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Fungus in bought plant!

Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
in Plants
Hi all!  Recommendations for this beauty - on a tomato plant I bought yesterday.  Is it "back to the shop for a refund" or is it harmless?  The toms going to be in a greenhouse.

Thanks!


Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Not a problem ... there will be mycelium in the compost breaking down the organic matter into a form that can be accessed by your plant's roots.  The fungus is just the fruiting body of the mycelium.  Perfectly normal ... good, even. :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    It's a cup fungus of some kind by the looks of it. They occur a lot on soil and woodchip but don't seem to do any harm. Turn over that top layer of compost and cover it with a layer of dry stuff then water from below when you need to and it'll probably disappear. That soil looks very wet though. 
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Rob LockwoodRob Lockwood Posts: 380
    Great - thanks both.  @wild edges - it looks wetter than it is, but when you say "water from below" I presume you mean putting the pot in a saucer of water?  Won't that soak the soil through?
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    When you water from below the capillary action of the water has to battle gravity so it can only rise up so far. I grow all my tomatoes in open bottom pots standing on a tray of gravel and just keep the gravel topped up with water. You're less likely to get fungal problems and split skins that way.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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