29
votes
Accepted
Why did my sweet corn kernels grow into this?
That's corn smut, a fungus. It's edible and a part of Mexican cuisine. I doubt that you need to notify the authorities, but given that USDA has been trying for decades to eradicate it in the US, it's ...
- 20.4k
15
votes
Accepted
Please identify this green jello organism
Not doing well with searches involving your location, but it looks very like "Nostoc Commune" which is a cyanobacterium.
Image from the linked Ohio State University web page. Limiting ...
- 25.7k
11
votes
mushrooms in raised garden beds around strawberries
It's one of the bonnet mushrooms, not sure which - maybe Mycena acicula, the orange bonnet, but they will do no harm to your strawberries. These are just the fruiting bodies of mycelium present in the ...
- 135k
9
votes
Please identify this green jello organism
Wow. Thanks to the links provided by @Ecnerwal, I found that Nostoc Commune and related goops are truly fascinating organisms. A few random facts that deserve to be recorded here in an answer:
It’s a ...
- 365
8
votes
How can I get rid of fungus on my pepper plants?
There appears to be a long standing insect infestation, possiby whitefly (does anything rise up and fly about when you go near or disturb the plant?) or scale infestation of some sort. The leaves ...
- 135k
8
votes
Accepted
What are these small white balls that appeared on the soil in my greenhouse?
How impressive!
I think you can relax - this is not a sign of a massive insect infestation and not a fungus, but one of nature’s wonders known as slime mold.
The “eggs” are the spore-carrying ...
- 16.9k
7
votes
Accepted
How can I get rid of fungus on my pepper plants?
Your close up leaf images show an aphid infestation. In my experience, this is a highly persistent insect that infests chili plants amongst others with over 500 different types of Aphids specific to ...
- 23.4k
6
votes
Why is this years-old vine dying and showing strange beige spots?
The plant is Rhoicissus rhomboidea 'Ellen Danica', common name Mermaid Vine, though its often referred to as grape ivy. At first glance, rust infection springs to mind, but a closer examination ...
- 135k
6
votes
Are these mushrooms poisonous and how can I get rid of them?
It's a member of the order Agaricales. Which contains many edible mushrooms such as the white mushrooms you buy in the store as well as very poisonous mushrooms such as the European destroying angel.
...
- 509
6
votes
Accepted
How to get rid of this white fungus
These are Parasola plicatilis, the pleated inkcap. They are saprobic, meaning they live off decaying matter in the soil, and these fruiting bodies are usually short lived. Common in grass, but ...
- 135k
6
votes
Accepted
Identify brown fungus growing on dead branches of an Escarpment Live Oak
It is a little hard to tell for sure from the single photo (if you could pick a specimen & post more detailed photos including the underside & provide a description of the texture, it would ...
- 1,760
6
votes
What are these fungus-like things in my tree?
It is lichen, yes - if it's only excessive on dead branches, that's why it's proliferating, because the wood is dead, although it does occur on live branches or trunks of trees as well, though not ...
- 135k
6
votes
What is this grey-white mold/fungus below my tree?
There's no reason to believe that this fungus is causing harm to your plant, and there's really no way to get rid of it without killing your plant. The soil appears to have a lot of coarse organic ...
- 238
5
votes
Accepted
What are these things in my house plant?
These are fungi, specifically, Nidulariales, commonly known as cup fungi or birds nest fungi. The little 'eggs' inside are actually spores, though yours look like they may already have dispersed. The ...
- 135k
5
votes
Accepted
What's this (yellow, rubbery thing - pic attached) I found in my Box Hedge plant?
The thing you found is a fishing lure! A bird probably dropped it there.
- 84
5
votes
How can I get rid of fungus on my pepper plants?
My method: take all peppers and flowers. Then put in the soil some "Actara". This should be enough to save the plant, and not to poison yourself.
Usually I take some pepper and I plant it again: they ...
- 14.7k
5
votes
Are these mushrooms poisonous and how can I get rid of them?
Not sure which varieties of mushroom they are, but even if they are poisonous, that's only the case if you decide to throw them in a casserole or fry 'em up for breakast, so just don't eat them. The ...
- 135k
5
votes
Accepted
What is this white fungus on my oak tree?
I think it might be Woolly Aphid, specifically Woolly Oak Aphid, especially as you're in Florida. The only thing I'm not sure of is I can't find anything that says this particular form of woolly aphid ...
- 135k
5
votes
Accepted
How can I discourage mycelium and other fungi growth in containers?
It's not something you should worry about - there's no way of getting rid of mycelium without using completely sterile soil. Even if you did that, the air is full of fungal spores and they may arrive ...
- 135k
5
votes
What are these specks of white fuzz in some of my potting soil?
It is fungal in nature, some sort of saprophyte trying to break down the organic components of the potting soil. Try less water or better ventilation/drainage. You could try taking it outside for ...
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
What disease does my Spinach have?
I'm not 100% sure because the black parts are blurry, but your "mold" looks suspiciously like aphids. I think I can see at least one specimen that's clear enough to see the legs (in the 2nd picture). ...
- 16.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Sterilise or pasteurise oyster mushroom substrate, why not microwave?
The reason that pasteurization is used when growing oyster mushrooms is that the media (usually straw) doesn't support contamination as easily as grain media since it's not as rich in nutrients. This ...
- 23.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Need identification on this growth on cherry & possibly plum trees and possible remedies
Looks like chocolate slime mold... Seriously... Also known as Stemonitopsis. It is normally feeding on dead trees, so I don't think it is causing your tree problems. If parts of your trees are dead (...
- 13.2k
5
votes
Accepted
What is this fungi/ mushroom we found on our walk?
It is almost certainly some species of inkcap. Beware - there are two edible (and tasty) species, but about two dozen poisonous ones!
I think this is one of the poisonous ones: the "magpie fungus" ...
- 11.5k
5
votes
Does anyone know what this is on my plum tree?
It's one of the slime moulds in its sporangium stage (most likely Enteridium lycoperdon) and unfortunately, its presence indicates that either your tree is dead, or is on its way out, for they usually ...
- 135k
5
votes
Accepted
Do truffles grow from the air?
A truffle is the fruiting body of a fungus.
The truffle fungus spends most of its time as an interconnected network of fine strands called mycelia. The mycelia function like plant roots: they absorb ...
- 2,310
4
votes
Accepted
How to avoid Fungus attack on seeds
I'm not surprised your seeds aren't germinating and are going mouldy. Grape seeds need cold stratification in a refrigerator for about 3 months, and won't germinate fresh, placed on kitchen paper. ...
- 135k
4
votes
What is this fungus/mushroom on my oak tree?
Mushrooms or large fungi growing from the sides of trees like this indicate that there may be internal rot which is providing food for the fungus. Healthy trees produce fungicides to inhibit the ...
- 23.4k
4
votes
Accepted
What is this fungus/mushroom on my oak tree?
I know a question or three like this been answered before, but I can't locate them, unfortunately.
This is a shelf or bracket fungus (as we call them in the UK) and I'm sorry to say its presence ...
- 135k
4
votes
Accepted
Is there a way to kill the mold on soil surface in pots?
This is usually a saphrophytic fungus - its there to consume dead material in the potting soil, but its continued presence indicates a watering issue, as well as air flow problems. If you are not ...
- 135k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible