Is My Loggery Killing My Plants?

Hector S

Hello, 

Last year part of our apple tree fell down (it was very rotten). 

Instead of chucking the wood, we decided to place it in three dark patches at the back of borders to help wildlife and also stop our terrier from using the borders as a race track. 

For the last year this plan worked very well. 

However, recently plants in each area have suddenly died for no clear reason (a viburnum, rose and hydrangea). The rest of the garden continues to flourish. 

Could a fungus in the rotting apple wood have killed my plants? 

Any opinions would be welcome. 

Many thanks, 

Hector

Dovefromabove

I'm wondering whether you may have honey fungus in the soil?  All the plants mentioned are  susceptible to it.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=180

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/pdfs/honey-fungus-host-list

 

pansyface

Yes. I wonder what caused the apple tree to rot in the first place.

Dovefromabove

Yes Pansy - that was my thought.

Hector S

Thanks for the responses. 

What caused the death and subsequent rot was a dozen 6 inch nails clonked right into it by a previous custodian to form the base of a tree house.

I'll remove them and plant some resistant plants in their place.