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What is that slimy stuff in my mulch?

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Fungus Slime Mold

What is that slimy stuff in my mulch?

By Jenn Stumer – Appalachian Creations, Inc.

Fungus mulch
Slime Mold

Every year I get questions on the peculiar looking slimy stuff that shows up in mulch.  I’ve experienced it in my own mulch and have gotten used to it.  But that doesn’t mean everyone else has.  I typically see it more often in newer mulch, but if conditions are right, it can show up anywhere.  Right conditions mean decomposing mulch with extra wetness.  This season has definitely seen its share of extra rain and with it a prolific amount of slimy stuff! 

Slime Mold

The slimy stuff is actually called slime mold.  Some refer to it as dog vomit fungus.  Slime mold mimics the life cycle of fungi but it is not even a fungus at all.  Its scientific name is Fuligo septica and it is categorized into the Kingdom Protista.  Remember high school biology?  There’s actually a complex reason why it is not a fungus but basically it’s because they have no cell wall in their vegetative state. 

Slime mold looks like an animal got sick in the mulch.  It starts out a bright yellow color in slime form then fades to a pale peach color with a thicker, pancake-like consistency.  As it dries out, it turns gray and crusty then finally changes to a fine brown powdery dust.  There is usually no definite shape and the slime can grow and spread out to the size of a pizza.  It is not usually selective but will show up more often in new mulch (mulch that has not decomposed completely).

Slime molds do not have the ability to make their own food.  They get their nutrients from decaying organic matter.  Mulch is organic matter that is constantly breaking down and mixing into the soil layer underneath.  The mold is feeding on the bacteria and other organisms living in the decomposing mulch and is actually important to the decomposition process in much the same way as earthworms are to the soil.  It is helping to build soil and provide nutrients for the plants.

Time Frame for Slime Mold

Slime molds most often appear in spring or fall when moisture levels and temperatures are just right.  I’ve also seen them show up during periods of humidity during the summer if there is a lot of moisture associated with it.   Here in the Lehigh Valley, it is possible for slime mold to be found any time from April through October if conditions are right. 

The Lehigh Valley is not the only place slime molds appear.  They have been found at nearly every altitude and in nearly every habitat in the country and around the world.  They show up in tropical rain forests, and in grasslands.  They have even been found in desert areas.  Sometimes they show up along the edges of disappearing snow banks. 

Slime molds will not go on forever.  They will eventually disappear on their own as the food source becomes exhausted and/or the environmental conditions change.  Once your mulch has gone through its decomposition process, the slime mold will no longer have a food source and it will dry up.  Chances are you won’t see it return again until the next wet period or you give it a new food supply of a fresh layer of mulch. 

Varieties of Slime Mold

Dog stinkhorn fungus
Dog Stinkhorn

Some slime molds, if allowed to follow their life cycle without interruption (removal/conditions change), can grow a stalked structure that looks like a sphere or is popsicle-shaped.  You may have seen these in your mulch as well.  They resemble the reproductive organ of a male dog.  These spheres are the “fruiting body” and they contain the spores.  Spores are extremely resistant to unfavorable growing conditions and can stay dormant for 75 years.   This makes it possible for slime mold to return year after year.  Slime mold spores are triggered by moisture and humidity, so if there are any spores present, it’s a good bet they will follow the life cycle, germinate into slime mold and create the slimy moldy mess in your mulch. 

Other Common Fungi found in Mulch

  • Fungus Mushroom
    Mushrooms
  • Fungus Mycelium2
    Mycelium
  • Fungus Birds nest
    Bird’s Nest

Do’s and Do Not’s

There is no known “treatment” for getting rid of slime mold.  According to multiple internet articles I read, there are apparently no safe or legal chemical products available to use.  When the slime mold shows up in your mulch, here is a short list of Do’s and Do Not’s:

  • Do remove the affected mulch with a shovel, bag it and dispose of it.
  • Do scrape or brush it off any affected plants.
  • Do cultivate (rake) the mulch to release trapped moisture and allow for air drying.
  • Do nothing and it will go away on its own after it has run its course.
  • Do Not attempt to treat the area with bleach or bleach solutions.  It is bad for the soil.
  • Do Not spray with toxic chemicals.  This can harm good organisms in the soil.
  • Do Not try to wash it off.  This allows the slime mold to spread more easily (by swimming).
  • Do Not rake it around back into the mulch.  This just spreads it around.

