Is this a conk on my FL Thatch palm

[Bill G]

Hello,

I have a very white spot at the base of my Fl Thatch palm. Is this the beginning formation if a conk, Ganoderma zonatum? (And I need to remove it) Any opinions out there? I peeled it off a couple months ago and it grew back pretty quickly. The tree is otherwise very healthy - about 12’ tall 

[Steve Mac]

I don't know what it is but it does not look good to me. I would spray that with hydrogen peroxide and if that didn't fix it a fungicide or bleach.   

I would guess that it is a non-beneficial fungus.

[redant]

Not a conk or the beginning  of one. Still though that looks nasty. Is it soft around there.

Edited August 28, 2020 by redant

[Bill G]

Hi Redant/gtsteve,

Thanks for the feedback. No it’s not soft, fortunately. I did spray it with Phyton about a month ago. It’s gotten bigger since than. I’ll try hydrogen peroxide or mild bleach. 
Thanks!

[Mike Evans]

It is mycelium.  After a while it will produce the flower (mushroom).  I would use a good fungicide like banrot, copper, daconil,  or M45.  Scrape off as much as you can first. I would not use H2O2, probably a waste of time, and definately NOT bleach, unless you want to kill the palm and the mycelium.  

Edit: You wouldn't be fertilizing with cow chips are you, or Black Kow?

[Bill G]

I see. I did put down some Black Kow Probably a couple months ago as I planted a number of ferns nearby. However, that white spot has probably been there almost a year. It’s just gotten bigger recently. 

[Mike Evans]

Magic mushroom?  Looks mighty suspicious. 

[Steve Mac]

Hey Mike, I think that we all know that you are right, that you can kill a tree/palm with bleach, as you can with fertilizer, water or sun or anything.

It is a question of quantity.  Just watch your concentration.

Also, I think that you are right, that H2O2 is not likely to work. (but I would still try it.) Of the times, that I have used it, (about a dozen times only,) for crown rot or other assumed fungal problems only about half have been 'apparently' successful. As of the plants/palm that survived, who knows if the plant would have survived anyway, obviously. When I treat a stressed plant, I admit that I do not use use a control group.  But H2O2 is cheap and unlikely to do any harm.  I think that bleach is the same, just watch your concentrations.

To my main point, I have used bleach successfully on a number of occasions on palms to kill unwanted growths without killing the palm. I put it into the same category as H2O2 or fertilizer or anything just watch your concentrations. 

Here is a link as a suggestion.  https://www.hunker.com/12482699/how-to-use-clorox-for-a-tree-fungus

A cup of bleach to a quart of water is usually good for me. 

 

 

[Bill G]

So, I gently scraped it with a butter knife and it actually came off pretty cleanly with all the rain recently (over 8” in 3 days) and sprayed it with 4:1 water/bleach solution.  Just a little bit. Then it rained AGAIN later in the day. Hopefully, that’s the end of it. I think so. Thanks to all. 
Hey Mike,  Do you recognize the Lanonia dasayantha next to it. You should. Bought them from you 

[Powe Taylor]

I have a very similar problem…anybody figure this out yet? I have no conks growing out of the tree, just this white rubbery type fungus, I scrape it off and it comes back, I’m experimenting with Hydrogen Peroxide and 91% isopropyl alcohol…so we shall see.  Anybody else have any suggestions? 

[Bill G]

Follow up:  Since I treated the spot last year with the 4:1 water:bleach spray (just a little bit) it’s gone and hasn’t come back. Like Mike Evans said it was harmless. It’s a fairly large FL Thatch palm. No damage or sign of stress at all. Here are a couple photos from today almost a year later.