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Ground Fungi

Richard374Richard374 Posts: 1
in Problem solving
I have a problem with part of my allotment. When I plant Beans/Peas they are fine until they begin to flower and then they start to turn yellow and die from the ground up. I have dug this piece of ground this morning and have found a white Fungi developing about six inches below ground level. Can anyone tell me what this could be and what I can do to eradicate it.

Posts

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    It could be a wide variety of fungi as a lot of them look similar when at that stage of growth as hyphae. An examination under a microscope might narrow it down but it is possible this fungi might have nothing to do with your peas and beans not doing well or just be a symptom of the soil not being in good condition just like the plants not succeeding. Is the area particularly waterlogged and is there any smell of anaerobic conditions when you dig there? It might be just be a problem with drainage in this part of the allotment and if this is the case you may need to improve it.

    I think you should try planting something deep rooting there next and see if that can improve the soil structure and maybe put the peas and beans somewhere else for  a couple of years. Maybe turnip now and parsnips next year and potato the year after for example. All soil contains fungi and they are essential for the soil to function in a healthy way and if it is something pathogenic to peas and beans it should be reduced if other crops are grown there for a few years and it has no host plants to grow on. Lots of organic mulch for the potato crop would also encourage the beneficial fungi at the expense of the less desirable ones.
    Happy gardening!
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