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I have this small green "patch" growing next to my strawberry (the "small fruit" type). It looks like it has tiny leaves and small fluff, and is still embedded into the soil, but it's slowly growing and another one popped up a bit away.

There's no other plant in the same pot, so I was wondering if it's the result of an underground runner, but everywhere I looked I never found anyone talking about underground runners.

Note

The original strawberry plant is slightly elevated (an inch or two) above "ground level", and this patch is on ground level.

What is this

Alina
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Charles Shiller
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1 Answers1

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The resolution on the photo isn't high enough, because under magnification I still can't see it clearly. It's probably slime mould, algae, or cyanobacterial growth, but all these form and grow in stagnant, damp or wet conditions. Slime mould disappears on its own as things dry out, but the presence of this type of growth strongly suggests the soil in your pot needs rejuvenating by cultivating and adding fertilizer, or even better, replacing. None of these growths is uncommon on soil in the ground, lawns or hard surfaces; it's a bit uncommon in pots because usually, container grown plants are fertilized and the potting medium topped up or changed periodically. More info here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=412

Bamboo
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