Ganoderma butt rot advice

[miamicuse]

Unfortunately I have this Ganoderma butt rot going on at my property.

Last year I cut down a 50 feet tall royal palm that caught it.

Then a few months later a cluster of Areca palms about twenty feet from it.

I also have some pre-existing mature coconut palm stumps nearby that I presumed were cut down by the previous owner, and possibly due to this same disease because I see the same fungus growing out of the half rotted stumps.

Interestingly enough, I have a few Chinese fan palms and Sabal palmetto between the two diseased palms but they seem to be OK, so far.

After I cut down both diseased palms. the cliff like mushroom continued to grow out of the base stumps which are a few inches above ground.

So here are my questions for the experts.

(1) I understand this fungus cannot be eradicated, it is actually in the soil and it will stay there forever.  I am thinking of getting a stump grinder to grind up all the palm roots down to say six to eight inches below grade.  But will doing so prevent the fungus from spreading and growing?  Or will the contaminated stumps kick up and release more fungus spores into the air and possibly infect other nearby palms?  Will stump grinding actually help or not?

(2) Right now the way I deal with it is when I see a whitish yellow fungus growing sideways out of a palm stump, I spray some WD40 on it to encapsulate the fungus to stop the spores from getting out, then I break it off by hand and put it into a plastic bag and dispose of it in the household garbage. This is at the recommendation of the local county extension service.

(3) Are there anything else I can do to stop it's spread at all?

(4) Are some palms more sensitive to it then others?  From personal experience I have seen it kill royal palms, areca palms and coconut palms.

Edited September 5, 2021 by miamicuse

[Silas_Sancona]

17 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

Unfortunately I have this Ganoderma butt rot going on at my property.

Last year I cut down a 50 feet tall royal palm that caught it.

Then a few months later a cluster of Areca palms about twenty feet from it.

I also have some pre-existing mature coconut palm stumps nearby that I presumed were cut down by the previous owner, and possibly due to this same disease because I see the same fungus growing out of the half rotted stumps.

Interestingly enough, I have a few Chinese fan palms and Sabal palmetto between the two diseased palms but they seem to be OK, so far.

After I cut down both diseased palms. the cliff like mushroom continued to grow out of the base stumps which are a few inches above ground.

So here are my questions for the experts.

(1) I understand this fungus cannot be eradicated, it is actually in the soil and it will stay there forever.  I am thinking of getting a stump grinder to grind up all the palm roots down to say six to eight inches below grade.  But will doing so prevent the fungus from spreading and growing?  Or will the contaminated stumps kick up and release more fungus spores into the air and possibly infect other nearby palms?  Will stump grinding actually help or not?

(2) Right now the way I deal with it is when I see a whitish yellow fungus growing sideways out of a palm stump, I spray some WD40 on it to encapsulate the fungus to stop the spores from getting out, then I break it off by hand and put it into a plastic bag and dispose of it in the household garbage. This is at the recommendation of the local county extension service.

(3) Are there anything else I can do to stop it's spread at all?

(4) Are some palms more sensitive to it then others?  From personal experience I have seen it kill royal palms, areca palms and coconut palms.

Short answer, no, there really isn't much you can do to stop the fungus.. 

Probably well established in your yard/ adjacent yards nearby.  Grinding the stumps would only spread it around more. Wind will disperse any spores growing in neighbor's yards / spots where the fruiting bodies ( of the fungus ) aren't noticed.. Spores can travel long distances as well. 

Best to research / plant palms that are as resistant as possible.  Plenty of fellow members here who should have recommendations to share.

[NOT A TA]

I've been studying Ganoderma zonatum for several years. My observations and experiments conflict somewhat with what some others believe. So one of is probably wrong, at least partially.

The basidiocarps can continue to form for years on stumps when conditions are good for their formation or growth as the fungus breaks down the lignin & cellulose tissue. You'll notice a new white ring on a basidiocarp  or a new white starter bump when we get a warm wet cloudy spell and the conk usually forms on the NNW side of the stump unless certain shade conditions occur on a different part of the stump.

In regards to your questions

1. IMO grinding the stumps is a waste of money unless you want the stumps gone anyway. Removing them won't change the probability of other palms being infected either way because the spores are everywhere here already. Ganoderma will continue to grow in any woody stump tissue still present underground.

2. You can break off the white basidiocarp and discard it, but really it won't make any difference because the spores are everywhere already. This is one area where I disagree with others. Trying to sanitize an area of Ganoderma spores here in S FL just isn't possible IMO.

