Fungus Growth

I have a border onto which we put hardwood woodchip about 2 years ago. Just recently there is a covering of what I assume is a fungus. It's cream in colour and looks just like a sponge. It grows in clumps about 6" round and about 2" high. Now the clumps appear to be spreading and joining up. Can anyone tell me what it is and how to get rid of it???

 

It is just part of the natural decay process of the woodchips. You want it to gradually decay to provide humus. No need to do anything

 

Thanks for the reply. 2 more questions, if you don't mind....Will it affect any other plants? and is it harmful to cats?

 

Welcome to GC Pear Drop from another Taffy from South Wales.

Sorry I can't answer your questions but someone else is sure to know. Wait a bit and the answers will pop up.

 

Pear drop, can I ask why you are putting hardwood chips on the soil?
As far as I know its not a good idea, as it takes nitrogen out of the soil as it decomposes.

 

We are within site of a woodyard, and it was a cheap alterative to bark. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

I also can get hold of largish quantities of wood chips, but bark used as a top dressing is a bit different.
I have tried hardwood chips and I also had lots of fungi after a while, not that the fungi was a problem, but the chips seemed to form a solid mass when the fungi got going.
It forms a cap on the surface, and has a very different effect to bark. I believe most bark that is sold, is softwood, pine, or similar, hardwoods contain tannins and other strange chemicals that can maybe upset the soil balance.
I could be wrong on this, maybe someone else with a bit more knowledge can help out.

 

I get chippings from Hatfield Forest and they only have deciduous trees like oak, hornbeam, birch etc. No problems and its lovely stuff. I would avoid pine and other conifers because of the resin and they just aren't right for my area. Go local and you can't go wrong. You want your mulch to resemble that of a native forest floor.

 

Yes I know what you mean Hornbeam, but bark is a bit different than the actual timber, I'm pretty sure that the bark in garden centres is pine bark.
No native forest floor is covered in timber chippings, not naturally anyway, thats leafmould,on the forest floor.
I'm trying to say that the material from a saw mill is not really the same as bark, its basically coarse sawdust.

 

Yes I agree. The stuff I get from Hatfield Forest is shredded bark, branches, timber etc - all from their coppice work. What I meant about forest floor is that the mulch there consists not just of leaf mould, but fallen trees, twigs and branches also. All of which is broken down by fungus to feed and form the topsoil. In other words - fungus is natural and desirable otherwise we might just as well buy plastic chippings and use them as a non degradable mulch.. Probably some of the new generation of TV gardening gurus would do just that too! Anything to save work and be "labour saving".

 

I guess we're saying the same thing in a different way. :D

 

I also have been invaded by fungus which is invading through a gravel path. No bark has been used and in fact the plot was only created 18 months ago. Any ideas how I can get rid of it?

 

The fungus that you are seeing is just the "fruiting" part. The fungus itself is below ground and will look like a network of fragile threads. Only honey fungus is harmful so don't worry about it. Yours is just a natural part of autumn. You can buy fungicides but think about the harm you will be doing to nearby plants and animals