Bizarre something in the soil

15 years ago

Okay, I can't post pictures yet. (too much to do and no time to load photos into programs I don't have yet)...HOWEVER, I'm finding the strangest...fungus(?)...in my raised bed.

A squirrel dug one up, took a bite and left it. I dug a little more, and found golf ball sized, white, squishy, looks like an abandoned marshmallow, clear and grey and slimy on the inside THINGS that have either a very feathery root system (or umbilical cords...eeeewwwww).

I'm sure that they're something in the mushroom family, but they grow (live?) about 2" under the surface of the soil and doesn't seem to differentiate between the damper and dryer parts of the garden.

I didn't see this last year, same soil, amended. Nor, is it in the south bed, which has all greens...

Anyone else have squishy golf balls in their gardens?

Good or bad? I have earthworms in the same bed...they seem to be fine. Everything's growing well...

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Comments (8)

SaintPFLA
15 years ago
Get rid of it! They spread when they bloom! It's called 'Dinosaur Egg fungus' before it blooms...then, 'dog poop fungus' once it blooms....you'll know why they named it "that". Trust me!
SaintPFLA
15 years ago
It's also called, "Stink Horn fungus". If you do a search on that name, you'll learn all you need to know about it.

It reeks.
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deannac
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you! Will do! Hope it does no damage to the plants, although I suspect it's taking a LOT of water from the bed!
SaintPFLA
15 years ago
It doesn't do any damage to plants from anything I have seen or read.

I have had problems with them for the last 2 years due to not catching them in time prior to the 'stink bloom'. Since it's a fungus, the spores go everywhere. You cannot see it happen. One day, you smell something foul in your lantana bed and sure enough, it's a stink horn in bloom.

Flies are attracted to the foul smell as are other bugs which helps to pollinate it. At least when you find them in the small, egg phase, they are easy to dig up and remove.

I don't know about the water part....you might be right. I never thought about that part!
deannac
Original Author
15 years ago
Dug up another 4 this morning...the squirrels help me to find them. They dig, pull one up (or part of the way up) and leave it. I go in and dig in a foot circle and sure enough, there they are...

I've not had one bloom yet (eeek!) So far, so good...

Is there any way to get rid of them besides digging out all the soil and replacing it? None of them have had a chance to bloom as I've gotten into the habit of searching the garden every morning.

I suppose they might die when I do a soil solarization (to bake out nematodes), but that means giving up an entire 50 sq ft bed for 6 weeks. Hmmm...
SaintPFLA
15 years ago
I am not aware of one. Would like to know if you find out, as I have to remove them the same way you do...find them and dig then up.

You're lucky the squirrels find them and eat them. Mine sure don't. I do believe that if you pull those fine, feathery roots that also helps prevent new ones. But, since it's a fungus, it's really microscopic spores that cause it to grow.

Trust me....much less 'eeew' factor BEFORE they bloom! ;-)

I don't mind the soft egg things as much as the bloom from the stink horn. Yuck!

I'm also dealing with the Dog Vomit fungus now. Yes - looks like dog vomit....lovely.
deannac
Original Author
15 years ago
Missed one...Found a bloom this morning. I find the scent isn't nearly as bad as dog poop (I have a kennel) but I know that I'm going to have to surrender the entire bed to solarization...found the bloom in the sugar snaps...ugh. I have NO idea where they came from...never had them before and one bloomed UNDER the soil!

Saintpfla, the squirrels don't eat them, just expose them...I'm going to cull the rest of the broccoli in that bed and go ahead let it dry out...I'm thinking about taking ALL of the soil out and redoing the whole thing...what a mess.
SaintPFLA
15 years ago
If you find it Day 1...not so bad. But, they can crop up between fences or places out of reach and they get worse over the days. They are designed to stink (hence the name StinkHorn) to attract flies, etc to pollinate it. So, longer it's open the stinkier it gets.

I don't know where they came from in my yard either. I sorta wonder if they were in the mulch from HD?