Real World Gardener Podcasts

 PLANT DOCTOR Slime Mould: What Is It?  Part 1   What do the words slime mould conjure up in your imagination? Is it that black stuff growing in the grout and on the tiles in your bathroom? Or is it that green stuff on your paths on the south side of the house? You may be surprised to find that it’s neither one of those so where is it lurking? There are a lot of other moulds that live in the garden some of which are very useful. Wolf Milk Slime mould Slime moulds are in the kingdom:Protista. Did you know that slime moulds have a life cycle, and when you are able to observe them, is only part of their lifecycle? They're usually brightly coloured -reds, vivid greens, yellow and purple.  They can grow on grass, logs and pretty much anywhere where the environment is conducive. Slime moulds are not very well known in Australia, but Tasmania has around 100 species of slime moulds one of which is called 'dog vomit.'  Slime moulds are highly useful in that they break down materials, 80% of which is made