Found in my raised garden boxes by the cucumbers and tomato plants - Ask Extension
Please let me know what this is and how do I deal with it or do I need to deal with it or perhaps leave it alone and it will go away. It is fairly sha...
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Found in my raised garden boxes by the cucumbers and tomato plants #877651
Asked July 17, 2024, 2:44 PM EDT
Please let me know what this is and how do I deal with it or do I need to deal with it or perhaps leave it alone and it will go away. It is fairly shallow rooted as I took it off the top of one of the boxes and put in the trash.
Thoughts?
Minnehaha County South Dakota
Expert Response
Hi Barbara,
This looks like some type of slime mold that has grown on the top of the soil. This is likely due to the wet/moist conditions we've had, and was probably already present in the soil, potting mix, or plants that you transplanted, especially if there was woody material in the soil You can remove it, otherwise it will slowly dry up and go away when the soil dries out more. It won't hurt your vegetables, but if it does form on the plants it can block the light.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/slime-mold-looks-ugly-garden-does-no-harm
Sincerely,
Robin
