Trouble in the greenhouse with fungi

hi all, two years ago plus, my little greenhouse started having fungi growing along the paths and outer edges with its white roots forming clumps of very dry lumps of fungi. Nothing would grow where the clumps of roots and fungi grew so I covered these areas with cow manure, this seemed to stop the fungi, but they came up in different places. This year the fungi has come back stronger. I was just going to cover the whole bed with cow manure, but Now I notice that my small peach tree saturne has white spots growing up the trunk and along the branches. I don’t think it is scale. The dark patch is sticky stuff to stop caterpillars. This tree is about six and last year we had lovely fruit but this year we have leaves but no fruit. I know the general rule is that fungi are beneficial for the soil, but I don’t think this one is. Can anyone advise or give me information on how to get to know what this is to deal with it. Many thanks ,Valerie

 

Not sure what is going on.
Your peach tree does look like its main stem has died.

I think the cow manure is feeding the fungi, you can overdo manure.

Maybe someone can ID the fungi, not something I can do.

Have you tried growing other plants in that bed?

 

@pete thank you for your reply. The lettuce I planted died. After that I didn’t try again. There are leaves on the peach tree that are green and lush. Autumn should take those off soon. Valerie

 

It does look dry from the lumps of soil on the spade.
Do you dig it over before planting.

 

I dug out all the lumps of fungi with the roots attached and got rid of them out of the greenhouse. A bag full. Old potting soil was put in its place .

 

I think you could possibly have too much organic material, fungi loves stuff that rots down.
Maybe replace as much soil as you can with either garden soil, from outside, or buy in a few bags of top soil.

 

Hi Pete. I was going to spread manure all over the greenhouse, fortunately, it’s one of the smallest, as this was where the fungi didn’t go to, the manure is sticky and well rotted wet. The lumps of fungi with the roots are as dry as a bone and will not soak water up, they look like dried compressed dust. it’s been suggested that I use washing up liquid to soak the roots with.

 

I'm not sure keep adding manure is the way to go, it encourages fungi as it lives on the manure and decomposes it.
It may have appeared to have got rid of the fungi if you spread it over the top but fungi only appears at the surface when it starts to spread spores, the bit you see above ground is the fruiting bodies of the plant.

You do need to soak the bed if it is as dry as that looks on the picture, the trouble you are having is rewetting the lumps of dried out fungi.
So I can see why the suggestion of using washing up liquid, it will help to rewet the bed, but you wont need much washing up liquid to the amount of water.

 

Thank you @pete and @JWK I would love to know what kind of fungi it is, but as I haven’t been able to find an address to send it to, the following seems to be the best option. Take everything out, put some washing up liquid and water in my sprayer and spray, (this was an idea from another gardener) then really douse the beds with water. That may be the only way to soak the large root lumps as they seem impervious to water. Close the door, forget about it and see what happens. I’m fortunate as this is only the smallest greenhouse we have, the other which are treated the same don’t have a problem and produced good crops of tomatoes , peppers, French beans and carrots. So it’s not the end of the world. Valerie

 

I dont particularly know to much about fungus but looks like coral fungus to me. Maybe an idea to start from there

 

Hi @Perki, am I right in thinking that coral fungus is something I do not want in my greenhouse. I shall look up, how to get rid of coral fungus. Valerie

 

It looks like one of the coral fungi but without better pics its hard to say. Many of them are edible, such as the cauliflower fungus for example. If its a coral fungi I don't think they are an issue in the way (for example) some species of honey fungus are and shouldn't hurt your plants. It may be hard to get rid as the part you are seeing is just the fruiting body. The main part of the fungus is in the ground.

 

Hi there, I’ve had a look and the fungi is like goats beard. Thanks for your interest
, Valerie