Some strange fungus has invaded my indoor plants (see attached). A few hours of googling did not bring me to a conclusive answer of what it might. be. I'm not even sure it's necessay to try to get rid of it.
Any information of the type of fungus it could be ?
Plants, plural, as in more than one has the same disease?
When I find "one" plant that looks diseased, I get rid of it and buy another one. I find it is a waste of time to diagnose them and cure them. Most of the time it is from lack of air circulation or bugs. Once in a while I spray the indoor plants with a small amount of insecticidal soap for prevention.
Looks like some species of cup fungus, cupkiller, feasting on the organic matter in your potting soil. I wouldn't worry about it - it is not likely to cause your plants any harm and actually may be beneficial in helping to free up nutrients in the soil.
Looks like some species of cup fungus, cupkiller, feasting on the organic matter in your potting soil. I wouldn't worry about it - it is not likely to cause your plants any harm and actually may be beneficial in helping to free up nutrients in the soil. ==============
Agreed. It may however be an indication your soil's too wet. Cup fungi are very fond of overly-moist materials. They'll even grow on wet carpet. Never heard the term "cup killer" before. None are even poisonous that I recall. Much less to cups.
Hmmm. Well, then! Glad to hear my favorite coffee mug's not in any danger. My husband...sometimes he borrows it y'know,, then leaves it on the headboard unemptied sometimes for days on end! I almost truly feared for its life. You've no idea how many thrift stores I've traipsed through to get it.
The only cup fungus that I can recall having significant human health repercussions made the rounds in boy's PE in high school. It was a killer of morale.
Neither is your failure to quote the response you are referring to.
OTOH, kudos to you for responding at all. Dozens of inquiries from gardenbanterers have been answered quickly and accurately by rec.gardens patrons who are routinely snubbed for their trouble. Bunch of ingrates.
Neither is your failure to quote the response you are referring to.
OTOH, kudos to you for responding at all. Dozens of inquiries from gardenbanterers have been answered quickly and accurately by rec.gardens patrons who are routinely snubbed for their trouble. Bunch of ingrates. ======================
Such a likely response as this (if ever any) from what are primarily "drive-through" posters from that site, is what got many in rec.gardens to just block everything posted from there. If "cupkiller" had known that, she might've at least been grateful anyone responded at all...even if she doesn't have enough sense not to nitpick an innocent sideways post or two. (Talk about unhelpful responses.) Especially after having gotten a couple of perfectly valid replies. Comes across as a bit snotty.
to me, an untrained eye for fungi, it looks very much like 'orange peel' an edible fungus. but don't go eating it just yet until it has been verified; i suggest you u/load your picture to dave's garden {davesgarden.com}, whereupon you should receive a response within a very short time.
also, nad r. in michigan, i HIGHLY suggest you use an unpeeled clove of garlic, placed into the soil, 'stem' side down. all by itself, it will eliminate fungus gnats (which are those little black flies which look like fruit gnats--they lay their eggs INSIDE the pot, next to the roots so that when the lil pesties come out, they eat the roothairs and thus destroy the plant). anyways, using garlic to protect your plants from bugs and the white fungus 'frosting' the top soil of indoor plants (AND outdoor plants, as well) is a helluva lot more natural and organic than ANY insecticide product!!
to me, an untrained eye for fungi, it looks very much like 'orange peel' an edible fungus. but don't go eating it just yet until it has been verified; i suggest you u/load your picture to dave's garden {davesgarden.com}, whereupon you should receive a response within a very short time.
also, nad r. in michigan, i HIGHLY suggest you use an unpeeled clove of garlic, placed into the soil, 'stem' side down. all by itself, it will eliminate fungus gnats (which are those little black flies which look like fruit gnats--they lay their eggs INSIDE the pot, next to the roots so that when the lil pesties come out, they eat the roothairs and thus destroy the plant). anyways, using garlic to protect your plants from bugs and the white fungus 'frosting' the top soil of indoor plants (AND outdoor plants, as well) is a helluva lot more natural and organic than ANY insecticide product!! ================
Sorry GW, April Fool's Day was only good up until about 18 hrs ago here in my neck of the US
I do not eat my indoor plants. I find each plant seems to have a specific bug. Garlic may prevent fungus but I doubt it will get rid of all types of bugs. I do not use pesticides on the outside plants. I figure outside is their world, inside my home is my world. I have will probably use bug sprays for bees that want to build nest in the eves of my home. The sprays which I use very very sparingly might effect my health but so can the those invading insects.
