In article ,
Jim Scott wrote:

Pay attention at the back!!! We're talking alien invasion - we're now
planning a strategic defense manoeuvre which will save the world as we
know it. Are you in?

Not sure I want to save the world 'as we know it'.

!!!!Excellent!!!!

"The Invalid" wrote

A very weird appearance on the soil in some pots. Very large blobs of
clear
jelly just sitting on the surface of the soil. Definitely not water
retaining gel. It almost looks like it's rained jelly!
Anyone know what these blobs might be?


Strange, yesterday I found my chickens pecking at some stuff.
I investigated and found....... several blobs of completely clear
jelly, each one about an inch and a half.

Seriously? That's exactly what I have - completely clear jelly, each an
inch or so in size, just sitting there on the soil surface. The only thing
I can think of is water retaining crystals that have somehow mysteriously
found their way onto the soil (although I only use them in hanging baskets
and haven't used them at all this year).

On Wed, 24 May 2006 13:58:45 +0100, Ade wrote
(in article ):

"The Invalid" wrote

A very weird appearance on the soil in some pots. Very large blobs of
clear
jelly just sitting on the surface of the soil. Definitely not water
retaining gel. It almost looks like it's rained jelly!
Anyone know what these blobs might be?


Strange, yesterday I found my chickens pecking at some stuff.
I investigated and found....... several blobs of completely clear
jelly, each one about an inch and a half.

Seriously? That's exactly what I have - completely clear jelly, each an
inch or so in size, just sitting there on the soil surface. The only thing
I can think of is water retaining crystals that have somehow mysteriously
found their way onto the soil (although I only use them in hanging baskets
and haven't used them at all this year).



Perhaps birds have taken some of the lining from hanging baskets and dropped
the jelly at the same time?



--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
email address on web site

In article ,
serialthrilla writes

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers ?

Bogey Snatchers I think you'll find.

--
regards andyw

Strange, yesterday I found my chickens pecking at some stuff.
I investigated and found....... several blobs of completely clear
jelly, each one about an inch and a half.

Seriously? That's exactly what I have - completely clear jelly, each an
inch or so in size, just sitting there on the soil surface. The only thing
I can think of is water retaining crystals that have somehow mysteriously
found their way onto the soil (although I only use them in hanging baskets
and haven't used them at all this year).

Wind and (later) prolonged rain?

I remember being astounded, last year, by the size and appearance of
blobs like this on a lawn I'd sown using the phb[?] Lawn in a Bucket,
which contains seed, fertiliser and crystals all mixed up together. The
gel blobs didn't appear until weeks after I'd sown it, and we'd had a
lot of rain. Maybe you have a neighbour who's used such a product?

"Ade" wrote in message
A very weird appearance on the soil in some pots. Very large blobs
of clear
jelly just sitting on the surface of the soil. Definitely not water
retaining gel.

Are you sure it couldn't be water retaining gel? I've had the same
thing you have described happen in a pot in which there has been a
rose which has been there for some years. The gel only appeared a
couple of years after the rose went in and after a period of extended
heavy rain. The gel seemed to heave up out of the soil.

"Sidney" wrote:
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote:
"Ade" wrote in message
A very weird appearance on the soil in some pots. Very large blobs
of clear
jelly just sitting on the surface of the soil. Definitely not water
retaining gel.

Are you sure it couldn't be water retaining gel? I've had the same
thing you have described happen in a pot in which there has been a
rose which has been there for some years. The gel only appeared a
couple of years after the rose went in and after a period of extended
heavy rain. The gel seemed to heave up out of the soil.


Another great evolutionary leap for slime moulds?

I've seen this in my garden too, and I have never used
water retaining gels. I've always assumed it was something
left behind by slugs or snails, or something.

--
altheim

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:22:36 +0100, Sidney
wrote:

On Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:57:37 +1000, "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow
wrote:

"Ade" wrote in message
A very weird appearance on the soil in some pots. Very large blobs
of clear
jelly just sitting on the surface of the soil. Definitely not water
retaining gel.

Are you sure it couldn't be water retaining gel? I've had the same
thing you have described happen in a pot in which there has been a
rose which has been there for some years. The gel only appeared a
couple of years after the rose went in and after a period of extended
heavy rain. The gel seemed to heave up out of the soil.


Another great evolutionary leap for slime moulds?


there are two rather common examples of " gelatinous blobs "
that when seen , one could instantly think of " alien blobs "
( because they are rather alien looking ) that come to mind
with what you speak about.

these are both freshwater bryozoans ( which sometimes
pop up in many different places where freshwater is used )
...... and frog and salamander egg masses, whcih
can be similar looking . I live on the west coast
and commonly find both kinds of " blobs " in my outdoors garden
areas. common freshwater sponges and jellyfish also
( less frequently ) come to mind as well. they could easily end
up in a potted plant medium . ( they do here anyway ) .

" Some species of freshwater bryozoans have been introduced into
lakes and rivers where they do not naturally occur. I haven't been
able to find out if the Black River bryozoans are native or
introduced. In any event, they are there and they are blobs, however
some other blob-like things are out there too. Frog and salamander egg
masses can be similar looking. I don't know if there are freshwater
sponges in the Chehalis system, but they can resemble bryozoans. There
may be blobs out there that we really don't want to know so
intimately. My advice is to examine blobs carefully. "

http://www.crcwater.org/fish/19980913blobs.html

http://www.westol.com/~towhee/reptiles.htm

type " common freshwater bryozoans " and

" pictures of Frog and salamander egg masses "
into Google for more info to compare against.

myself .... I'm quite old but find myself constantly
surprised by what I " still " find in nature ....

LOTS stuff you have NEVER seen or heard of before
abounds al around you !!



k............