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Honey fungus in a potted Acer?
nadathur.seshadric8B8h819
Posts: 4
I have two Acers in large pots on my patio, and one of them (a Beni-maiko) looks distressed and possibly on its way out. It's barely had any new leaf growth yet this year (its neighbour, which is a different variety, has been in full leaf for several weeks), and those few leaves that it has put out are going black around the edges. Some of the branches have also turned white and dry at the tips.
I've been concerned about it for some time anyway but thought it might just be down to a cold and very wet spring. But I found some honey coloured mushrooms growing in its pot yesterday so starting to think that's what is killing it. Though if it is, I'm puzzled how it got there, since I thought it spread through the ground? Perhaps a contaminated batch of compost - or maybe it's unrelated, there are many honey coloured fungi and the trouble could be something else I suppose.
My questions are: do you think there's any hope for the plant, or should I just give up and bin it? If I bin it, I'll bin all the soil and compost as well of course. But can I reuse the pot, or would that mean the next thing in there would get it too?
Also, since it is in a pot, is there any danger of it spreading elsewhere in the garden?
I've been concerned about it for some time anyway but thought it might just be down to a cold and very wet spring. But I found some honey coloured mushrooms growing in its pot yesterday so starting to think that's what is killing it. Though if it is, I'm puzzled how it got there, since I thought it spread through the ground? Perhaps a contaminated batch of compost - or maybe it's unrelated, there are many honey coloured fungi and the trouble could be something else I suppose.
My questions are: do you think there's any hope for the plant, or should I just give up and bin it? If I bin it, I'll bin all the soil and compost as well of course. But can I reuse the pot, or would that mean the next thing in there would get it too?
Also, since it is in a pot, is there any danger of it spreading elsewhere in the garden?
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I think it's probably just got wind and cold blasted and your other pot is slightly more protected. The poorly one will hopefully pick up and put out new leaves in warmer weather. If it gets very hot, put it somewhere shady to help it revive.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
As @Lizzie27 says - it's often just a simple problem of more exposure to wind, which can be detrimental to foliage, especially when it's soft and new. If you can move it somewhere more sheltered, that will probably help. It's something Acers don't like.
The fungus you're seeing will be harmless, and coming from the bark mulch, which is all normal.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...