Rest assured, slime mold did not come with the mulch.  The mulch is not contaminated.  Don’t blame your landscaper or garden supply center. Spores that spawned the slime mold could have come from any number of sources in and around your area.  Slime mold is not harmful to your plants even if it grows onto the plants.  Also according to my research, there is no known danger to humans or animals from inhaling the spores or ingesting the organism. 

The Knock Out Rose

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knock out rose

The Knock Out Rose

by Jenn Stumer – Appalachian Creations, Inc.

For hundreds of years roses have been known to hold symbolic meanings. The Greeks identified the rose with Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.  This was the beginning of humanity’s love affair with these seductive flowers. All over the world roses are used for symbols of love, friendship and compassion. Along with these symbolic meanings, there is also the myth that roses are extremely sensitive, and difficult to grow.  There was truth to that myth…until now.  In comes the Knock Out Rose.

When the Knock Out Roses were introduced, they busted that myth for three reasons.  They are extremely disease resistant, require very little maintenance, and are quite easy to grow.  Plus, an added bonus – It has turned out to be one of the longest blooming roses on the market, blooming from May until well into the late fall months.

The Knock Out Rose was developed by Wisconsin rose breeder William Radler.  He began breeding roses about 20 years ago and focused on developing repeat blooming, cold hardy shrub roses that didn’t get disease (especially black spot and powdery mildew).  Radler crossed seedlings of Carefree Beauty and Razzle Dazzle, both hardy roses with good disease resistance.

The result is the most widely sold rose in North America today.  Radler’s first introduction, ‘Radrazz’ produces clusters of single 2-3-inch diameter cherry red blooms.  In 2000, ‘Radrazz’ won the prestigious All-American Rose award.

From then on, the Knock Out quickly became the fastest selling new rose in history, with 250,000 sold the first year alone.  Today the Knock Out Rose is the most widely sold rose in North America.  Since ‘Radrazz’, Radler has introduced several sister lines, including ‘Radcon’ (pink), ‘Radtko’ (double red or pink), ‘Sunny’ (yellow), ‘Rainbow’ (coral with yellow center), ‘Blushing’ (light pink) and ‘White Out’.  Research and development continues each year to find new members of The Knock Out Family of Roses.  Soon, we can look forward to seeing ‘Coral’ and ‘Peachy’.

Hassle-Free Roses

The Knock Out Roses are easy to grow and do not require special care. They are the most disease resistant rose on the market. The flowers are stunning and profuse with a generous bloom cycle of about 5-6 weeks that will continue until the first hard frost.  All of the varieties are self-cleaning so there is no need to deadhead.

Like most roses, Knock Out is best in full sun or light shade in a fertile, well drained soil. Water and fertilize as the season progresses to ensure plants continue to grow and set new flower buds.

If unpruned, The Knock Out Roses can easily grow to be more than 3-4′ wide by 3-4′ tall.  Periodically trimming them will keep them maintained at a smaller size.  Once a year they should be cut back to about 12-18″ above the ground (late fall or very early spring) for maximum performance.

Knock Out Roses can be planted individually or included in the landscape among shrubs, annuals and perennials. They can be particularly striking used in large groups to create a colorful hedge.

If you are a lover of roses and would like a “hassle-free” rose or two to compliment your landscape, try the Knock Out Rose.  They are a true performer in the right conditions.

The New Landscape

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The New Landscape – By
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If you have ever started from scratch with a landscape you know how tempting it is to fill in the beds with lots of plants.  So many plants look interesting when touring the garden centers that it’s tempting to fit them into the landscape.  Just as with so many other things, landscaping with plants ends up becoming a trial and error process.  What works for one area might not work for another.  A plant doing great for a neighbor down the road might die where you put it.  Who knows why plants flourish for some and die in one week for others?  Why does one plant out of a group of 3 or 5 not perform as well as the others?  Sometimes there just isn’t an explanation.  Sometimes plants just die.

