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Is this honey fungus
Lee Alexander
Posts: 30
Hi.
In our garden there is an old tree stump which was cut down by previous owner. This is our first autumn here and we've noticed this fungus. My concern is that it is honey fungus, can anyone help confirm if it is or not. I have looked all over on other forums and I'm still unsure!
Thanks,
Lee
0
Posts
I'd say yes
Not sure
But don't worry too much. HF isn't the end of the world, we have it here and it hasn't wiped out the garden. Two willows (the beginning) and a clematis in about 10 years. It tends to go for compromised plants, weak, too dry, otherwise unhealthy. Keep your plants healthy and grow what is suitable for your soil and conditions.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I'd say it is too and would have the stump ground out as HF requires a 'home base' from which it can send out the damaging rhizomorphs which infect other plants. Good article on the telegraph site explains that:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/helen-yemm/10464796/Thorny-problems-how-can-I-get-rid-of-honey-fungus.html
Yes I thought so. We had to remove a silver birch with HF about two years after we moved in to our newly built house. This was about 28 yrs ago. We have not had any recurrence of it since.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
Thank you for your advice!
Based on your replies I've had another look this morning at them in more detail. I'm still unsure as they don't have a ring around the stem and the gills aren't attached directly to stem (apparently characteristics of HF).
Does this change the diagnosis? ?
As a slight aside I've never looked at mushrooms so closely.....they are quite amazing things!
PS....I'll still be digging the trunk up!
Thanks,
Lee
my gut feeling was, and still is, not HF. I think you need to post this on a fungi ID site if you have concerns re HF. There are hundreds of different species of fungi springing up on tree stumps all over the country at this time of year, most are beneficial, part of the natural process of decay.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I've sent you a PM Lee
In the sticks near Peterborough
Not sure about these. Might be something like Pholiota squarrosa. Can you take a spore print - break off the stem and rest one of the caps on a piece of white paper overnight (gills down). Then check the colour of the spores that collect on the paper.
Definitely not honey fungus. Too dark, wrong shape, no 'collar'. Picture attached.
H-C
Thank you all.
I feel relieved ?
Will try and get spores too!