Thursday, July 23, 2009

Slime Mold


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The sudden appearance of "foamy" patches of slime mold on lawns or wood mulch can be disconcerting. Slime molds are colorful organisms that usually appear in warm, muggy weather after a rain. They can be white, purple, gray, orange, yellow, or brown in color.

Slime molds first develop as a yellow or orange slimy mass and can ooze over areas 12 inches or more in width. To some people, the patches look like vomit from a dog or other animal.

As the weather becomes dry, most slime molds develop into crusty structures that are typically filled with dark spores.

Slime molds can be found lawns and the lower leaves of other low-lying plants as well as on mulch.

Slime molds use plants, wood mulch and other organic materials as a surface to support their spore-producing reproductive structures. They feed on dead organic matter and on bacteria and fungi found in the soil.

Slime molds do not infect plants. They are not plant parasites, but they may injure plants by covering and shading them thus reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the leaves.

Control of slime molds generally is unnecessary. Slime molds are more of a curiosity than a problem. They will disappear if left to complete their life cycle. If their appearance is bothersome, they can be broken up with a rake, a mower, or a strong stream of water. To remove it from plants, simply wash or prune them. If management is required for cosmetic reasons, decrease irrigation to reduce slime mold incidence.

Slime molds are fungus-like organisms that have previously been classified as fungi, and later as Myxomycetes. They are no longer classified as fungi. Depending on the sources, there are now two or three different groups of slime molds, one of which is the myxomycetes. These now fall under the broader category of eukarya.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
Turf King Home
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Root Proliferator

Root Proliferator

What are the benefits of Turf King’s new fertilizer/nutrient supplement?

  • Acceleration and increase of root mass and volume
  • Improves overall lawn health
  • Improved nutrient absorption
  • More efficient use of water
  • Greater tolerance to drought
  • Greater resistance to disease
  • Reduced insect damage
  • Stimulates soil microbial activity
  • Reduces thatch accumulation
  • Reduces toxicity in the soil
  • Increases seed germination
  • Helps lawns to crowd out weeds


Our Root Proliferator is derived from plants. The process results in natural compounds, that because they are produced from plants, grass recognizes them and readily absorbs them. The calcium that is part of the compound, is very loosely bound in the particle, and is then quickly released and becomes available to the plant. This is unlike other agents that either are bound tightly, or are alone, like pure calcium or lime. The other products take a very long time being absorbed by the plants, and have very little effect. That’s why when applying something like lime to soil; it takes so much to have any measurable effect on the soil or plant. Once inside the plant, these nutrients fuel the Kreb Cycle, which stimulates root growth. The addition of calcium in this manner also has the most dramatic effect on ph. Our soils in this area, are not the most conducive for plant health and growth. Our Root Proliferator also affects the nutrients that have been bound up in our soil particles, making them available to the plant as well. Research has indicated, that results can usually been measured in the first year of application (unlike the 5-10 years it takes for other soil amendments.

  • Safe to use
  • Not harm to plants
  • Not Phytotoxic
Deeper roots and better plant health protect your grass from drought and heat damage as well as other stresses that can negatively affect the lawn,


If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)
If you would like more information, please Contact us
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Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.


The Flourish of Crabgrass


Crabgrass is one unwanted guest in home lawns. It's grass blades are wider than the desirable turf. Its light green colour is not as pleasing as the darker green of the Kentucky bluegrasses and fine fescues that we prefer. Normally crabgrass flourishes in hot weather. It is doing in spite of the cool damp conditions. Here is a stand of crabgrass along the edge of a driveway.

The cooler weather is certainly better for the lawns overall. We are finding chinch bugs, but the damage overall is less severe than if it was hot and dry. White grubs are on the horizon. European chafers are out there mating and laying eggs.

On that weather note, was speaking to our favourite sweet corn grower at Snyders Corn. Apparently the heat units for this season are about 500 units below average. And if you consider that the season is around 2,700-2,800 all told, that's quite a drop. His corn is just waiting for some warm weather and sunshine.

If you have a lawn/tree/shrub that needs some Tender Loving Care- get The KING OF GREEN:
or call us at 905.318.6677 or 1.888.TURFKING (887.3546)
If you would like more information, please Contact us
Follow us on Twitter  http://twitter.com/turfkingofgreen
Join our Facebook page  

Copyright 2009 Turf King-Hamilton. All Rights Reserved.