FUNGI
me london
Posts: 119
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advice/ACEImages/RHS_PUB0006720sapfungi_958204.JPG
Hello there! Newbie here, and am stumped!! Wondering if I could ask if anyone else has this Saprophytic fungi? It's identical to the image on the link above.
I'd just planted some peas a few weeks ago and found weird fungi growing right next to them. To be honest, I thought it was potato peel gone rotten at first glance. Removing them comes out clean, can't find roots and even tho I've dug out portions of earth surrounding and underneath them, I can't find roots. I've then been covering the ground I dug out with fresh compost out of a bag but they keep coming back within a few days. Persistent little blighters! I don't want it to spread everywhere, or to lose my precious little pea plants (first year growing peas!) but have a feeling I may have to. Before I do, anyone here used anything or had something work? I was thinking about holding a flame to them, but am grasping at straws I fear. Precious little info as far as I can find online.
Please help this novice gardener! Pretty please? Grovel!
Posts
Don't worry about it, just remove it if it gets in the way of your seedlings. It lives on decaying wood in the soil and doesn't have roots as such. It won't harm your plants.
Thanks very much for your answer! Is it safe? It wasn't clear on RHS's website, but I think it said it was harmful to people and animals. I have a cat who loves the garden and wanted to make sure.
Inedible; it would depend on which species you have as to whether it would be toxic at all. Don't eat it, the cat probably won't either! This type of fungus is very common, it might be a Peziza species, there are a lot that look like the picture.
I agree with landgirl; Just remove the fruiting bodies whenever you see them and you (and the cat) will be fine. That vast majority of poisonous fungi (and there are surprisingly few that will kill you, although most will give you an upset stomach) are shaped like toadstools and this is not one of them. Fungi are a gardeners friend as they are just about the only things which break-down woody matter and release nutrients back into the soil for plants to use.
Hat's off to you! Thanks, if you're happy, that makes me happy! Cheers for your time
Ok, not so happy! This is spreading like wildfire. It's covering the ground, despite me grabbing it and the huge chunks of soil around it with a plastic bag (so not to spread the spores). I think am going to have to dig it all down, lose my pea's and sweet peas and remove all the soil in this area as I also want to plant my runner beans there. I really do not want a garden covered in this fungus! Anyone else dealt with this? It seems to be feeding on the soil as I can't find any source.
That sounds a bit drastic! Can you post us a pic of the fungus and of the area where it's growing please
To post a pic on here click on the green tree icon on the toolbar above where you type your post, and follow the instructions
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I bet it came from the bag of compost that you used to cover the ground - probably made with wood chippings. Can you show us a picture of the problem area?
I thought that too with the compost.. whenever I start planting each year I dig in some compost. My garden is tiny, so I always think it's good to replenish from the year before, little did I know!! Don't buy B&Q compost, lol.
I am afraid I have no pics, as last night I pulled em out again and they've gone to the skip with other stuff this morning. They look exactly like the photo in the original post above, and until they've popped, as it were, they are little circles, like bowls, then they grow bigger and misshapen. I may hang on digging everything out until tomorrow and see if the next lot have popped up for a photo. Tends to take 24-48hrs, depending on the weather. Cheers x
Don't dig your plants out - I'm sure there's no need.
Remove the fungi as you have been doing if you want to but things will get better when they've used up all the organic matter in the soil.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.