My houseplants (amaryllis and various other tropicals) have all acquired a
yellow fungus (looks sort as if I sprinkled sulfer powder) on the the soil
around them. It could not be killed by cinnamon, what I usually use to
treat mild fungal problems. I have not been overwatering them, rather the
opposite, I have been letting them dry out until they droop and then
watering them. Any ideas what this is and how to kill it without killing the
plants? I was just about to put them outside with my annuals but will pitch
them rather than loose the lot if I can't get rid of it.

mm

mmarteen wrote:
My houseplants (amaryllis and various other tropicals) have all acquired a
yellow fungus (looks sort as if I sprinkled sulfer powder) on the the soil
around them. It could not be killed by cinnamon, what I usually use to
treat mild fungal problems. I have not been overwatering them, rather the
opposite, I have been letting them dry out until they droop and then
watering them. Any ideas what this is and how to kill it without killing the
plants? I was just about to put them outside with my annuals but will pitch
them rather than loose the lot if I can't get rid of it.

You have the dreaded Marphistes fungus, spread by the Marphistes aphid
which spreads the fungus by contact with its foot pads.

Go to your nearest fertilizer wholesaler and beg, buy or steal about a
kilogram of ammonium nitrate. Take it home and pile it in a large
baking dish. Mound it up and make a depression in the middle, just as
if you were going to add eggs and stuff to a cake mix. Pour about 1/2
cup of diesel fuel in the depression and start kneading. Continue to
add diesel fuel as needed to obtain a doughy mixture. Form your mixture
into a ball about the size of a small cantaloupe and set it in the sun
to dry. Be sure to poke a small hole in the ball, just large enough to
hold a small firecracker or blasting cap for an igniter.

When your ball is dry, insert a firecracker or blasting cap into the
small hole. Use a dab of spackle, putty or other similar substance to
hold the igniter in place and to fill any voids. Light the fuse of your
igniter and you will see results almost immediately.

That's cruel and irresponsible telling someone how to make a bomb and
detonate it. Someone may actually take you seriously and do it.
This is a fungus that reproduces by spores from the yellow mushroom it
makes. As with most of these saprophytic fungi, they thrive on organic soil
mixes that get well fertilized and are allowed to dry out a bit, just as
you're supposed to do with most plants. A good dose of Physan, Green Shield
or RD-20 should do the trick. All these products are quartenary ammonium
compounds that you mix with water and are very safe to use (swimming pool
disinfectant is the same stuff). Immersing the whole pot in a pail of it
(usually 1Tbsp/ gal) should do the trick without bombing them out of
existence.

"Santo Traficante IV" "Santo Traficante IV" wrote in message
...
mmarteen wrote:
My houseplants (amaryllis and various other tropicals) have all acquired
a
yellow fungus (looks sort as if I sprinkled sulfer powder) on the the
soil
around them. It could not be killed by cinnamon, what I usually use to
treat mild fungal problems. I have not been overwatering them, rather
the
opposite, I have been letting them dry out until they droop and then
watering them. Any ideas what this is and how to kill it without killing
the
plants? I was just about to put them outside with my annuals but will
pitch
them rather than loose the lot if I can't get rid of it.

You have the dreaded Marphistes fungus, spread by the Marphistes aphid
which spreads the fungus by contact with its foot pads.

Go to your nearest fertilizer wholesaler and beg, buy or steal about a
kilogram of ammonium nitrate. Take it home and pile it in a large
baking dish. Mound it up and make a depression in the middle, just as
if you were going to add eggs and stuff to a cake mix. Pour about 1/2
cup of diesel fuel in the depression and start kneading. Continue to
add diesel fuel as needed to obtain a doughy mixture. Form your mixture
into a ball about the size of a small cantaloupe and set it in the sun
to dry. Be sure to poke a small hole in the ball, just large enough to
hold a small firecracker or blasting cap for an igniter.

When your ball is dry, insert a firecracker or blasting cap into the
small hole. Use a dab of spackle, putty or other similar substance to
hold the igniter in place and to fill any voids. Light the fuse of your
igniter and you will see results almost immediately.

Thanks for the advice. There was indeed a little yellow mushroom that showed
itself the other day. I will get one of those fungicides you mentioned
right away.

mm
"V_coerulea" wrote in message
news
That's cruel and irresponsible telling someone how to make a bomb and
detonate it. Someone may actually take you seriously and do it.
This is a fungus that reproduces by spores from the yellow mushroom it
makes. As with most of these saprophytic fungi, they thrive on organic
soil
mixes that get well fertilized and are allowed to dry out a bit, just as
you're supposed to do with most plants. A good dose of Physan, Green
Shield
or RD-20 should do the trick. All these products are quartenary ammonium
compounds that you mix with water and are very safe to use (swimming pool
disinfectant is the same stuff). Immersing the whole pot in a pail of it
(usually 1Tbsp/ gal) should do the trick without bombing them out of
existence.

"Santo Traficante IV" "Santo Traficante IV" wrote in message
...
mmarteen wrote:
My houseplants (amaryllis and various other tropicals) have all
acquired
a
yellow fungus (looks sort as if I sprinkled sulfer powder) on the the
soil
around them. It could not be killed by cinnamon, what I usually use
to
treat mild fungal problems. I have not been overwatering them, rather
the
opposite, I have been letting them dry out until they droop and then
watering them. Any ideas what this is and how to kill it without
killing
the
plants? I was just about to put them outside with my annuals but will
pitch
them rather than loose the lot if I can't get rid of it.

You have the dreaded Marphistes fungus, spread by the Marphistes aphid
which spreads the fungus by contact with its foot pads.

Go to your nearest fertilizer wholesaler and beg, buy or steal about a
kilogram of ammonium nitrate. Take it home and pile it in a large
baking dish. Mound it up and make a depression in the middle, just as
if you were going to add eggs and stuff to a cake mix. Pour about 1/2
cup of diesel fuel in the depression and start kneading. Continue to
add diesel fuel as needed to obtain a doughy mixture. Form your mixture
into a ball about the size of a small cantaloupe and set it in the sun
to dry. Be sure to poke a small hole in the ball, just large enough to
hold a small firecracker or blasting cap for an igniter.

When your ball is dry, insert a firecracker or blasting cap into the
small hole. Use a dab of spackle, putty or other similar substance to
hold the igniter in place and to fill any voids. Light the fuse of your
igniter and you will see results almost immediately.