Don’t give in to the temptation to plant as much as will fit.  If you want your landscape to last for 15-20 years, you will have small plants to start and spaces left in between.  Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

¨ Shrubs and trees will grow – some quicker than others

¨ Perennials will spread

¨ Grasses will multiply

¨ Trees and shrubs planted too close will grow into each other (or into your house)

Pay attention to plant maturity sizes either by reading the plant tags or doing your own research.  Try to envision how the plants will look when they have reached their mature size.  Keep spaces open for them to grow into instead of planting them closer together for instant, maximum impact.  As the landscape matures, most of the plants will spread and grow into the space left open for them.  (Or into the plants next to and around them if they are too close together.)  An overloaded landscape will only last a few years before more maintenance is required.  The plants will need to be sheared or trimmed to maintain a smaller size or you will find yourself removing some of them to make room.  Plant bulbs or annuals in the meantime to help fill the void until the installed plants begin reaching their potential.

Nobody wants an overgrown landscape just a few years after planting.  Your landscape should last for a minimum of 15 years before you need to think about removing and replacing plants.  A carefully maintained landscape will last longer.

Pruning shrubs and trees becomes a little more important as they grow larger with maturity.  You will get more longevity out of your landscape with some regular trimming.  We recommend pruning a minimum of once annually after the first 2 years.

Some evergreens are perhaps the hardest to keep manageable.  If let go without trimming, the foliage can become too great to cut back aggressively without exposing bare branches and causing unsightly or irreparable damage.

Deciduous plants can be a bit easier to maintain regularly by size.  Most of the time with a deciduous plant, you can maintain an overgrowth in size by cutting it down significantly during its dormant season (late October through February.)  Otherwise, once annually pruning will be sufficient.

Finally, a note about “No Maintenance.”  There simply is no such thing.  Landscapes can be designed for low maintenance but the no maintenance is impossible.  All plants want some kind of attention at some time or another.  Whether it’s just fertilizer or a healthy pruning or a hefty cutting back in the fall.  Bed edges will only last for a season or two before the grass begins to encroach into the bed or there is no definition left between the bed and the grass.  Yes, you can make a landscape lower maintenance but you cannot make it no maintenance.

Partnering for the Monarch Butterfly

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Partnering for the Monarch Butterfly- – by Jenn Stumer, – Appalachian Creations, Inc.monarch butterfly

Did you know that the monarch butterfly is in crisis?  Even to the point of being considered for the endangered species list?  This is bad news in more ways than one.  The monarch butterfly is North America’s most loved insect and they contribute to the health of our planet by pollinating many types of wildflowers.  This article will discuss how Appalachian Creations, Inc. is partnering for the Monarch Butterfly.

Recently, a concerned group of individuals from the Butterfly Garden Committee of Hope Lutheran Church in Cherryville, PA approached me with a plan to create a butterfly haven.  The location chosen is an area in the Uptown Park in the borough of Northampton, the site of our most recent community landscape project.  The group, headed up by Reverend Jerry Mraz, received the go-ahead from the Northampton Borough Council.  Appalachian will be donating the labor to prepare the proposed sections of the park and the Butterfly Garden Committee will be procuring the milkweed and butterfly plants. The group even went so far as to apply for grants and received approval for $500!

According to the Center for Food Safety, monarch numbers have been declining steadily for the last 20 years.  Although monarchs feed on the nectar of many flowers, they lay their eggs only on certain types of milkweed plants. Monarchs need milkweed to survive because it hosts much of their life cycle.  The eggs hatch into caterpillars and feed on the milkweed through the five stages of their growth.

Unfortunately, milkweeds are often eradicated as noxious weeds. Especially in the last two decades where we saw the introduction of Round-Up Ready (RR) corn and soybeans. Round-Up Ready crops are genetically engineered to survive direct broadcast application of glyphosate.  Glyphosate, (otherwise known as Round-Up) is one of the very few herbicides that is effective on milkweed.  Once absorbed it kills milkweed to the root and prevents regeneration.

