Treating Honey Fungus - Armillaria mellea - is considered impossible in today's anti chemical world.
Most people seem to think that Armillatox, once the stalwart for gardening use, is not available for eradicating the bootlace fungus, which has been the scourge of gardeners forever.
I have to admit to being in the same stable as the non believers until this week when Sue Loader asked a question about Honey Fungus control in the Landscape Juice Network.
A call to Armillatox soon put me on the right track. While it cannot be claimed as a Honey Fungus treatment, I am advised, that because it is exactly the same formulation as it was in the days when it was called a Honey Fungus treatment (in fact, Armillatox was invented for this purposes - hence the name), they can advise, that as a side effect of using the chemical as a soap based garden cleaner, Honey Fungus is treated.
Honey Fungus is actually a helpful pathogen because it helps nature accelerate the destruction of dead wood.
By attacking the lignum and cellulose and breaking it down to glucose, which insects are then able to digest, valuable nutrients are then returned to the soil.
The Armillatox site explains that by treating the lower trunk of a healthy tree with a 20:1 solution of Armillatox and water, the tree can be inoculated against the 'bootlace' Rhizomes reaching your trees, the Rhizomorphs will surface, sporolate and send the resulting mycelia in search of dead and decaying wood.
I like this AIE Pest and Disease page on Honey Fungus. Take some time to look at the photos for identification purposes.
For more detailed advice, Armillatox ask you to contact them directly:
Armillatox Limited | The Colliery Industrial Estate | Main Road | Morton | Derbyshire | DE55 6HL
Telephone: 01773 590566
fax: 01773 590681
Web: http://www.armillatox.com/
Email: armillatox@armillatox.co.uk
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