Q Should I remove an elder stump where honey fungus grows?
Jane, Somerset
AMATT SAYS It is always better to remove dead trees and shrubs immediately to avoid future problems – your dead elder will continue to be a source of infection as long as it remains in the ground.
Ask a friend to help you dig it out, or even go to your local gardening club and ask for help, removing as much root as possible and disposing of the debris in the council green-waste bin. To reduce the chance of the remaining plants being affected, keep everything in the garden well-watered and fed. Healthy plants are less susceptible.
Make sure that soil doesn’t mound around the base of nearby trees and shrubs. Chop up
rhizomorphs (bootlace-like threads from the fungus) in the ground into smaller pieces using a spade and don’t replant there for a year. When you do, fill the gap with herbaceous plants, which are generally less vulnerable.
The RHS has an extensive list of resistant plants on its website at bit.ly/honey-fungus.