There are two other unrelated reasons for the decline of the monarch.  One is the deforestation and development of their winter habitats in Mexico and California.  The other is climate change.  Especially during the last decade, changes in climate have brought on more out-of-season storms, severe temperature drops and excessive rain. The combination of both wet and cold is deadly and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of butterflies.

What can be done?  Obviously, here in the Lehigh Valley, we have very little power over the deforestation/development on the other side of the continent.  And we have absolutely no power over climate change.  Only one resolution remains – we must plant milkweed.  And we must create habitats that attract monarchs.  The Uptown Park Monarch project is just one small step in the direction of partnering for the monarch.

Summer Landscape Tips

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Summer Landscape Tips
By Jenn Stumer, Appalachian Creations, Inc.

           The hum-drum days of summer have finally arrived.  After a dry spring and an extra wet June and July, August is showing us drought-like conditions.  Not only are the lawns drying up but the plants are showing signs of stress as well.  Here are a few summer landscape tips for planning and maintaining your landscape for times such as these.
Plant Drought-Tolerant Perennials in Sunny Areas
To make life easier, make sure that sunny areas are planted with plants that are meant to take a lot of sun. A low-maintenance, water-wise, yet still attractive landscape plan for a sunny area calls for the use of drought-tolerant plants. Some examples are:
Yarrow                                Coneflower                           Salvia
Lavender                            Russian Sage                       Veronica
Artemisia                            Nepeta                                  Black-Eye Susan
It’s nice to liven up a hot sunny location with warm bold colors, such as golden yellows, bright reds and orange with purple accents to vividly stand out in the summertime heat.
Dead-head Annuals & Perennials
Summertime blooms of annuals are greatly enhanced if dead-headed regularly, so they cannot set seed. Perennials should have faded blooms removed to maintain plant strength & some varieties will even re-bloom again later in summer.  If foliage is in need of shearing, don’t cut back plants by more than 1⁄2 to avoid excessive stress & poor root growth.
Be Prepared to Water
Summer’s most important job, especially now, is watering.  If rains do not provide at least 1” of water every 5-7 days, then a deep soaking of your plants may be necessary.  Trees & Shrubs/every 10-14 days; Perennials in established beds/every 10-14 days; perennials in new plantings/every 7-10 days; and annuals in beds every 5-7 days…depending on soil type & weather conditions.  And finally just a few handy things to remember for additional protection
  • Spray plants with water during daytime to avoid spider mites development. Drought and heat encourage spider mites infestations.
  • Mulch around plants to prevent weed growth. It also helps in retaining soil nutrients and moisture.
  • Remove weeds because they compete with water and nutrients.
Apply these summer landscape tips to your landscape and your plants will thank you!

The Tiger Lily – The Common Orange Daylily

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  Tiger Lily

  Tiger Lily Hemerocallis fulva

          by Jenn Stumer

Appalachian Creations, Inc.

The Tiger Lily… Famous for appearing along roadsides from coast to coast, this common wildflower is known by a host of different names in different parts of the world. Some may know it as Tawny Daylily or Roadside Lily, Ditch Lily or Railroad Lily.

This common orange daylily was introduced into the United States in the late 19th century as an ornamental perennial. This is the one found in every grandmother’s garden and the one seen blooming right now along roadsides from coast to coast. It is the number one daylily to naturalize. Once established, it multiplies and spreads to form dense patches that overwhelm all weeds. It requires no care and is tolerant of any soil (although it really LOVES moist and wet soils which is why it grows so well in roadside ditches. It loves shade but will also flourish in sun as well.

Once quite popular with homeowners and landscapers for the large, showy flowers, hardiness and the ability to spread, nowadays, the Tiger Lily has fallen a bit to the wayside in landscape designs simply because it can be an aggressive spreader. Some even consider it invasive. Taking their place is the new hybrid Daylilies that vary in height, color and length of blooming period.

Where does the Tiger Lily get its Name?

