Just some confirmation... Ganoderma?

[Mandrew968]

We have a problem that has been here far longer than I have... I see the cut trunks lingering all over. I have personally cut out 6 Ptychosperma since I have been here. Removing the bases is very difficult without heavy machinery... Any time I see a mushroom, I pull it off and throw it away. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated...

[Mandrew968]

A closer look shows it is most certainly ganoderma zonatum. The bruising around the conch is textbook...

[Mandrew968]

This guy was close by not on a living tree--maybe there is a dead trunk it is feeding off of under the mulch?

[Mandrew968]

Here is the size of my problem... I wonder if I should just remove as they show themselves, or just take out all of the stand and replant with something not a palm... suggestions encouraged! Thanks in advance.

[dmc]

Andrew,

In my opinion i would remove the conch as you see them before they release the spores and spread the fungi. I have also seen these conchs appear as if they were growing out of the ground but actually feeding on a stump below as far as removing everything I'll leave that to you. You can also check out the north American ganoderma species which has a Facebook page with some very knowledgeable ppl on these fungi. Hope this helps 

Dominic

 

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Removal of the entire stand may help to prevent the appearance of more shelf conchs, and hence avoid the additional spread of spores. But as you are aware,  unless the stumps are ground out and all debris removed there will likely be additional basidiocarps appearing over time on the remaining trunk material, even if it is flushed to the ground……and as long as there is stump or root material under the surface the fruiting bodies can always appear.

 But although the fungus is already present in the soil, as you know, and since the basidiocarp is the method of spread to other parts of the property, removal of the shelfs should be enough for the time being.

This is contrary to a lot of the recommendations I have read over the years…they recommend complete removal. 

But the fungus is still there, will never be completely removed from that particular spot anyway, and the shelfs that can cause airborne infection can be removed.from existing infected plants as they appear.

[PalmTreeDude]

I hate it when palms get this disease.

[Mandrew968]

Me too but at least its just elegans for now. Ptychosperma elegans are magnets for this fungus.