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Lawn problem

• Message 1. 

  Posted by JDNB (U15185875) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  Hello, I have just mown my lawn for the first time this year. There are about 10 patches of a frilly looking black/white fungus across it. I have raked them but that has only taken out the top bits.
  
  Does anyone know what I am talking about, please, and can you tell me how to get rid of it?
  
  There were 2-3 patches last summer which I raked but now think I may have unwittingly caused it to spread!

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Joe_the_Gardener (U3478064) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  JD,
  
  I'm wondering if this is the Dog Lichen - Peltigera canina or an allied species. google the scintific name and see if there's anything you recognise.
  
  Joe

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by JDNB (U15185875) on Wednesday, 14th March 2012

  Hi Joe, that is exactly what it is, thank you!
  
  I have googled and now know what to look for when I go to my local shop - thanks again.
  
  

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by marco (U13839504) on Thursday, 15th March 2012

  Hi JDNB
  
  I am by no means an expert but if this is a type if fungi then I would suggest that raking it would be a mistake. As you said you may have spread it from last years raking. Fungi have spores which when disturbed will travel in the air.
  
  I had a small mushroom problem 2 years ago so carefully hand picked them out so as not to release any spores. The following year there was no reoccurance.
  
  Good luck
  marco

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Goldilocks (U2169760) on Thursday, 15th March 2012

  Dog Lichen is a fascinating partnership between fungi and algae that I don't claim to understand, but I do know it is not a hybrid or chimera, but several separate organisms living and working together symbiotically, so that appears to be one organism.
  
  This means that in a lawn it can be treated by using the same method of treatment that you would use for getting rid of moss. So you can apply ferrous sulfate (Lawnsand etc) and then rake / scarify the lawn.
  
  I presume the reason why you can treat Lichen this way, and not fungi, is because the alga part of the partnership is killed by the mosskiller.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by JDNB (U15185875) on Tuesday, 20th March 2012

  Hi Marco
  
  Thank you. I did rake last year and now it has more than trebled. Pulling it all by hand would be a mammoth task but I can try - these lighter evenings are perfect for pootling about in the garden.

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