The Tiger Lily gets its “Lily” name from the similarity of the flower to other lilies. True lilies carry the genus name “Lilium.” Some major differences are: Daylilies grow from tuberous roots and Lilies grow from bulbs. Daylily flowers last only one day and Lily flowers can last up to a week. The foliage differs as well with Daylilies having long, flat blades that grow in clumps. The Lily has one, single unbranched stem from the bulb. There is actually a true Lily bearing the name “Tiger Lily” that has large orange flowers covered in spots.

The Tiger Lily can grow up to four feet tall and produce numerous 4-5” flowers on their stems. The tiger lily flower only lasts one day and is actually edible. Dried or fresh flowers are used in Asian cooking and are known as “golden needles.” The shoots and roots are also edible and when baked, lily roots are said to taste like potatoes! Oh and did I mention they attract butterflies and hummingbirds???

Tiger Lily (3)

Landscape Articles to be published…

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Jenn Stumer landscape articlesAppalachian Creations, Inc., a landscape contracting company based in Northampton PA, is pleased to announce that owner Jenn Stumer will once again be a contributing writer this spring and summer for the Lehigh Valley Trader and submitting landscape articles to be published.  Jenn Stumer and Appalachian Creations, Inc. have been providing landscaping services in the Lehigh Valley area since 2001. They specialize in landscape design, landscape installation & maintenance, as well as all aspects of property maintenance.  Jenn began writing informative, educational articles for her landscape business newsletter since the business began in 2001. Her articles have been published in the Lehigh Valley Trader, on Angie’s List and various local newspapers.  Jenn also writes and publishes her articles on the Appalachian Creations, Inc. website blog in addition to the bi-annual company newsletter. The articles cover a variety of topics from plant care and maintenance to landscape design to issues related to current climate conditions. Watch for her informative articles starting with the March 19 issue of the Lehigh Valley Trader.

Dog Days of Summer

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dog days of summerThe Dog Days of Summer – by Jenn Stumer, Appalachian Creations, Inc.

June 21st marked the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.  The time in the annual orbit that our part of the earth is tilted closest to the sun.  Temperatures are finally reaching what we call normal after what seemed like a much-lengthened Spring.  Long winter, long spring.  Will this be a pattern for our seasons this year?  Are we in for extended “Dog Days of Summer?”

Where did the Dog Days of Summer come from anyway?  The phrase actually dates back to ancient times.  Different groups of people in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars.  The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different images than the Europeans.  These star pictures are now called constellations and are now mapped out in the sky.

Some of the images the constellations make are in the form of animals.  For instance Ursa=Bear, Taurus=Bull and Canis=Dog.  The brightest of the stars in the Canis Major constellation is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky.

During late July, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun.  The ancients believed that when it did this, it added its heat to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather.  They named this period of time, from 20 days before to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star Sirius.  Today, because of the gradual drifting of the constellations over time, the dog days occur during the period between July 3 and August 11.  Thanks to modern science we all know that the dog star did not actually add heat to anything like the ancients thought.  The hot days of summer are a direct result of the earth tilting closer to the sun.

Knowing that the phrase “Dog Days of Summer” has its roots in ancient times doesn’t change the fact that they are upon us!  How many times this past harsh winter did we long for just such a change of temperature?  The summer season holds all kinds of treasures from family vacations to lazy days lounging pool side to summer projects.  Kids enjoy the gift of no school…and the dogs…well they enjoy “dog days of Summer” too!

Rest assured, we are on the downward swing towards shorter days, cooler temperatures and changing seasons.  Even if we have an extended summer, before you know it…we will be asking ourselves, “Where did the Summer go?”

The Hummingbirds Are Here!

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Hummingbird 3          Hummingbirds are Here! by Jenn Stumer – Appalachian Creations. Inc.

        With cooler temperatures lending such a late start to this spring season, it’s been easy to forget about the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  Imagine my delight when I saw one hovering over the burgundy pansies in my hanging baskets!  I knew there were very little options for food for them so I hung my liquid feeder the same day.  Of course the arrival of this Archilochus colubris, prompted me to research more information on them.  Which I’m happy to share!

