Honey fungus advice

[Georgie Treasure]

Can anyone please confirm this is honeyfungus? And could you advise… 15 months ago three Burches had to be taken down from this space due to root rot. This month this fungus has appeared on the stumps. You can see there is a big beautiful maple still standing.

 

Do we leave it and wait-and-see? Removing the stumps would disturb the roots of the maple a couple of tree surgeons have confirmed they wouldn’t be happy to remove the stumps. One says take the tree down so that the fungus has nothing to feed on and the other says Watch and wait as it’s a lovely tree and it would be better off dying for honeyfungus than being taken down just in case. I would love your thoughts. 

 

We have lots of other trees and shrubs in the garden all of which look healthy at the moment. There is also a liquidambar which we planted earlier this year to replace the birches. It is looking very sad, but then it was a very, very hot summer and it seemed to have an ‘false autumn.’ 

All your thoughts are very welcome! I am just hoping you all advise the same thing 🤣

[openspaceman]

It looks more like Meripilus giganteus to me

[Georgie Treasure]

Ah the pics of Meripilus don’t look like what we had.

[AJStrees]

Looks like Honey Fungus to me, the ring on the stipe says so to me. The mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the various fungul mycellium in the soil. Normally the honey fungus will attack its host and then move on and I regularly see it around dead stumps at this time of year. I think the advice of leave the Maple and see is the best advice as otherwise you are removing a tree that may or may not become the host of the honey fungus. 

 

That is my opinion. I am sure others will have something to say on the matter. 

[Mark Bolam]

Removing the maple because it might get honey fungus would be like killing yourself because you might die one day.

[Georgie Treasure]

Do you think we should leave the stumps? Is it likely to move on around the garden?! Or is its next move so unknown we are better to do nothing and wait and see? Googling it everyone says to remove all the stumps and nearby trees and shrubs but it sounds like experienced tree surgeons haven’t actually seen it be so destructive after all?

[nepia]

Removing the stumps won't remove the Honey Fungus; it's everywhere - the mycelia will reach way beyond those Birch stumps.  Strong healthy plants and trees resist HF so efforts would be better directed towards keeping the Maple in good shape, e.g. by minimising compaction of the roots via machines and people or mulching around its base to suppress the grass - turf is a real issue for trees as it soaks up just so much water and prevents healthy root/fungus relationships developing.  Mulching looks like it may not be a starter in that garden though due to the space it would need but then again - how much do you value the Maple?

Definitely don't lose the Maple 'in case'.

[Georgie Treasure]

Thanks. Actually as the hens are under the tree there isn’t much turf so we can look after it and use leaves etc to keep the moisture in.