Black stuff in garden, what is it?

Hello All,

This is my first post here and hopefully not going to be last. I am in bit of help about something I see in my garden and I am not sure what it is.

Please see the attached pictures. Initially I thought it was foxes doing the mess so i covered the whole area with a white frost fabric to put them off but this morning the cover was blown due to storm bert and I can see the black stuff is every where.

Anyone know what it is and what can I do to make it go away. Its so unsightly and make walking in garden almost impossible as its so disgusting looking.

it does not smell or anything and i can wash it with water but its just so much and make garden look disgsting,

 

Worm casts? is your soil very dark? If it is worm casts it’s a sign of a healthy biosphere.

 

Hi, They are worm castings. Harmless and easily solved with a light raking/brush.

More info here Worm casts in lawns / RHS

 

Agree. As above rake/brush when dry. Its a good sign that you have viable, fertile, soil. Colour suggests good level of essential organic material.Could be a result of worms needing to move deeper due to colder conditions or saturated topsoil. Worms pass soil through themselves when digging as they cannot throw it over their shoulders....

 

But they look disgusting and stand out in grass. Also when walking bare foot it gets on your legs etc. is there a way to reduce or remove them? Brushing seems to smear them around as they are generally wet

 

Gardening is about patience, my old ma always used to say. You are going to have to wait for a dry spell. Like maybe April.

PS. You are a braver man than I am, Gungadin, walking barefoot in this weather.

 

You could poison the worms or let the grass grow longer so that you cannot see them.

 

I hope you're 'joking' about the poison, @NigelJ. Trouble is, a new gardener might just take the suggestion seriously!

 

Worm casts come and go depending on the weather. Just kick them about a bit until it is dry enough to sweep them into the grass.

 

I use a spring tine rake turned upside down (with the tines facing upwards) and sweep it across the lawn to disperse the worm casts. It’s best done when the lawn is dry. Having a good worm population in your lawn will appeal to blackbirds, especially at this time of year.

 

Its not disgusting its nature.

 

I tell myself that every time I clean out the cat’s litter tray.

 

Not really a serious suggestion, but the Victorians used to do it and until relatively recently so did golf clubs as nobody wants there balls deflected by wormcasts as they glide across the smooth, level green towards the hole.
Traditionally it used to be a besom that was used to scatter dried wormcasts.
Could be worse; the abundance of worms might have attracted moles, but at least mole hills are easier to see and walk around.

 

I just 'hopscotch' around the lawn treading on them and flattening them. The reasonably regular rainfall soon washes the residue in. It keeps the neighbours amused, too