Fungus - bad compost? Or something I've done wrong?

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by ryanuk, Jun 1, 2010.

  1. ryanuk

    ryanuk Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi,

    I recently planted poppies and a few herbs in pots. Some of them have started to grow but I also noticed what appears to be fungus growing. This is in some of the pots, but not all, and for different plants. They do have in common the compost though. The pots are stored in doors, I'm going to check the outdoor ones tomorrow in better light.

    The photo isn't the clearest. I'll try again when it's daylight.

    [​IMG]

    Is this a danger? Is the growth down to something I've done or due to the compost being bad?

    Regards,

    Ryan

    EDIT: Reading on a bit, it might not be too much of a problem (or so I hope). Probably due to me over-watering and covering the pots with sandwich bags (instead of cling film). I was just initially concerned as I know some fungus can be very deadly (to humans).
     
  2. Alice

    Alice Gardener

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    The photo is not very clear Ryanuk, but I think that white fungal stuff just grows on the surface of the compost - wherever you get it from.
    It appears to be harmless and the plants get on fine.
    If it upsets you to look at it then take a teaspoon - or something similar - and scrape the white stuff off the top and sprinkle some vermiculite on the top.. Problem solved.
    But see what others think.
     
  3. ryanuk

    ryanuk Apprentice Gardener

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    Well, I got concerned when I found this article. If it's harmless then I'll leave it as, from what I've read, it's good for the soil. As it wasn't the usual white stuff, but instead a "toad stool", I thought it best to check out. That news story probably wasn't the best information to first read.
     
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