Our lot was originally covered with deep chopped wood mulch which
developed artillery fungus. We removed the mulch and that has
eliminated the problem as far as spattering goes, but with no mulch on
the garden and foundation plantings both of which are quite large I'm
spending far too much time weeding.

I'd like to put a few inches of SOMETHING on these beds to keep down
weeds, but because artillery fungus can stay alive for many years, it
has to be something that won't get it going again.

Anyone here familiar with this problem and have solutions?

The local landscaping people play very dumb when you ask about it,
probably because they've been making the problem worse for years with
their heavy use of mulch. The fungus problem isn't just mine, a lot of
people in my area have developed it recently, so these landscapers just
pretend they have never heard about it when you try to discuss it!

"Jenny" wrote in message
news
Our lot was originally covered with deep chopped wood mulch which
developed artillery fungus.

I would bet you used fresh chips that still had living parenchyma cells.
The more you compost the wood chips the less likely you are to get A.F..

Composted wood chips and leaves are something I recommend and apply often.
We have had no problem with A.F. The mulch we use is about two years old.


I'd like to put a few inches of SOMETHING on these beds to keep down
weeds, but because artillery fungus can stay alive for many years, it has
to be something that won't get it going again.


A.F. has to do with the symplast in the fresh chips. Get wood chip mulch,
not bark mulch, that has composted for two years and you will not have a
problem. Many commercial mulch out fits push the materials out maybe too
soon.

Anyone here familiar with this problem and have solutions?

The local landscaping people play very dumb when you ask about it,
probably because they've been making the problem worse for years with
their heavy use of mulch.

I have mulch instructions here which where obtained directly from a
mycologist.

Mulching - http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html
and
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/ Look up "Mulch"



The fungus problem isn't just mine, a lot of
people in my area have developed it recently, so these landscapers just
pretend they have never heard about it when you try to discuss it!

Most landscapers in my area use whatever mulch the commercial outfits are
selling. My source is a very composted mix of wood chips and leaves.
BTW the wood is important because composted wood is xthe substrate for the
bas of the food web in a forest. The mycorrhizal fungi.
More on the chemistry of mulch can be found he
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/CHEM.html

http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/21st.html

http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...go/CANKER.html



Ignorance of tree biology has been, and still is, the major cause of tree
problems worldwide.

http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...ion/mulch.html


Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

Jenny

OK, let me get honest. In 1991, out of the ignorance of tree biology, I was
removing turf and applying fresh chips. By removing the turf roots, I was
also removing the trees non-woody absorbing roots. Turf roots grow deeper
than tree non-woody roots. Then I was applying fresh chips. Just trim the
tree and place the chips back around the tree. Great idea, right? NOT!
I was then in a formal tree biology workshop when one of the most renown
mycologist worldwide pulled me aside and said "NOT FRESH CHIPS"! I then
stopped and began searching compost piles for chips at least "one year" old.
Sadly enough one of my 1991 fresh chips and turf removing jobs was at my
parents house (J. Maple). The tree today is in a state of decline and I
believe I am the one at fought.

Fresh chips have living parenchyma cells which contain protoplasm. When we
chip a branch with a symplast we smear the protoplasm all over the place.
This attracts undesirables which can and do, do nasty things to trees below
as well as above ground. That is why I do not use fresh chips. Be believe
they can incite a disease. A disease is of the living. A disease is a
process that decreases the order and energy of a living system to the point
of strain. A disease is an abnormal physiological process that causes
injury or death. Strain is not reversible, stress is. You take a slinky and
stretch it out and it returns to its original shape (STRESS). Now you pull
that slinky so far it does not return to its original shape (STRAIN).

Oh, well, I was one of those landscapers digging out tree roots and applying
fresh chips in 1991. Not any more.

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

In article ,
"symplastless" wrote:

Jenny

OK, let me get honest. In 1991, out of the ignorance of tree biology, I was
removing turf and applying fresh chips. By removing the turf roots, I was
also removing the trees non-woody absorbing roots. Turf roots grow deeper
than tree non-woody roots. Then I was applying fresh chips. Just trim the
tree and place the chips back around the tree. Great idea, right? NOT!
I was then in a formal tree biology workshop when one of the most renown
mycologist worldwide pulled me aside and said "NOT FRESH CHIPS"! I then
stopped and began searching compost piles for chips at least "one year" old.
Sadly enough one of my 1991 fresh chips and turf removing jobs was at my
parents house (J. Maple). The tree today is in a state of decline and I
believe I am the one at fought.

Fresh chips have living parenchyma cells which contain protoplasm. When we
chip a branch with a symplast we smear the protoplasm all over the place.
This attracts undesirables which can and do, do nasty things to trees below
as well as above ground. That is why I do not use fresh chips. Be believe
they can incite a disease. A disease is of the living. A disease is a
process that decreases the order and energy of a living system to the point
of strain. A disease is an abnormal physiological process that causes
injury or death. Strain is not reversible, stress is. You take a slinky and
stretch it out and it returns to its original shape (STRESS). Now you pull
that slinky so far it does not return to its original shape (STRAIN).

Oh, well, I was one of those landscapers digging out tree roots and applying
fresh chips in 1991. Not any more.

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

How we use wood chip are similar. New piles are given a year to rest.
These are then placed on our walking paths. We apply energy to the
paths by walking on them. Then when black and rich we dig out and
spread about then redo the cycle which takes about 3 years. We like
pine chips I guess because most here are oak.

Upside lots of worms but also lots of moles and voles.

Bill

--

S Jersey USA Zone 5 Shade
http://www.ocutech.com/ High tech Vison aid
This article is posted under fair use rules in accordance with
Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and is strictly for the educational
and informative purposes. This material is distributed without profit.

Then when black and rich we dig out and
spread about then redo the cycle which takes about 3 years.

Bill

This new black material is correctly called "new soil". When nurse logs
break down the end result is new soil.


Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.