“Shotgun” fungus (Sphaerobolus stellatus) is becoming more common in the US. Pine Straw is great at helping to prevent the spread of shotgun fungus. Because hardwood mulch is the food source of the fungus, completely removing the hardwood mulch is the first step to getting rid of the fungus. When the infected hard wood mulch is removed completely, the black spots should stop appearing on the side of the house. The second step is to apply pine straw in a very thick manner to the desired area. We recommend that you use either our Standard pine straw (9″ needle) or our Longleaf pine straw (14″ needle) and leave a 3 inch gap between the pine straw and any permanent structure. Remove old pine straw and apply pine straw mulch on a yearly basis.
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