Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea)
Posted by Fiona Nevile in General care | 14 comments
When I arrived at the cottage 15 years ago as a novice gardener, I discovered Honey Fungus. It was a bit of a blow. The name Honey Fungus sounds so gentle. It is not. Even then I knew that Honey fungus can decimate the shrubs and trees in a garden. Its progress is relentless, young shrubs and trees or old ones that are weak and diseased are most susceptible. Honey fungus is the MRSA of the garden.
I had bought a cottage with a field garden, with minimal planting. What was I to do?
If you discover Honey Fungus in your garden there are ways to treat and try and contain it, although in the end you have to accept that if you have it, it is probably in nearby gardens and it will return. The first thing to do is to familiarise yourself with how it looks. There are the mushrooms, and the “black bootlaces” that grow beneath the ground and spread the disease.
Initially I just removed the mushrooms and treated infected trees and shrubs with Armillatox and had some success with this. Then I planted Honey Fungus resistant hedging – the yew and the box. I also planted beech hedging and the trees and shrubs that I wanted even though they were not resistant.
All was well for a couple of years and then three old apple trees (these are very susceptible) in the orchard area started to die off. All good croppers and sadly missed. Since then, I would see the mushrooms beside an occasional shrub and within a year or so the shrubs would die. In the end I decided I was fighting a losing battle and gave up battling with the disease. The woods beside the garden are full of Honey Fungus.
When I saw the Honey Fungus mushrooms back in June 2007. My heart sank. I started to do more research and found this useful site. Although I didn’t take his advice fry the mushrooms in a little butter, I have been following the instructions outlined in the article and applying the wood ash tonic. So far so good. Suddenly I am being much more proactive on the Honey Fungus front and feeling much better about it. Using this method of boosting the garden’s defences is the route that I will be taking from now on.
I have also treated all the fruit trees that I have planted even though they show no signs of the disease.
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Hello Anthony
Honey fungus is rife in the wood that adjoins the cottage garden. It has killed a lot of our apple trees.
Must try eating the mushrooms when they pop up next time. Finally a bit of solace for the pain of this nasty fungus.
huney fungus is a serious problem for gardeners as it will kill many trees and shrubs over the course of a few years. the ‘bootlaces’ are long, thin, black and flatish. just like bootlaces. they are found below ground. there is not a huge amount you can do apart from digging up the infected area. not always easy! however the mushroom is delicious when cooked properly.
Hi Anne
I don’t have pictures of the laces.
I have only ever seemn the mushrooms.
I’m sorry but I can’t help you.
Do you have any pictures of the bootlaces? I was removing turfs to bury a pipe and about 5cm under the turf was what my husband says are old plant roots, but I think may be honey fungus. There are no trees neareby, but people who knew the house before we moved in said there used to be a lot of trees in the garden. Also some of our privet hedge has died. No sign of the mushrooms though. Do I have honey fungus?
I think I have discovered honey fungus in a well established lilac (30 yrs old) This year it never came into leaf and has subsequently died. It was a well loved tree where each year blue tits would nest in a box amongst it’s branches. I do not have the ‘muscle’ power to remove the trunk and roots, although I can have most of it cut down and removed…what am I to do? I have been reading all I can to learn about this disease.
Hi Carolyn
I reckon that the tree tonic has helped the stronger plants.
Honey fungus is a beast and seems to attack the older, weaker plants.
I reckon that the guy is right. If you garden is well fed and healthy you will have a good chance fighting Honey Fungus.
Hello – how goes the battle with Armillaria? My yard has been struggling with it for the past few years – like you, it is also in the surrounding land. I have lost so many dear old roses, etc. I was looking into buying a compost tea brewer and trying something along that line, when I came across your site. I am interested to know if the Tree Tonic has been a help. Thanks so much, Carolyn.
Hi Cooking Ninja,
It’s a shame about the Honey Fungus. Pehaps I should have eaten the mushrooms!
Hi Pat,
Thanks for dropping by. We were given a quince tree in return for an anti-broody coup four years ago and I am cherishing it like mad as it would be susceptible to Honey Fungus.
Sorry to hear about your Apple trees, Fiona. Thanks for the heads up about this fungus too. I am still learning about the differnt things that can happen here in the UK to plants. I will keep an eye out for it in our garden.
I’m sorry about the honey fungus mushrooms. It does sounds like a delicious mushrooms.