Honey fungus again

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Honey fungus again

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chickenlady

Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 15 1:53 pm Post subject: Honey fungus again
Bit depressed today. My lovely magnolia Stellata is succumbing to the dreaded honey fungus, as is the rose that is climbing up it and the grape vine growing next to it. Plus a fuchsia nearby. I've been researching honey fungus resistant plants and small trees but it seems as soon as I find one that I like the look of then I find out it's susceptible too. Is there life after HF ?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 15 2:26 pm Post subject:
There's advice from the RHS here. Digging everything out and burning it appears to be the answer.

chickenlady

Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 15 5:09 pm Post subject:
Thank you Sean.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 15 6:52 pm Post subject:
Urea is supposed to be a good preventative. I don't know how helpful that is to you... It is use in forestry to treat the stumps of felled trees: apparently it changes the nitrate balance to greatly favour decomposition bacteria over fungus, so honey fungus and the like don't get a look in...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46192
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 15 7:53 pm Post subject:
that makes sense.

Falstaff

Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 1014

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 15 9:39 pm Post subject:
So the more dog walkers n your woods - the less likely Honey Fungus

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15950

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 15 6:58 am Post subject:

In natural woodland honey fungus is just a fact of life. Stumps in plantation are usually treated with urea, as Hairyloon says, to prevent it, as in those conditions it can spread rapidly. There are so many fungi in a semi natural ancient woodland that we just leave them to battle it out.

I am afraid that the answer is to follow RHS advice Chicken Lady. Burning the roots and digging out as much as possible is the only way. You could try Hairyloons idea in that area and only grow herbaceous plants there for a bit. Sorry to hear about the loss of your plants.

chickenlady

Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 15 7:04 am Post subject:
Thank you for all your advice. Didn't know about urea. I also didn't know just how far it can spread underground. In my garden, it started in one border and killed a malus and then burrowed under the grass and is now killing the magnolia etc and seems, if it carries on in the same direction, to be heading for a viburnam and about half a dozen other of my shrubs that are on the susceptible list!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15950

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 15 7:08 am Post subject:
I am afraid it an travel a long way. It grows underground systems that are usually known as 'boot laces' as they are similar in look and pretty tough. It might be possible to treat the area round the susceptible plants, but please follow the best advice you can find on the use of anything you decide to use. I don't know all the details of usage, and it almost certainly has some downsides.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 15 8:41 am Post subject:
Also worth noting that there are several (if not many) species of honey fungus and most of them are not primary pathogens. If it has killed your plants, then that is a good clue that this is one of those that are, but it isn't necessarily so.

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