problem with soil

Does anyone know what this is?
It's in my soil and looks like some sort of mildew or mould.
How can i get rid of it?

 

Hi Belinda. Mildew is a form of mould and after the wet summer we have just had, then that is, I think, what you have got.

May I refer you to this site:-

mildew

unfortunately, whilst the site mentions soil mildew, it gives no definitive answer.

It may clear itself over the winter, given low temperatures and dry conditions but the problem is getting rid of the spores. A long hot summer is probably the best thing but you aren't going to get that now this year.

I hope daitheplant picks up on this, he will know more about this than me, but if he doesn't, I suggest you send him a PM.

I am sure commercial mildew inhibitors are available, but never having used one I suggest you get David's advice or someone that has dealt with it at first hand.

Sorry I can't tell you more but someone on here should be more help.

 

Hi Belinda. I really don't know what it is. You get mildew on plants, but I have never heard of mildew in the soil itself.

Could it be a fungus? When something like an old piece of wood or a tree stump rots, you often get a fungus growing on it (which is what makes it rot). I don't mean the type that looks like a toadstool, but the one that consists of tiny white thread like strands. If it is, its probably feeding on a particular item and will disappear when that item has been consumed.

 

It's a type of mould that grows on organic material in the process of rotting down I don't think it transfers to plants, you see it a lot in mushroom compost it's not the same as mildew,
Pete I think you are refering to Mycelium these threads are the what mushrooms and fungi gather there nutients with a bit like roots. Just an interesting fact about Mycelium(A mycelium may be minute, forming a colony that is too small to see, or it may be extensive. "Is this the largest organism in the world? This 2,400-acre site in eastern Oregon had a contiguous growth of mycelium before logging roads cut through it. Estimated at 1,665 football fields in size and 2,200 years old, this one fungus has killed the forest above it several times over, and in so doing has built deeper soil layers that allow the growth of ever-larger stands of trees. Mushroom-forming forest fungi are unique in that their mycelial mats can achieve such massive proportions." (Stamets)

 

Wow walnut, have you got some links to that those fields?

 

Hi Belinda and welcome, as Walnut says, it is a mould that usually grows on composting organic material, have you used manure on the garden this year? That is the usual culprit, I wouldn`t worry too much about it as it is part and parcel of the natural decaying process. David.