There's a fung in my hedge?

[Daniël Bos]

As above I suppose.

I'm working on a hedge that seems to be suffering from a quite extensive invasion. It's not had the easiest life so far as it grew at the top of a ditch which got filled in. When the ditch was filled very little consideration was given to the hedge, and in places the soil level is over a foot higher than it was before.

 

The fungi seem to attack from the roots up, as affected stems are more affected the lower down I cut them.

 

They affect the trees from the inside to the outside, when slicing up an effected tree, the affected wood is dead centre.

 

It gives the most beautiful purple/pink/red -ish colouring to the wood where affected but the wood is brittle and feels dry.

 

It's affected hawthorn and blackthorn (at least symptoms are identical but only fb found was on blackthorn).

 

I've noted several bits where blackthorn was effected for a few meters, but the haw on the same stretch not at all but reckon this is probably due to the blackthorn being all one tree that's suckered?

 

Sorry for the poor quality pics, I hope you can still help a little as the owner of the hedge would like to know what to do and what the prospects are.

I know not a lot about fungi, and only have found one fruiting body on the hedge so far.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

phelinus tuberculosus, loves a prunus hedge eco system fungi for P. spinosus but wreaks havoc in P. Pissardii stands/streets

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

the ripewood colouration is normal, p. pomaceus=tuberculosis is a white rotter

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

heres one from todays trip home:001_tongue:

 

[Daniël Bos]

phelinus tuberculosus, loves a prunus hedge eco system fungi for P. spinosus but wreaks havoc in P. Pissardii stands/streets

 

Cheers Tony:thumbup1:

 

So... does that mean it would have been present but harmless at first and is now acting destructive on trees because they are so weakened by the change in their soil level?

 

It certainly seems to me that all the trees affected are quite busy dying.

 

 

As a side question, if I lay an effected stem, and completely sever the affected wood but leave a strip of clean wood, does it have more of a chance or is it basically toast?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Cheers Tony:thumbup1:

 

So... does that mean it would have been present but harmless at first and is now acting destructive on trees because they are so weakened by the change in their soil level?

 

It certainly seems to me that all the trees affected are quite busy dying.

 

 

As a side question, if I lay an effected stem, and completely sever the affected wood but leave a strip of clean wood, does it have more of a chance or is it basically toast?

 

I was going to suggest laying the hedge to rejuvinate:thumbup1:

[arbmark]

as a small silver lining, the affected wood, before it goes too spongy gives an awesome contrasting two-tone effect for spoons, turning, candlesticks etc. glass half full and all that!

as tony said, its really common on wild blackthorn and when ive laid hedges infected the regrowth has been poor. i would say despite the appearance of the ripewood being in good nick, it probably wont respond to laying as well as you would like. if its a garden hedge it could be worth a replant with non-susceptibles....

[Fungus]

I'm working on a hedge that seems to be suffering from a quite extensive invasion. It's not had the easiest life so far as it grew at the top of a ditch which got filled in. When the ditch was filled very little consideration was given to the hedge, and in places the soil level is over a foot higher than it was before.

The fungi seem to attack from the roots up, as affected stems are more affected the lower down I cut them.

They affect the trees from the inside to the outside, when slicing up an effected tree, the affected wood is dead centre. purple/pink/red -ish colouring to the wood where affected but the wood is brittle and feels dry. It's affected hawthorn and blackthorn (at least symptoms are identical but only fb found was on blackthorn). I've noted several bits where blackthorn was effected for a few meters, but the haw on the same stretch not at all but reckon this is probably due to the blackthorn being all one tree that's suckered? only have found one fruiting body on the hedge so far.

 

Daniel,

See my Phellinus tuberculosus thread.

[Daniël Bos]

as a small silver lining, the affected wood, before it goes too spongy gives an awesome contrasting two-tone effect for spoons, turning, candlesticks etc. glass half full and all that!

as tony said, its really common on wild blackthorn and when ive laid hedges infected the regrowth has been poor. i would say despite the appearance of the ripewood being in good nick, it probably wont respond to laying as well as you would like. if its a garden hedge it could be worth a replant with non-susceptibles....

 

 

I've laid a fair few miles of hedge before now, but had not encountered this before.

 

It's 400meters of field boundary, replanting is not going to happen. There are a few gaps that need replanting though. Are any of the "normal native hedge" species ok (not susceptible)?

 

The wood is really pretty indeed but seems to be quite brittle and hard. I've only take the pen-knife though.

 

 

 

Thanks Guys:thumbup:

[Daniël Bos]

Daniel,

See my Phellinus tuberculosus thread.

 

 

Thanks Gerrit.

 

The brackets in your pics look quite different to mine though. Your look much more like balls stuck on the branches whereas mine is quite different?

 

It may be relevant that the pic was taken with the stem laid? It was growing on a vertical stem before I got to it:biggrin: