Puffballs
 

Hi All

How can I get rid of a couple of pufball fungi that are pushing up tarmac on my
driveway? I have had them growing at the edge of the lawn before and have just
dig them out. They are grey and quite hard at first but later if one is mowed
off (not having noticed it) there is a cloud of brown spores. I have pulled off
a lump of raised tarmac and the thing is there. Can I pour some sort of killer
concoction onto it and if so what please?

Phil

In article ,
Pen Phill wrote:

How can I get rid of a couple of pufball fungi that are pushing up tarmac on my
driveway? I have had them growing at the edge of the lawn before and have just
dig them out. They are grey and quite hard at first but later if one is mowed
off (not having noticed it) there is a cloud of brown spores. I have pulled off
a lump of raised tarmac and the thing is there. Can I pour some sort of killer
concoction onto it and if so what please?

No.

The puffballs are merely the fruiting bodies of a mycelium that may
extend for a considerable distance. Anything that would kill that
would also pollute the ground water.

The root cause is, I am afraid, that your drive has been inadequately
constructed. A thin layer of tarmac is notorious for breaking up,
whether by puffballs, shrub and tree roots, vehicles turning sharply
or anything else.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Pen Phill" wrote in message
...
Hi All

How can I get rid of a couple of pufball fungi that are pushing up tarmac
on my
driveway? I have had them growing at the edge of the lawn before and have
just
dig them out. They are grey and quite hard at first but later if one is
mowed
off (not having noticed it) there is a cloud of brown spores. I have
pulled off
a lump of raised tarmac and the thing is there. Can I pour some sort of
killer
concoction onto it and if so what please?

Yummy. Eat them you lucky thing.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Pen Phill wrote:

How can I get rid of a couple of pufball fungi that are pushing up
tarmac on my
driveway? I have had them growing at the edge of the lawn before
and have just
dig them out. They are grey and quite hard at first but later if
one is mowed
off (not having noticed it) there is a cloud of brown spores. I
have pulled off
a lump of raised tarmac and the thing is there. Can I pour some
sort of killer
concoction onto it and if so what please?

No.

You might have reminded the OP that giant puffballs are edible.
Actually, sliced into steaks and fried in garlick butter they are
delicious.

The puffballs are merely the fruiting bodies of a mycelium that may
extend for a considerable distance. Anything that would kill that
would also pollute the ground water.

The root cause is, I am afraid, that your drive has been
inadequately
constructed. A thin layer of tarmac is notorious for breaking up,
whether by puffballs, shrub and tree roots, vehicles turning sharply
or anything else.

Franz

In article ,
Franz Heymann wrote:

You might have reminded the OP that giant puffballs are edible.
Actually, sliced into steaks and fried in garlick butter they are
delicious.

He should be so lucky. The chance of a random puffball occurrence
being giant ones is, what?, 0.01% ?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Er, no. Of the three common species that are called puffballs, the
least common (the giant one) is the only one that is excellent
eating, and the one that is by far the most common is effectively
inedible (though not actually poisonous, as far as I know).

All the true puffballs are edible AFAIK, and I'd say they all provide
excellent eating - all those I've tried have been at least as good as
the giant puffball, and some, better. IMO, of course.

Some are listed as 'edibility unknown' - I can confidently state that in
my case, edibility isn't unknown any longer, except in the case of
Lycoperdon predellicatum, which I've never seen, (and because of its
rarity, I wouldn't touch.) L. foetidum, for obvious reasons.

L. echinatum is listed as 'not edible', but I find it is excellent.
(Once you've scraped off the 'spines' and fried it in butter with a
touch of garlic.)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "ex WGS Hamm" contains these words:

I think it is a nice insult.
"Oh puffballs to you mate" , sort of thing.

Just so long as it's not delivered in a northern accent.......

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

In article ,
Franz Heymann wrote:

You might have reminded the OP that giant puffballs are edible.
Actually, sliced into steaks and fried in garlick butter they are
delicious.

He should be so lucky. The chance of a random puffball occurrence
being giant ones is, what?, 0.01% ?

Unless his garden is on a flood plain, then it could be as high as 100%.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Franz Heymann wrote:

You might have reminded the OP that giant puffballs are edible.
Actually, sliced into steaks and fried in garlick butter they are
delicious.

He should be so lucky. The chance of a random puffball occurrence
being giant ones is, what?, 0.01% ?

Probably. {:-))

Franz

Thanks for the replies getting rid of the fungi-edible or no. Out of 500 sq
metres or so of drive laid it's the only bit affected. I suppose I shall just
have to carefully dig them both out and refill the hole with fresh tarmac. I am
rather surprised they could push it up....lowly thing.
Phil

The message
from iljunk (Pen Phill) contains these words:

Thanks for the replies getting rid of the fungi-edible or no. Out
of 500 sq
metres or so of drive laid it's the only bit affected. I suppose I
shall just
have to carefully dig them both out and refill the hole with fresh
tarmac. I am
rather surprised they could push it up....lowly thing.

Think hydraulics.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in
message k...
The message
from iljunk (Pen Phill) contains these words:

Thanks for the replies getting rid of the fungi-edible or no.
Out
of 500 sq
metres or so of drive laid it's the only bit affected. I suppose I
shall just
have to carefully dig them both out and refill the hole with fresh
tarmac. I am
rather surprised they could push it up....lowly thing.

Think hydraulics.

Yes. The osmotic pressure iin a plant is more than ten atmospheres.

Franz