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Managing Strange-Looking Fungi in Landscape Mulch

Wood chips and shredded bark are commonly applied to landscape areas to control weeds and conserve soil moisture.  Wood chips and shredded bark are organic matter.  The decaying organic matter provides an ideal environment for some strange-looking fungi or fungal-like organisms when weather conditions are favorable.  Fungi that occasionally grow in landscape mulches in Iowa include stinkhorns, slime molds, and bird’s nest fungi. 

Are leaves a good winter mulch?

Answer: 

Winter mulches are applied to plants, such as strawberries and chrysanthemums, in fall to prevent damage caused by extreme cold or repeated freezing and thawing of the soil during the winter months. Leaves are a poor winter mulch for strawberries and herbaceous perennials. Leaves tend to mat down and don’t provide much protection. Clean, weed-free straw and pine needles are excellent winter mulches. Straw and pine needles don’t mat down, provide good winter protection and are easy to remove in spring.

Can oak leaves be used as a garden mulch?

Answer: 

Yes. While oak leaves are slightly acidic, an oak leaf mulch should have little effect on the soil pH. Shredded leaves are an excellent mulch for vegetable gardens, raspberry plantings, perennial flower beds and around trees and shrubs. Oak leaves can be shredded with a lawn mower or a leaf shredder.

Using Mulch in the Garden

Organic mulches serve several important functions in gardens and landscape plantings.

These many benefits make the use of mulch very beneficial in a wide range of garden settings. When choosing which organic mulch to use, consider availability, cost, appearance, function, and durability.

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All About Mulch

News Article

Organic mulches serve several important functions in gardens and landscape plantings.  Mulches help control annual weeds, conserve soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures, and much more.  These many benefits make the use of mulch very beneficial in a wide range of garden settings.

How do I dispose of leaves that I collect?

Answer: 

If fallen leaves are collected, there are a several options for what you can do with them. 

Add Leaves to the Compost Pile

Whenever possible, keep this valuable organic resource on-site.  Leaves can be added to a compost pile to create “black gold” to use in your garden to improve soil structure and add fertility to the soil.  Leaves can be composted whole or shredded to allow them to break down and create compost faster. 

Learn more about composting from these resources: Composting FAQs

photo of fall leaves on ground
Whenever possible, keep fallen leaves on-site. They are a valuable organic resource.

What do I do with fallen leaves in my flower beds?

Answer: 

Leaves are an excellent resource for the garden. They break down to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. As they decompose, they act as a mulch suppressing weeds and helping to maintain consistent soil moisture. Additionally, they can help insulate the ground over the winter protecting perennials from extreme cold temperatures.

photo of fall leaves on garden bed
For the most part, leaves in perennials beds, under shrubs,and in other mulched areas do not have to be removed.

Can I just leave fallen leaves on my yard and garden?

Answer: 

Keep Leaves in Place, When Possible

Leaving the leaves alone is a good way to support native pollinators and other insects and wildlife.  These valuable insects rely on the habitat fallen leaves provide, especially over the winter months.  Dead leaves also decompose creating compost that can improve soil structure and fertility.  

Can I use woodchips from walnut as mulch in my landscape?

Answer: 

Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a common woodland and landscape tree in the Midwest. 

Much has been written about the allelopathic properties of black walnut.  When plants produce a chemical that prevents the growth of other plants, it is called allelopathy. Black walnut produces juglone which can cause an allelopathic response (inhibition of growth) in other plants. Other members of the Juglandaceae family (including butternut and pecan) also produce juglone, but black walnut produces more than other members of the family. 

Very little research has been done to show that juglone causes damage to plants near black walnuts or near the leaf litter, fallen fruit, or mulch created from black walnut. 

Mushrooms in the Basement?

News Article

We have recently received several questions about mushrooms developing both outdoor and indoors. With the wet spring and flooding, water had made its way to cracks on walls or in floors, in older houses, or basements prone to flooding. Other common spots for the mushrooms to develop include, logs, mulch and lawns. In fact, we saw our first slime mold question this week. The common question: how can I get rid of the mushrooms? The answer, it all about moisture!

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