Pictures might be helpful - I can only imagine what this may be - maybe roots from a nearby tree?

Sharon, from my far away vantage point, I can only offer what I know to be true-that most such mycelial mats are not only not harmful, but are very often the fungal mycellium of a beneficial fungal species. Yes, they can repel water, and yes, plant pathogens of some types do also form a mass like you describe, but I wouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that this is something which must be eradicated. Usually, fungal mycellia are there because there is organic matter to be broken down. This too is a beneficial, in fact necessary, process. Were it not for these organism's abilities to reduce dead organic matter back into its constituent elements, we'd be up to our eyeballs in old dead stuff.

But you are having this problem, so let's see: One thing that golf course guys sometimes do when a section of the fairway develops a similar situation is to douse the area with a wetting agent. We discussed these materials at some length right here in this forum recently, so if you do a search, you should be able to recover that material. Why don't you start there and see where we get?

+oM

Wisconsitom what do you mean by a wetting agent? Do I just search the word wetting agent or is there something else I should put in the search engine.

Probably a soap type spray. Put Dawn in a sprayer and try that. I have no idea what they are advising as I'm new to Florida growing also, but wetting agents are usually soap.

Jane

Not exactly. The folks at Procter and Gamble (just using this as an example) use whatever ingredients are cheapest that production run, or month, or whatever timeframe. Horticultural wetting agents are much more highly specialized detergent-like compounds which will behave exactly the same every time you use them. The same can't be said about home-made concoctions using off-label materials.

So, for one example, and a fairly inexpensive one at that, look up Lesco's Wet Plus. This liquid preparation is one we use in our tank for our flower beds around town. It really helps and I think if you are able to source it or a similar product, you will be pleasantly surprised at how readily water will flow down through this mycelial layer. Now when I say inexpensive, please realize, horticultural wetting agents tend to be rather premium items. I think I'm paying something like a hundred bucks for the 2.5 gal. jug we've got right now. Believe it or not, that's cheap.

Two ways of using such a product are: One-time heavy application, via mixing with water or spraying onto problem area....or, constant mix with just a little bit of product, but at each watering. The latter is the approach which makes the most sense for what I'm using the stuff for, but in your case, you may want to find the info on the label about making just the one, or maybe several, heavier apps.

I hope this helps. These materials can really make a difference.

+oM

I'm posting these of Sharon's soil problem for her

Looks like roots to me. Fungal mycellia is almost always bright white, not a dull color like shown here. Likely, there is a lustily-growing tree or shrub nearby and it is simply doing what it does-colonizing the site.

One caveat: I don't live in FL, though I do get down there most years, but it is at at least possible you've got something there that is throwing me off. But I doubt it.

+oM

I agree with Tom, it looks like roots to me. It might be from a tree that was taking down before and they did not get all the roots or from a nearby tree. My neighbor has a tall maple and I get the overgrown roots on my side of the fence.

Silvia

It also gauges out too big to be fungal mycellium. Sure, there are agressive species of wood-rotting fungi in particular, that can have big, thick ropey mycellium, but not this thick. Those are roots. And BTW, these wood-rotting fungi are good guys, not bad. They reduce woody debris in the soil into fine humus-ready for new plants to colonize. It is, in essence, the reason a "woodsy" soil is so nice.

+oM