orkine

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Re: Found. SpongeBob -. Slime mold or physarum polycephalum
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2019, 12:17:46 AM »
Oversized!!

it does make sense but had not crossed my mind.

Soup kitchens should line up for the oversized but otherwise ok fruits/vegetables