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| Reader's "pods found in the garden. All of these might nearly fit on a quarter to give you a rough idea of their size. |
Q. I figured I can't let more than three months go by
without pestering you with a question! Attached are two photos of some mystery
pods I found in the garden when doing some clean up. One is with the pods
closed, and the second is with them open and with what appears to be small black
seeds. Any idea what this is?
A. These are not pods at all but what is called birds
nest mushrooms. These do look like tiny little pods with black seed like things
inside them. Like other mushrooms or saprophytic (feed off of dead things)
fungi they “feed” of off decaying organic matter in the soil. We can see these
fairly commonly in compost heaps, decaying mulches or other places where
organic waste is decomposing. They are interesting and kids love these little
things.
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| Unopened or just opening "pods" of the reader |
Nothing
to worry about. They feed off of DEAD plants so no harm to living plants or
you. They are decomposers so they help to break down litter on or in the soil
after or during a warm wet period. I attached a fact sheet from Texas A and M
on this interesting form of plant life. I will post your pictures on my blog
for others to see them.
