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Devastation by honey fungus

Oh-my-aching-back!Oh-my-aching-back! Posts: 10
in Problem solving
We've just had to grub up and destroy a long privet hedge because it had been killed by honey fungus.  Following Monty Don's advice, we'll leave the ground undisturbed for at least a year, before replanting with a more resistant species.  In the meantime, the whole area looks awful.  Would it be a stupid idea to lay down turf and plant bulbs until we can replant a hedge?

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If you leave bare soil, something will grow and it'll probably be weeds. The only question is, is it worth the expense of turf? Maybe look at seeds for hardy annuals, or maybe green manures, that you can sow now to cover the ground until you can plant a new hedge. Hopefully some will germinate before winter sets in.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    Sorry about your hedge - well done for getting it out. Hope the back is recovering! Could you put down cardboard with a thick layer of bark/mulch on it to stop weeds and make it look tidier? I think bulbs would grow through it.
  • Oh-my-aching-back!Oh-my-aching-back! Posts: 10
    Many thanks, JennyJ and Pianoplayer - good advice, both.  I reckon that a layer of cardboard or mulch might make things look like an airplane runway, but I'm encouraged that you both think that annuals or bulbs could thrive.  The area is close to the house, and within it's best view, so I'm (almost inclined) to say "d*** the expense...". Any more ideas?
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I've just discovered honey fungus in my front garden, so am having to change all my plans (this is a new-to-me garden with mostly grass & trees in the front).  From what I've read, only perennial plants, shrubs and trees are susceptible (and some are much less susceptible than others).  But Monty reckons bulbs may be affected, see below:
     
    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2004/jan/25/gardens#:~:text=Honey%20fungus%20has%20the%20same,afflicts%20perennials%20and%20even%20bulbs.

    I'm thinking of growing lots of annuals for summer colour, and maybe designing some ornamental veg beds.  Not sure if it's safe to transplant perennials from the "danger zone" into the back garden, if I clean off the roots...

    Can we see this as an opportunity rather than a catastrophe?   :/

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I would research which plants are not affected by honey fungus with a view to planting some of those straight away. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    My understanding is that there are different varieties of honey fungus which  prefer different plants.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    The RHS have compiled lists of plants according to their susceptibility to HF, using the number of cases since 1996 in their Gardening Advice database, "adjusted by the popularity of the plant in UK gardens" to provide a frequency of occurence for each genus.  This is really useful because other lists tend to be based on personal experience, which may be biased - in some cases a plant appearing as "resistant" in one person's list comes up as "susceptible" in another.  (Beech and holly are two I found.)

    This is the RHS list:

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/pdfs/honey-fungus-host-list.pdf

    It's a relief to find there are more in the "resistant" list than in the "susceptible" one...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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