3. No, it's not spreading, it's always been there. It was there before you owned the property and it will be there long after we're gone. It's like trying to stop rain, you can put up an umbrella but it's still raining. Virtually all dead palm material is infected with Ganoderma zonatum as part of the decay process here. Not all decaying palm plant material develops basidiocarps but the fungus is still breaking down the plant materials as long as the environmental conditions for its growth are present (warmth & moisture).  Some types of palms (I'm looking at you Queens) seem to provide a better environment for basidiocarp growth and therefore appear to be infected more often but all or almost all palm plant materials can host Ganoderma zonatum.

4. While it may appear that you're seeing the Ganoderma killing palms because of the identifiable basidiocarp the Ganoderma may be a result of environmental factors killing the palm or a secondary infection. As I mentioned previously all or almost all palm plant material can be a host to the fungus so it's unlikely that any type of palm is more likely to be resistant. Again, "In My Opinion" and I'm sure there are others who would disagree based on their personal experiences.

 

[PalmatierMeg]

There are 300+ species of Ganoderma. Most attack and break down dead plant matter and are doing good things. G. zonatum is a species that will attack live palms and is the source of "butt rot". My belief is that zonatum goes after palms that are already sick, damaged or immune compromised - they are opportunistic attackers. And I agree we can't do much about any of them. And in the case of the Ganoderma that digest dead plant matter we shouldn't want to. I lost all my queen palms to wilt in 2014/15. For years afterward I had conks sprouting from all the stumps until all trace of the dead queens disappeared.

It would be great if someone could tell us - if anyone knows at all - what palm species have resistance to these fungi. I ask because about the same time as I lost my queens I had a Dictyosperma die in the front yard. To this day the dead stump of this palm just sits there - no decomposition, no conks, no shredding fibers. How does a 6" diameter palm stump sit here unfazed by all FL heat, humidity and water?

[miamicuse]

On 9/5/2021 at 1:15 AM, NOT A TA said:

I've been studying Ganoderma zonatum for several years. My observations and experiments conflict somewhat with what some others believe. So one of is probably wrong, at least partially.

The basidiocarps can continue to form for years on stumps when conditions are good for their formation or growth as the fungus breaks down the lignin & cellulose tissue. You'll notice a new white ring on a basidiocarp  or a new white starter bump when we get a warm wet cloudy spell and the conk usually forms on the NNW side of the stump unless certain shade conditions occur on a different part of the stump.

In regards to your questions

1. IMO grinding the stumps is a waste of money unless you want the stumps gone anyway. Removing them won't change the probability of other palms being infected either way because the spores are everywhere here already. Ganoderma will continue to grow in any woody stump tissue still present underground.

2. You can break off the white basidiocarp and discard it, but really it won't make any difference because the spores are everywhere already. This is one area where I disagree with others. Trying to sanitize an area of Ganoderma spores here in S FL just isn't possible IMO.

3. No, it's not spreading, it's always been there. It was there before you owned the property and it will be there long after we're gone. It's like trying to stop rain, you can put up an umbrella but it's still raining. Virtually all dead palm material is infected with Ganoderma zonatum as part of the decay process here. Not all decaying palm plant material develops basidiocarps but the fungus is still breaking down the plant materials as long as the environmental conditions for its growth are present (warmth & moisture).  Some types of palms (I'm looking at you Queens) seem to provide a better environment for basidiocarp growth and therefore appear to be infected more often but all or almost all palm plant materials can host Ganoderma zonatum.

4. While it may appear that you're seeing the Ganoderma killing palms because of the identifiable basidiocarp the Ganoderma may be a result of environmental factors killing the palm or a secondary infection. As I mentioned previously all or almost all palm plant material can be a host to the fungus so it's unlikely that any type of palm is more likely to be resistant. Again, "In My Opinion" and I'm sure there are others who would disagree based on their personal experiences.

A comment regarding your point #2 about spores being everywhere.  This is different from the advice I got from the Broward County extension office.  I was told that the fungus is indeed everywhere and will stay there forever.  However, the spores are only released into the air through those white/yellowish growth at the base of the palm.  They told me as soon as I see one, I need to spray something on it (like WD40) to encapsulate it then break it off and trash it.  This will stop the spores from being released into the air and spread to other palms nearby.  But for the fungus to spread underneath via the root system there is nothing I can do.  For this reason they told me that stump grinding will NOT spread the spores everywhere.

I am a beginner when it comes to palms, but from the last two years, I have lost one 50' tall royal palm, and three clusters of areca palms.  Yet between the areca palms and the royal palms are six Livistona chinensis that seem to be unaffected (so far), as well as a 25' tall queen palm that is only 5 feet away from the royal palm, also unaffected.  I checked the queen palm regularly expected it to be infected but so far no issue.

