Honey fungus

[jjll]

What's the best solution to killing off honey fungus on old stumps and areas where stumps have been ground out? I'm not sure on which type yet as I haven't seen them. The stump ground tree was infected with honey fungus and felled because of this. Could it spread to surrounding trees from this or will it just stay contained?

[David Humphries]

Armillaria (as I understand it) is primarily a parasitic fungi that is drawn to and attacks weak hosts.

 

Some tree species are more susceptible to an attack than others.

So it will depend on the general vigour of the surrounding trees and the range of species.

 

There will be rhizomorphs of Armillaria in the soil and humous layers.

 

 

There are ways of getting rid of it, the first is to carry out a complete soil strip ( probably not an option?) another is by using a chemical agent like Armilitox.

 

This second option I would not recommend as this will strip the soil of bacteria and other essential microbes like mycorrhiza

 

Long term, I think the best way to 'control' an Armillaria infection is by creating healthy tree growing conditions with good rooting environment and strip out dead woody material from the immediate area.

 

 

.

[Gary Prentice]

Armillatox is no long approved as a fungicide either, according to their website. I think it's now marketed as a patio cleaner.

[daltontrees]

The AA book suggests getting some Pseudotrametes gibbosa going on the stump, I imagine the idea is to get it to gobble up the food source to weaken the Armillaria as it is trying to spread to a new host.

 

Spreading will depend on type of Honey Fungus and the species of tree it could spread to, for example A. ostoyea is known for conifers (mainly if not only) and may not spread to adjacent broadleaves. Also a few species are resistant to HF, like Yew or Box Elder.

[chopper brown]

Armillotox is really expensive now that it's marketed as patio cleaner but Ive used it before after reading that if you mix it strong 20:1 or something like that it will control honey fungus.

 

Unfortunately it only controls it and as has been stated soil removal is the only option to completely get rid.

 

I might be wrong but that's all I know, maybe replant with resistant species and like David said get rid of any dead wood or unhealthy trees that the honey will thrive on.

 

Jim

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

using armilatox is a complete waste of time for this purpose. Honey fungi thrive in low competition areas, and will be one of the first to feast on your newly mycorrhizal lacking tree species.

 

Parasites and pathogens love a weak host with no allies to compete with

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

I understood that air-spading (very carefully) can have a degree of control of HF as it breaks up the rhizomorphs (boot-laces) in the soil.

 

As others have said tho HF is much maligned and often just does what it designed to...altho it can wreak havoc in an over-manicured garden if it gets hold.

 

Cheers..

Paul