However, when I see bugs inside the home it is a slightly different matter. When my dog's bed had ticks in it. I started to put frontline-plus on the dog. The dog stop scratching himself and the ticks inside the home disappeared. The dog seems better for it.
When it comes to indoor plants, I think a small amount of insecticidal soap will keep the bugs out my plants and if there in the plants they will be in the furniture then on me.
I do not eat my indoor plants. I find each plant seems to have a specific bug. Garlic may prevent fungus but I doubt it will get rid of all types of bugs. I do not use pesticides on the outside plants. I figure outside is their world, inside my home is my world. I have will probably use bug sprays for bees that want to build nest in the eves of my home. The sprays which I use very very sparingly might effect my health but so can the those invading insects.
However, when I see bugs inside the home it is a slightly different matter. When my dog's bed had ticks in it. I started to put frontline-plus on the dog. The dog stop scratching himself and the ticks inside the home disappeared. The dog seems better for it.
When it comes to indoor plants, I think a small amount of insecticidal soap will keep the bugs out my plants and if there in the plants they will be in the furniture then on me.
=============== "Nad", so you never figured out what any of the bugs were? As far as I ever knew, I was the only one on the planet ever bitten by plant pests. They're supposed to only like plants, not people, or furniture. Fungus gnats, I know it's them, I see them fly in front of my monitor. They "bite" me (or maybe they just lick me :-), I never see or feel the slightest thing until some time later I develop a very itchy, tiny bump. Thankfully it goes away fairly quickly and without treatment. Bacillus thuringensis is very effective against the larvae, but once they're a problem it still takes time for the flying adults to die off (even though sticky traps do help). So if you're prophylactically treating for plant bugs, maybe try watering occasionally with B.t. Once or twice a year seems to do it for me, but then I do have a nasty habit of bringing new houseplants home from time to time, which is most often how they're reintroduced.
I do not have bug problem. When I take my plants outside for repotting, trimming the roots or give the roots a good soaking I spray them before I bringing them back indoors. I live in the boondocks, I have all kinds of bugs. Once I found a bat crawling from one one the plants inside the house that I forgot and left outside all night. My plants are like my dog they seem to attract bugs. It is not I have a problem, it is as a precaution. My plants are fine.
I think am doing the right thing. I have never had bugs fly in front of my monitor. I do not have bed bugs, I do not need sticky traps. Frontline for the dog works great also.
So what is wrong with an occasional use of insecticidal soap?
I do not have bug problem. When I take my plants outside for repotting, trimming the roots or give the roots a good soaking I spray them before I bringing them back indoors. I live in the boondocks, I have all kinds of bugs. Once I found a bat crawling from one one the plants inside the house that I forgot and left outside all night. My plants are like my dog they seem to attract bugs. It is not I have a problem, it is as a precaution. My plants are fine.
I think am doing the right thing. I have never had bugs fly in front of my monitor. I do not have bed bugs, I do not need sticky traps. Frontline for the dog works great also.
So what is wrong with an occasional use of insecticidal soap? ============ I don't have anything against insecticidal soap, I use it on mites. I don't know how useful it is as a preventative, though. Might depend what else is in it, but if the stuff I used was sprayed on anything but the insects directly it was wasted. Besides, I usually rinse it off after a few minutes since mites involve repeated sprayings. You say you get various bugs on your plants but don't say which ones, so if fungus gnats are never a problem for you, then great.
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