QuestionI have some kind of pink, brown, yellow nasty foam/dog barf looking stuff growing in my flower beds. Someone suggested it may be a fungus of some kind. It's soft and gooey. It seem to harden and turn darker as the day went on. I poked it and some yellow stuff ozed out. Do you know what I'm describing? If so, what do I need to do about it and is it harmful?
AnswerKristie, the technical name for this growth is Fuligo septica, more commonly referred to as vomit fungus. This growth is a fungus composed of thousand of tiny spores. This mold is prevalent in flower beds that are usually covered with too heavy of a layer of mulch. The fungus is actually harmless and will not do any damage to the plants. When disturbed, the spores fly into the air and land in other areas of the garden where they will form new masses of spores.
You can spray the bed with a copper fungicide. This will normally kill the spores. But even if you do nothing, the good news is that this particular fungus is short lived. Once the weather turns drier, the fungus disappears.
I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.
Regards,
Mike