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Dog Vomit Slime Mold on my Mulch! Here’s How to Prevent or Reduce it.

May 9, 2013 By: Anna11 Comments

I love mulched beds.   Although mulch suppresses the weeds and holds in moisture for our plants, it has its ugly side too.  In the middle of summer,  dog vomit slime mold (Fuligo septica.) shows up.  You know what I am talking about.  It look like your neighbor’s dog threw up in your garden beds.  It can be yellow, orange or white.   So, what is a weed hater to do?

What is Dog Vomit Fungus?

Dog vomit slime gives me the willies.   But it is quite harmless.  According to the Chicago Gardner:

“We see it in just part of its life cycle, as a plasmodium, which essentially is one giant cell with millions of nucleii. It is formed when two spores come together in something a little bit like sex and begin dividing into a large creeping blob of protoplasm surrounded by a single membrane. The plasmodium moves by slowly flowing or streaming, gradually engulfing and consuming fungi and bacteria that are present on decaying plant matter.”

In fact, some native Mexicans gather it and scramble it like eggs.   The fungus is generally found in mulch especially in gardens and parks where the beds are watered.

Aw, the perfect fungus storm.

Can’t Live With the Throw Up?

But honestly, if you can’t live with the throw-up, here are some ideas of how to prevent or remove it.

1.   Switching to pine bark, pine straw or cedar mulch will lessen the possibility of  the fungus.  (Note, we will be discussing artillery fungus spores later, so be sure to check out which mulches are best to prevent those spores. Artillery fungus spore appear on light colored houses and cars.  Lovely.  And, yes,  I have them on my house. )

2.  According to Iowa State University Extension, the slime needs moisture to thrive.  Simply rake the mulch (or grass.)  Raking introduces air which helps dry out the slime.

3.  See if you are watering that area of your garden too much.  Slime loves moisture.  (See here how to determine how much to water your plants.)

4.  Don’t spray the slime with water to remove it.  You will be adding fuel to the fire.  Slime loves moisture.

5.  If you are pro-active, Garden Guides suggests raking the mulch every few days during the times of year when there is high humidity.  This may prevent the dog slime.

6.  Time is on your side.  The mold will dry up and then disappear.

Click here to Tweet ===> How to Prevent or Reduce Dog Slime Vomit on Your Mulch.

Talking about mulch, be sure to read my how to mulch your trees properly.  Let’s not smother them to death.

Join the Conversation:

  • Do you get dog vomit slime on your mulch or grass?
  • How do you deal with the slime?
  • Are you using pine bark, pine straw or cedar mulch and if so, do you get dog slime?

Photo by Doug Beckers

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About Anna

Anna Hackman is the editor of Green Talk, and owner of The Naked Botanical and a avid (okay obsessed) gardener. She also loves video and podcasting and hosts Green Talk TV and Green Talk Radio. Her most important role is being a mother of four boys.

Chat with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest , and Google+.

Comments

  1. 1

    gigadot says

    September 11, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    have dog vomit fungus in soil, it is slowly killing the plants, any way to get rid of it?

    Reply
    • 2

      Anna@Green Talk says

      September 16, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      Gigadot, I don’t think that fungus would be killing your plants. Perhaps you have too much mulch around the base of the plants. Mulch can smother the plants. Anna

      Reply
  2. 3

    Anthony says

    June 7, 2017 at 11:57 am

    OK how do I get rid of the vomit fungus? Is there something to put on it

    Reply
    • 4

      Anna says

      June 7, 2017 at 2:09 pm

      Anthony, I just rack it under the mulch. I don’t know if there is anything you can spray on it. Anna

      Reply
  3. 5

    Cynthia says

    July 5, 2017 at 3:19 am

    At the beginning of the day it looked like a small pile of yellow pollen and by the end of the day it had grown so large and full it was a bit scary! It’s a relief to know it’s not dangerous and is a natural process. Also very interesting to learn about a new organism. Thank you!

    Reply
  4. 6

    Brittany says

    March 18, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    I found dog vomit slime today in one of my pots that I have cedar mulch in… though I sprayed it with my water hose to see what it was before I knew not to do so, so we’ll see what it looks like tomorrow. Yuck! 🤢

    Reply
  5. 7

    Cathy says

    June 27, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    Has anyone else gotten sick from breathing in the black dust that rises from the dog vomit slime when you disturb it? Both my husband and I got lung / throat infections! I can’t find any information on this

    Reply
    • 8

      happyplant says

      June 13, 2019 at 11:06 am

      It can cause rhinitis/asthma in sensitive persons. I found this on a university garden site, but forget which one.

      Reply
    • 9

      Deb porter says

      October 23, 2022 at 9:35 pm

      it gave me a nosebleed about one hour after I dispersed it with a stream of water from a hose… nasty stuff. smelled awful..

      Reply
  6. 10

    Lee says

    July 17, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    Can I use baking soda, or vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide to get rid of it or prevent it coming back?

    Reply
    • 11

      Anna says

      July 18, 2020 at 9:55 am

      Lee, just break it up. It just needs to dry out. Raking it will dry it out. It is a fungus.

      Reply

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