two thoughts...

you water when the plants need water.. insert finger and find out if the soil is allowed to dry ...

molds usually indicate too much water ...

next... or second.. you need to insure removal of the weeds.. and then put down a layer of mulch ...

mulch will reduce weed germination... temper soil drying .. reduce ambient heat.. and all around make your life a bit more peaceful ... once you get over the hard work of doing the application right the first time

ken

The 'mold' is most likely some sort of fungal growth or moss and not necessarily bad - mold grows naturally on decomposing organic matter. Liverworts are also common and look like a flattened type of moss. Generally these types of organisms grow vigorously in shady areas that receive lots of moisture but can also be an indication of compacted soil or low fertility. They typically do not harm plants but can be unattractive or visually unappealing.

Ken's advice is good :-) Don't necessarily water on a predetermined schedule but only as required. Manually remove as many of the weeds/mosses/fungi as possible and mulch well. An application of a pre-emergent herbicide before mulching can help as well. But a good layer of the organic mulch of your choice is one of the best things you can do for your garden.

thanks gal ....

what this also tells me.. since molds and mildews do not grow in sun.. is that this is a dark shaded area ...

and since you can not change the sun ...

you only left to reducing water ... and trying to let the soil dry ... without negatively impacting the plants ...

BTW .... what are the shrubs.. and how long have they been there.. my gut tells me to question the need for any watering on anything but a recent transplant ... or the severest of droughts ...

ken

It's an assorted mix of some kind of plant and some small tree looking like things. I'll take a picture when I have the chance. One side of the house is shady almost all the time, and the mold is growing in the soil in that part of the garden. I'll try to reduce the watering frequency. The only problem is that I think the watering system is linked between the sunny side and the shady side of the house. So I have to find some balance so I dont underwater one side and overwater the other. Thanks for the help. By the way, is there some chemical that I can buy to kill mold and not anything else?

Without knowing exactly what is growing under your shrubs, I'd hesitate to recommend any chemical control and it really isn't needed anyway - just gently rake the mold/fungus/moss away. Mulching will help to keep it from regrowing.

As a landscape professional, automatic irrigation systems are the bane of my existence!! Not all plants need watering to same the degree or frequency and obviously locational factors will play a role as well. Hopefully your system is broken down into zones and you should be able to adjust individual zones without having to adjust the entire system. I'd much prefer to see the automatic systems relegated to lawn areas only (where they are most appropriate) and water shrubs and trees with soaker hoses or drip on an as-needed basis only.

I've got some pictures, I hope this helps. Thanks for all the advice!

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230624_10100212186558265_3430838_51710908_142387_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230624_10100212186558265_3430838_51710908_142387_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217029_10100212186732915_3430838_51710912_6935838_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230194_10100212186812755_3430838_51710914_1273269_n.jpg

I see NO mold......only some moss and lots of weeds :-)

Moss can grow in shady areas with high soil moisture but it is also indicative of compacted, low fertility soils. Correcting those issues can help. But removing the weeds (best done manually) and raking out the moss, then mulching will go a long way to reducing the problem with both. btw, the moss itself is not harmful to either the plants or the soil -- many folks cultivate it intentionally.

oh...it's moss huh...sorry. I don't really know much about gardening. So other than raking it out, what else can I do? Is there some way to kill it? It's a lot to rake and I'm afraid it will get on my grass.

Looks like moss to me, not mold. Nothing wrong with moss, in my opinion, but maybe that's because it won't grow in my garden so it is not something I need to deal with - it's way too arid here. Anyway, moss results when the area gets lots of shade and too much water; it also likes acidic soil (something else non-existent in Colorado!)

As you already mentioned, you do need to get rid of the weeds; there are lots of dandelions in your pictures. I do my best to avoid chemical solutions so the only thing I can suggest is to continue pulling them. Unfortunately, dandelions are a perennial weed with long tap roots so unless you can get the entire root - unlikely unless the plant is very young - it will come back so you get to pull it again, and again, and again...

Anyway, ken and gardengal have already suggested ways of getting rid of the moss and the weeds - rake up the moss, water the area less, put down mulch. Mulch won't stop already established perennial weeds but it will prevent new ones from taking root, and will prevent annual weeds from germinating, as ken mentioned.

Holly

ya know.. i meant to stop back and further my thoughts ...

a lot of us HARDCORE .... treasure any addition mother earth cares to provide ... PRESUMING the plant itself is prospering ... AND I DONT MEAN THE WEEDS ...

if she wishes to add mushrooms.. i will leave them and study them ...

if she provides.. molds or mildews.. they are left ... if they are not on the plant ...

and especially on mosses, lichens.. etc ...

there does not have to be an immediate response just because something pops up.. and we dont know ... thank god you found us...

there is a MOSS forum.. go figure on that.. lol .. and actually places where you can mail order moss .. whats that all about. . lol ... moss is a serious plus in the garden ... and in this case.. its free ...

when i get a chance i will post you some pix ...

ken