In article ,
Spider wrote:

That's most interesting. I'm fairly sure I have some form of Armillaria in
my garden - on Sycamore stumps, for starters. The doomed rhubarb was near
the site of a previous stump (probably Prunus sp.), but I saw no fruiting
bodies. However, it and the ground reeked deeply of mushroom after I dug it
up and there was a deep layer of white mycelium beneath the rhubarb. I saw
no sign of 'bootlace' strands.

Some other fungus, then. I had a couple of rhubarb plants that dropped
dead one winter - it happens to almost every type of plant, sometimes,
and even the extreme fungus-resistant native tree (yew) has some fungi
that will attack it.

There are a zillion types of fungi, and estimates are that 50% of UK
ones may be unidentified. Yes, really.

Unfortunately, before I learned that a neighbour had Honey Fungus in their
garden (identified by a tree surgeon), I accepted a shrub sucker from his
garden. I am not unduly worried about Honey Fungus, because a different
tree surgeon assured me that a) there were many more benign strains and b)
that I grew so many trees and woody plants in my garden (he nearly got
excited!) that I was fairly safe - in the way that woodland is fairly safe
and/or copes with Armilllaria and other fungi.

Now, THERE is a tree surgeon who is worth his money. The ones that
promote panic are trying to line their pockets. Fairly safe doesn't
mean that you won't lose plants, but one needs to keep things in
perspective.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.