          Ruby-throated Hummingbirds begin their migration from the south and arrive around the same time every year regardless of the temperatures in our area.  They need the warmth of the sun, and they need food sources as soon as they arrive.   This cooler weather prevents them from feeding, and forces them to go into torpor, a state of being still and stiff, in order to conserve energy.  If they can’t find food to generate warmth, they might not survive.

          Hummers will feed every 15-20 minutes all day long.  An adult bird can eat twice their body weight in one day but it burns this up with the high metabolism necessary to sustain its rapid wing beat and aerodynamic maneuvers.  Nectar is their primary source of food from which they gain carbohydrates for energy.  But they do not suck nectar as you would expect them to (as in drinking through a straw). They place their open bill in the feeder and lick up the nectar at a high rate of speed similar to how a cat drinks.  The birds will also catch and eat insects and spiders that will provide them with fats and proteins. They will spend more time eating insects to fatten up as the time draws near for their southern migration. 

          The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common hummingbird in our area. The adult males migrate north several days before the females and young males in order to claim their territory.  The territory is usually rich in nectar-containing flowers and could cover a quarter acre or more.  Hummers are extremely protective of their food source and will defend their territory by chasing intruders out of their space.  They will descend aggressively upon cats, squirrels, butterflies, moths, bees, larger birds and even humans to defend their territory.  Even the female builds her nest away from the male territory.  

          Ruby-throated Hummingbirds like to nest in deciduous or mixed woodland areas often near or over water.  The female alone builds the nest usually on a downward facing tree branch anywhere between 4’-50’ off the ground.  She will use old flowers and leaves and lichen on the outside.  The inside is lined with soft plant down and spider’s silk.  The outside diameter is no bigger than a half dollar.  Old nests are reused for several seasons and refurbished every year. 

          Female Hummingbirds provide all the care for the babies.  They lay 1-3 eggs, incubating them for about two weeks.  Upon hatching, the young are no bigger than peas.  They are blind and featherless and virtually helpless, in need of constant care.  They are fed by the female as she is hovering.  She inserts her bill into the baby’s throat and pumps in nectar and insects.  Because brooding periods vary with the weather, a female may have several broods in a season. 

          Hummingbirds have unique skeletal and flight muscle adaptations that enable them to have high maneuverability in flight.  Muscles make up 25-30% of their body weight.  Their wings connect to the body only from the shoulder joint.  From this joint the wing rotates almost 180 degrees.  This allows the bird to move freely in any direction.  They can fly not only forward but also straight up and down, sideways and backwards.  And of course they can hover in order to drink nectar and eat insects.  During hovering, their wings beat an average of 53 beats per second.  When moving backwards, 61 beats per second and an astonishing 75 beats per second when moving forward.  When they fly, they always follow regular routes.  This is called traplining.  

          Hummers have more feathers per square inch than any other bird and have no down feathers. Many of the feathers are iridescent and require sunlight to show colors.  The ruby-throated adult male sports the tell-tale brilliant red throat.  The immature males may show some slight coloring in this area but do not fully mature until the following spring.

           Hummingbirds are guided by sight.  They can see the color red, especially large groups of it, from over half a mile away.  But they are not only attracted to red.  Orange, pink, purple, white and blue flowers will also draw them. 

          Hummingbirds share favorite plants with butterflies.  Mimosa, butterfly bush, shrub verbena, monarda and hollyhock are a few examples.  Cardinal vine, trumpet vine, honeysuckle, rose of Sharon, and Rhododendron are Hummingbird magnets.  They are also attracted to artificial feeders.   And they love dripping water.  They will fly through it instead of perching on a bird bath.

          The oldest known Ruby-throated Hummingbird on record is 9 years and 1 month of age. Almost all hummingbirds of 7 years or more in age are females, with males rarely surviving past 5 years of age.  Possible reasons for a higher mortality rate in males may be weight loss during the breeding season (it takes a lot of energy to defend its territory), followed by a grueling marathon migration south. 

          The Ruby-throats are back!  And the late start to spring may be hindering them from keeping up with their regular diet.  Not much to be done about the cool temperatures but if you have an artificial feeder, fill it and put it out!  In researching this article, I learned a good bit about them that I didn’t know before.  I hope you enjoy reading it!