Ummm, vinegar. DOH! (SMACK!) Hello again Al. You seem to be the 'Font of All Knowledge', locally at least. :) In my defense, I usually don't think of vinegar as a cleaning chemical. When I see something fuzzy and fungus-like I reach for the bleach. Then again, thinking back (WAY back) to high school chemistry it is probable that what I'm seeing are crystallized salts. I dimly recall something along those lines anyway. Regardless, I'll give the vinegar a try. I like the wet terra cotta look but I'm not sure about the white fuzzies. Naturally, I'll have to go out and buy some vinegar. All I have here is a very good Balsamic and I, at least, am not ready for a burgundy terra cotta pot. :D Thanks again! Regards, Tim :)

OMG!!! I see tread marks on your mulch! I'm going to guess that you've brought a little batch of one of the many slime molds home with you from the nursery. I say this because it appears to be crawling over your rubber mulch (as if THAT stuff will do it any good, lol). Slime molds will behave that way. They 'walk'. True fungi does not. Slime molds are not a mold, fungus, mildew, or anything even remotely related to a disease. They feed on organic matter, such as the nursery mix from your azalea (which is probably mostly composted bark fines). It does not need to be removed nor does your plant need to be treated. Slime molds do not affect plants, which you have already observed. I wouldn't worry about removing leaves. Nothing is sick!! Since I see that you are using landscape fabric besides rubber mulch, I doubt very much that you will see this stuff back again. There's nothing that it will want to grow on. Unfortunately, I could not find an image of a slime mold that looks like this but I feel fairly certain that this is what you have. A correction would be most welcome.

Thank you, trailrunner. I've never heard of Jomax but I will look for it or a suitable substitute. Yes, brick.., that side of the bldg is in shade and the woods are right behind it. But, this is also a notorious area for mildew because of the humidity. I was hoping just bleach and water would be sufficient, but, if not, that means a trip to town...when I wanted to get started on it tomorrow first thing...oh well. Grocery store, etc. nearer did not have it, nor anything else of the sort. Thanks.

Mildew is a mold, and both are fungal colonies. Many have characteristic odors, but not all. Most fungi, even ones living around us on our stuff are completely benign. A few are pests because they damage, either intrinsically or cosmetically our possessions and structures. A very few more are hazardous to our health (inhalation of spores). But I wouldn't panic in the least. The fungi we encounter in our houses are normally held in check by denying them their needed environmental conditions: generally high humidity, lack of light, certain temperature ranges (unfortunately they like what we like, or have because of weather) and stagnant, unmoving air. They also need food to really prosper. Food can be a rotten tomato on the shelf, hardcover book bindings, oils and soap left behind on the shower walls, residues of detergents and fabric softeners in washing machines, waxes in shoe polish and on furniture, soot and grease from air pollution, and the paper coverings on drywall to name a few. Each species of mold has its own obligate source of food, so you won't find starch and paper-eating varieties growing on that slimy cucmber in the crisper, and vice versa. So: Clean the spot well; who knows what "food" may be there that the mold grew on (an old, forgotten spill or a cat's hairball that was re-ingested are possibilities). Simple water and soap will probably do fine, although I'd be tempted to use some of that spot carpet cleaner stuff to avoid saturating the carpet pad underneath with water. (I'm assuming that it's not possible to actually look underneath the carpet to verify that all is dry there? That would be the best thing but may not be feasible if the spot is out in the middle of the room.) I also use pure grain alcohol on books that have mildew. If you can get it, you might use that. Avoid spreading spores in the air by not rubbing hard (or vaccuming unless you have a true HEPA vac) if there is any powderiness to the area. Sometimes I have used wide scotch tape (packing, duct, etc.) to capture and immobilize spores as a first step. Press it down, and pull up, using fresh pieces until you're not seeing more powder/dust. Fold the tape over and discard outside in the trash afterward. Temporaily move the sofa to expose the spot both for monitoring, to dry it from the spot cleaning and to expose it to light. If the sofa has a skirt, then consider pining it up or removing it. Definitely run the dehus in the room and underneath the space. Watch for other infestations; nearby and elsewhere. It's most likely a one-time, opportunistic outbreak and all will be well from here on out. HTH, L