Last year during the fall my husband and I noticed that we were starting to get some sort of fungus in our backyard. It stayed pretty small and we dug up the area that it was in and thought that it might help. After a few weeks it was back with a vengance and it spread to the area around the original spot. With a warm winter (Texas) and some rain here and there-it kept growing. Now all the grass around the area had died and we are starting to get sink holes (approx 4-5 of them) that are 3-4" deep. We have lived in this house for 2 years and have never seen anything like this before. When we mow...we start in the front and them move to the back but now...it is spreading to the front yard-I guess the lawn mower contaminated it. We have already done the weed and feed for the spring and it didn't touch it. These are the links to my photobucket acct that will show what I have. The first 2 pics are in the backyard-normal and then a closer view. The 3rd pic is what is starting in my front yard. Any help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance :) -Carla http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/CarlaB72/Personal Photos/Lawn/By1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/CarlaB72/Personal Photos/Lawn/Byuc.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/CarlaB72/Personal Photos/Lawn/Fy.jpg
If you can send or take a sample to your Agri. Extension office they could help, otherwise ask about a fungicide at a reputable lawn place or nursery, because you don't want to throw out the baby (good growth) with the bathwater.
Sounds like a slime mold to me. To quote Dr. Tom Volk at The University of Wisconsin: (the quote is on this page, but the main topic of that page is a fungus, not a slime mold)
Thanks for your answers everyone. Concrete or pavement is not an option considering the neighborhood might not like that. I took a sample to be looked at today...1st place hadn't a clue and the 2nd place said that he had seen it before but wasn't sure it could be killed by anything that they had but suggested a product that is a fungicide, algeacide and some more stuff. It can't hurt by no means. Told us that if it did indeed work to please let him know. So we came home and dug it out again but went a lot deeper this time and in the process-we found our sink hole reasons...a tree root that is rotting. I will tell you though, when I was obtaining my sample-it smelt like fresh mushrooms. I think I will be skipping the mushrooms on my next salad from now on.
Hello, I was wondering if the fungicide, algeacide mixture worked? I have the same fungus/mold growing in my plant bed and am concerned about a Japanese maple sitting in the same bed. I'm wondering if I should replant my tree. Thank you. Virginia
No Virginia-the algeacide/fungicide didn't work. It still comes back every 2-3 months after it is dug up. Good thing is with new fill dirt all of the grass has came back
Hi Carla, thank you for the info. I may try to dig up some of the mold and replace the soil for asthetics. Hopefully it will stop growing as the weather changes. Thanks again!
