The grossest thing that isn't dangerous to plants

[sykosarah]

Now, we all hate fungus and molds; many of us have lost seeds and even adult plants to botrytis, dampening off, and other unwelcome guests that take advantage of the moist, humid environments many CPs love. 

But not all are harmful. As disgusting and unwelcome as they are, slime molds are generally harmless, the worst they do is possibly block sunlight, but in the rare case that it does grow on a plant, you can just wipe it off. In fact, according to this www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/weeds/what-is-slime-mold-slime.htm , they can actually eat harmful pathogens that would have otherwise killed your plants, weird as it sounds. 

It is a good thing they aren't harmful, because once they have established themselves, they are near impossible to get rid of, basically, the best solution in the case of CPs is to use neem oil (sulfur is ineffective, I can say that from personal experience) before any signs of slime mold appear. At least they eventually go away on their own but until then, you gotta live with the eyesore. Or change the soil, but when you are germinating seeds, that is extremely difficult. Then again, it could always be worse.

[Aidan]

Disagree on the "grossest thing" assessment - some are quite striking in appearance. Slime moulds are fascinating organisms, which for single cell organisms display remarkably intelligent behaviour.

[sykosarah]

The moat common form of it looks like dog vomit -_-

[Aidan]

Myxomycetes

[adelea]

Well walking into your greenhouse and bumping a nepenthes trap that was half way through digesting a mouse resulting in it spilling on you is pretty bad and the plant didn't seem to effected.... I went for a swim in the creek after to wash off and was swarmed by little fish trying to get some food, that was rather "gross"

[sykosarah]

Aidan, you are weird with your slime mold fetish going on here, it all looks like nasty goop. Especially the most common kinds. I just wanted to tell people that they don't have to have a heart attack over the presence of it though, because it freaked me out when I first saw it. I am telling people that because getting rid of it once it is there is more likely to harm than help.

[tanukimo]

Jan 28, 2014 20:14:44 GMT adelea said:

Well walking into your greenhouse and bumping a nepenthes trap that was half way through digesting a mouse resulting in it spilling on you is pretty bad and the plant didn't seem to effected.... I went for a swim in the creek after to wash off and was swarmed by little fish trying to get some food, that was rather "gross"

Wow digesting a mouse? Do you have any pictures of it? I didn't know that happened in cultivation too.

[adelea]

So far my N.Dyreana, maxima X truncata and maxima X alata have caught mice, the mice are common invaders of my greenhouse and are about half the size of the mice found in pet stores,when I find another I will try and remember to grab a pic, generally I don't know until it smells, then all you see in the trap is a slurry of fur that wreeks to high hell.
My Dyreana has also caught a sunbird before, they are a small native bird, but most of the time they escape by themselves after thrashing around for abit.

[adelea]

I should also mention my greenhouse is less than 100m from the rainforrest and is within a cow paddock, so I am rural and have an abundance of vermin.

[sykosarah]

Effective plant