From: Scott Hyndman hyndman at aroid.org> on 2002.07.03 at 04:05:11(9060)
Dan and Bill,
Your similar fungi sound as if they are just a saprophytic (as opposed to
parasitic) species that are probably just growing off of the decomposing
potting medium. I have especially seen this fungus, i.e. the fruiting
bodies, on soil mixes containing composted bark. The Terraclor probably
would control it, but not eradicate it. Apart from the unappealing toad
stools, the fungus is probably not affecting your plants.
Scott
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Scott Hyndman,
Research Greenhouse Manager
USHRL, ARS, USDA
2001 South Rock Road
Fort Pierce, FL 34945
Office: (561) 462-5889
Fax: (561) 462-5986
Cell: (561) 216-6534
E-mail: shyndman@ushrl.ars.usda.gov
Homepage: http://www.ars-grin.gov/ars/SoAtlantic/fp/
on 7/2/02 5:57 PM, Dan Levin at levin@pixar.com wrote:
> Bill,
>
> With regard to the fungus growing in your two pots of
> A. paeoniifolius:
>
> I have been plagued intermittently over the course of many
> years by what may be the same fungal critter. I wonder if
> it favors our particular region of California as I live very close
> to you heading up SF bay, in Piedmont (approx. 40 miles north).
>
> The fungus I've been seeing most definitively puts up yellow
> fruiting bodies, and when not having sex remains visible in the
> upper layers of the potting medium. In this stage it appears to
> me as looking like masses of spider eggs- small fuzzy spheres
> tending to clump together in colonies and being a light yellow to
> cream color. Does this sound familiar?
> Any mycologists or knowledgeable individuals out there who
> have a hunch what this might be, please speak up!
>
> To answer your question re: stopping it...
> The only compound I've had any success with to date is PCNB
> which (used to be?) sold here in the US as Terraclor. It is one
> of the very few chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds used as a soil
> fungicide. There may be other products just as effective but as you
> noted, this thing seems to laugh at the more common chemistries.
>
> One last note: as hard as I've tried to eradicate this fungus, I'm not
> convinced it causes any direct/ significant problems or attacks plants
> in any way. That being said it is extremely unsightly and always leads
> to a decline in plant vigor if not addressed.
>
> -Dan Levin
>
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