Dog vomit fungus (also known as Fuligo septica, dog vomit slime mold, and scrambled egg slime) is a frothy blotch that appears in gardens and yards after a spell of rainfall or when newly mixed mulch is scattered, most commonly in late spring or early summer. They are normally found in moist and shady areas. Lets dive deep into How To Get Rid Of Dog Vomit Fungus in detail.
If you have researched a bit about them, you must have seen their pictures in yellow color, but let me tell you they can be found in various colors. They are called dog vomit fungus because they resemble dog vomit. Slime moulds like dog vomit are saprophytic, and if you need a little about Biology, it means that they nourish on dying organic matter.
How Does Dog Vomit Fungus Grow?
Dog vomit fungus creates spores by using wind. Spores are reproductive cells, which can develop into another individual cell, without mixing up with any other reproductive cell.
They are more prone to thrive in cold and wet weather. However, they are extremely tough and can withstand even the hottest and driest conditions.
The spores can live for years while looking for the right temperatures and environment to develop. When sleeping spores are exposed to their favorite hot, wet conditions, they absorb moisture and break open, releasing a swarming sphere.
Just after this whole process, yucky looking dog vomit fungus appears in your garden out of nowhere.
Dog vomit fungus can be found in wooden mulches, along the edges of timber, on waste, and rarely on lawn grass, especially if the lawn has a lot of thatch. Unusually, this fungus is sometimes found in the mulch itself.
Where Does Dog Vomit Fungus Grow?
Bright Areas
This Dog vomit fungus is most commonly found in shady places, although it may also be found in bright and sunny areas. The growing point becomes black, generates spores, and then rots away after its development period.
Soil
This dog vomit fungus is most commonly seen on mulch and other rotting plant materials, it feeds on them. Your grass may have a lot of thatch, which is why you are encountering this fungus.
Moisture
Dog vomit fungus thrives in moist places and on damp materials. After a strong rainfall, the spores can survive for a long time and hatch. The fruiting body will degrade if the vomit fungus dries up because of the lack of humidity.
To generate spores, the vomit fungus will frequently migrate to a drier environment. You should never water it, or the area around it, to stop its growth.
Humidity and Temperature
While optimum circumstances are damp, wet, and humid, dog vomit fungus can be found in any environment.
Piles of waste
Dog vomit fungus can grow in fertilizers and compost piles of dung.
How To Control Dog Vomit Fungus
To avoid and save your garden from dog vomit fungus, I recommend switching from lumber or woody mulches to artificial and inorganic mulches, such as gravel.
However, it is not any big of an issue for most garden owners because it hardly ever harms plants, you might as well leave it alone and expect drier weather in the future so you will not be dealing with it again very soon.
How To Get Rid Of Dog Vomit Fungus
Dog vomit fungus is no doubt nasty. On the lawn, anything that looks like vomit is a disturbing view. Dog vomit fungus in garden mulch or other locations, on the other hand, are not dangerous to you or your pets; therefore, they don’t need to be removed.
However, if you wish to remove the vomit fungus, you can follow the steps mentioned below:
Mow Lawn
One of the easiest and simplest ways to get rid of dog vomit fungus is to mow the lawn using a mower. It will destroy and break apart the fruiting bodies.
Spray
Once the area has dried, use a sprayer to blast the dog vomit with a strong water spray to split it up. Spraying the ground while it is still wet helps it to grow. So, make sure to spray on dried soil.
Plant Cutting
To get rid of dog vomit, cut the damaged areas of your garden plants.
Usage Of Chemicals
Although, it is not worth the hassle if you want to remove the dog vomit fungus through chemicals if you still want to use chemicals, below mentioned are some of the chemicals, which can come in handy:
- Baking Soda
- Potassium Bi-Carbonate
- Hydrogen Peroxide
Use Shovel
Another easy way to get rid of dog vomit fungus is to lift the affected area of soil with a shovel and throw it in a dump. Remember that its germs can cause the fungus to grow again so make sure that you lift a big area around to fungus, to eliminate all the fungus.