Anyone who, as a hobby gardener, suddenly discovers an irregular yellow “thing” on the lawn or the bark mulch will be surprised, especially when it is moving slowly and constantly changing its location. In such a case, the gardener is dealing with a slime mold, which is also known under the name yellow tan blossom or witch butter. The question now arises, does this slime mold need to be combated, is it a pest or is it allowed to stay. Because unfortunately there are not many ways to combat it. What can still be done is explained in the following article.
Table of Contents
Characteristics
- Names: yellow tan blossom, witch butter or yellow slime mold
- Appearance: yellow, sulphurous with braid and structure
- Shape: pillow-shaped and irregular
- The term mushroom is confusing
- belongs to the unicellular organisms, not to the mushrooms
- grows on damp surfaces
- can be found on lawns and layers of mulch
- is harmless to plants
- eats bacteria from the soil
- moves slowly crawling on
Definition of slime mold
Anyone who finds a yellow blob in the garden on the lawn or on the bark mulch wonders what this could be. Usually it is the yellow tan blossom, also called witch butter from the slime mold category. But the name is not correct, because researchers have now recognized that this is not a fungus but a single-celled organism. This definition is reassuring, however, because in contrast to a fungal attack, which can acutely damage the plants, slime molds do not cause any damage, so fighting is usually not worthwhile. On the contrary, they are eating fungi and bacteria. Slime molds also have the following properties:
- irregular shape, like a pillow
- gives the impression that construction foam is lying on the floor
- can crawl around
- leave a shiny white creep track
- similar to the traces of snails
- consist of many individual cells
- when they arrive at their final location, they multiply
- fruit bodies are formed for this purpose
- from these spores arise
The fruit bodies and spores that the teal blossoms form when they no longer move are not, as is the case with conventional fungal spores, harmful to the environment, the soil or the nearby plants. Therefore, every hobby gardener who finds one or more slime molds in his garden should stay calm first. Sometimes there is only a single structure that dies in a prolonged drought. However, if the witch butter multiplies all of a sudden and more and more yellow cushions are found on the lawn or in the garden bed, action should be taken against this in spite of everything.
Tip: In Mexico the single-celled organisms are considered a delicacy, even if they have the unsightly name “Caca de Luna”, which translates as moon poop. The slime molds are fried or grilled here, giving them a scrambled egg-like appearance. In the local latitudes, however, it is considered inedible, although it is by no means poisonous or harmful when ingested.
Prevention on the lawn
Even with slime mold, the motto is that prevention is the best solution. Especially in summer, when the weather is warm and humid, this is the best weather for the tan blossom to be able to appear and multiply. Damage is left behind neither on the lawn, nor on blooming flowers, bushes, trees or crops. So that the slime molds, which are also available in colors other than yellow, do not appear in the first place, the following measures can be taken in advance:
- Keep the lawn moderately moist
- fertilize regularly two to three times a year
- use organic fertilizer
- has a lasting effect on the grasses
- mineral fertilizers only have a short-term effect
- scarify regularly
- mow regularly
- no deeper than three to five centimeters
- do not leave any clippings on the surface
- in this way promote the vitality of the lawn
- Sprinkle lime against excessive moisture
Tip: Lawn mowers are now available in stores that also scarify the mown area at the same time. If, therefore, an infestation of slime mold is to be expected in your own garden, then the purchase of such a combination device pays off.
Prevention in the garden bed
Often the uninvited guests are carried into their own garden with bark mulch. Because so that the beds are protected and remain evenly moist, they should be covered with bark mulch. However, since the slime molds usually settle in the forest and often on dead wood, remaining spores are often transferred to the garden bed with this bark mulch. From here they can reproduce again in good, warm and humid conditions and thus also spread to other parts of the entire garden, such as the lawn. The following can be used for prevention:
- only use dry bark mulch
- sprinkle some of it over a small area
- pour and keep moist
- see if a slime mold develops
- if this is not done, the mulch is unlikely to be infected with spores
- it can then be distributed throughout the garden bed
- Add lime to the soil in the garden bed beforehand
- this is how moisture is contained
Tip: Before the lime is mixed in, it should be noted which plants are in the bed and whether they are at all compatible with lime. Because in this way, the plants can be more damaged by the prevention of a slime mold than the infestation by this single cell itself.
Lure with lining
Slime molds crawl after the food. So they migrate to where they find most food such as bacteria or fungi in the soil. However, researchers have now been able to prove that the strange creatures can also be steered to a specific place in this way. For example, a track of oatmeal can be laid out if the fungus is not to be completely removed. In this way, the yellow tan blossom can be lured away from the lawn or from the garden bed to a place in the bed where it is not so noticeable. It doesn’t do any harm anyway. The unicellular organism can then remain here until it dies again by itself.
Tip: If you find a slime mold in the garden, you shouldn’t remove this fascinating structure if it doesn’t bother you, because it can be easily observed, which may be an important experience with nature, especially for children.
Ablation
If, despite all preventive measures, a slime mold has formed on the lawn or mulch, it can also be removed. To do this, the yellow, sponge-like structures are simply lifted and disposed of. These can also be released again in the forest. However, the slime molds must not be allowed to get on the compost, as the spores reproduce again here and would be redistributed in the garden bed with a later fertilization. When removing, proceed as follows:
- Spores can sit deep
- Cut the lawn extensively around the mushroom
- Lift up with a spade and place directly in a bag
- Even with mulch, remove a large area with the subsurface
Especially when the mulch has been infested, this can be very expensive in the event of a recurring infestation by the witch butter if new mulch has to be purchased again and again. This can also be completely removed and spread out in a warm and sunny place to dry. The soil in the bed below must also dry out completely. The mulch should also be constantly turned and sprinkled with lime. Then it is worth trying to distribute the mulch again and see if the yellow slime mold returns.
Tip: If the slime mold has been discovered on the mulch, it is advisable to remove all the mulch, as further spores could be present here, which could also develop into further fungi. It is then better to replace all of the mulch or to treat it as described above, since the yellow tan blossom was most likely introduced into the garden with the bark mulch you bought.
Prepare the soil
After it has been removed, the infested soil has to be prepared, because there may still be spores under the earth’s surface here, which can grow back into a new structure. So that the earth does not form a favorable foundation and becomes drier, lime can be sprinkled on or lifted under. Of course, it must always be ensured that this is also compatible with the plants in the garden bed. After the removal of the soil, the following procedure should be followed:
- Fold in the lime if this is tolerable
- otherwise just let the floor dry off
- then water only moderately
- possibly do without further mulch
- close the hole on the lawn
- sow the lawn for this purpose
- alternatively, stake out old lawns at the edges of the area
- fill the hole with it
- Limewash the entire lawn
Tip: If the slime mold persists on a surface, you can counter this with a mixture of salt, water and vinegar. Such a mixture does not tolerate this type of mushroom at all, the hobby gardener can fight it well with it. However, many plants do not tolerate such an extreme mixture and this should really only be used in an absolute emergency.
Wait
If the slime mold in the garden bed or on the lawn does not bother you, you can simply wait until it dies off on its own in bad weather conditions. The large, then black structures can simply be lifted and disposed of. But here, too, it is still important to ensure that these are not disposed of on the compost, but are instead disposed of in the general household waste. But nobody should panic if they find the yellow, slimy mushroom in their garden. Because it is usually harder to fight it than to wait until it disappears again on its own. If the living conditions for these mushrooms are no longer given after a few weeks, they will also disappear again just as quickly as they appeared.