Edited September 7, 2021 by miamicuse

[miamicuse]

On 9/5/2021 at 2:44 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

There are 300+ species of Ganoderma. Most attack and break down dead plant matter and are doing good things. G. zonatum is a species that will attack live palms and is the source of "butt rot". My belief is that zonatum goes after palms that are already sick, damaged or immune compromised - they are opportunistic attackers. And I agree we can't do much about any of them. And in the case of the Ganoderma that digest dead plant matter we shouldn't want to. I lost all my queen palms to wilt in 2014/15. For years afterward I had conks sprouting from all the stumps until all trace of the dead queens disappeared.

It would be great if someone could tell us - if anyone knows at all - what palm species have resistance to these fungi. I ask because about the same time as I lost my queens I had a Dictyosperma die in the front yard. To this day the dead stump of this palm just sits there - no decomposition, no conks, no shredding fibers. How does a 6" diameter palm stump sit here unfazed by all FL heat, humidity and water?

The royal palm I had cut down in May 2020, it's stump is still there.  It has a 22" diameter base.

After they cut it down, they poured herbicide over the stump saying it will help it break down quicker.

It's sixteen months later, and the stump is still the same, no decomposition whatsoever.

I now have an area about 30 feet that I don't want to plant any palms because I am concerned the ground is tainted with this fungus.

If there are palms that are more immune to it I would like to know as well.

[ZPalms]

dang between palm weevils and G. zonatum fungus, palms don't ever get a rest

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, ZPalms said:

dang between palm weevils and G. zonatum fungus, palms don't ever get a rest

That's the reality of nature .. Complex and sometimes harsh, ..as it should be..

[ZPalms]

11 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

That's the reality of nature .. Complex and sometimes harsh, ..as it should be..

 It should at least be fair, spend years growing a palm for a weevile or fungus to take it out with in a couple weeks 

going side track of the fungus but I saw those really cool palm weevile detectors that you stick into palms for early detection and save trees before they get sick or damaged! cities with iconic palm skylines should invest to protect their palms especially California because of their problem with invasive South American palm weevil. 

Edited September 7, 2021 by ZPalms

[Merlyn]

On 9/4/2021 at 11:31 PM, miamicuse said:

(1) I understand this fungus cannot be eradicated, it is actually in the soil and it will stay there forever.  I am thinking of getting a stump grinder to grind up all the palm roots down to say six to eight inches below grade.  But will doing so prevent the fungus from spreading and growing?  Or will the contaminated stumps kick up and release more fungus spores into the air and possibly infect other nearby palms?  Will stump grinding actually help or not?

Personally I would dig up the remainder of the stump and burn or otherwise dispose of it.  The "stump" of a palm doesn't go too far underground, so even a big palm won't take a huge amount of effort to dig out and remove.  Of course my point of reference for "huge effort" is digging out 8' diameter 3' deep oak stumps by hand, so your idea of a "huge effort" might vary...   

If you remove the main body of the stump, all that's left underground are a bunch of small diameter roots.  These will undoubtedly rot away, and Ganoderma will still be in the soil nearby.  But at least it's no longer producing fruiting conks on a semi-weekly basis.

[NOT A TA]

10 hours ago, miamicuse said:

It's sixteen months later, and the stump is still the same, no decomposition whatsoever.

 

10 hours ago, miamicuse said:

After they cut it down, they poured herbicide over the stump saying it will help it break down quicker.

It's sixteen months later, and the stump is still the same, no decomposition whatsoever.

I find that very interesting as that would indicate there might be something in that particular herbicide that had an effect on the Ganoderma because the Ganoderma would have continued to break down the stump.  Also,   pouring herbicide in a cultivated area may cause problems with anything you tried to grow there so keep that in mind.

Please go give the stump a solid whack in the center with a heavy hammer of some sort. See if it sounds hollow or if you can break the top in. I'm interested in knowing if the Ganoderma is still decomposing the woody tissue in the remaining stump.  Sometimes the Ganoderma is active in the stump but if the stump is now in full sun the top won't change appearance and conk production may slow or stop.

That stump Doesn't look "right" for a 50 year old Roystonea regia. In a cultivated area there should be a gnarly flared base with lots of short adventitious roots that start forming well above ground level by the time it's 50. As shown, it's entering the ground like a telephone pole which leads me to believe the ground level in that area was raised significantly at some point which can (and often does)  kill trees over a period of time. It does appear the palm struggled to survive and put out new adventitious roots at the soil line. My guess would be with only the info provided that the Roystonea died of other causes and the Ganoderma just did it's usual thing. If you look at the base other old Royals in your area you'll see what I'm talking about.

[miamicuse]

12 hours ago, NOT A TA said:

 

I find that very interesting as that would indicate there might be something in that particular herbicide that had an effect on the Ganoderma because the Ganoderma would have continued to break down the stump.  Also,   pouring herbicide in a cultivated area may cause problems with anything you tried to grow there so keep that in mind.

Please go give the stump a solid whack in the center with a heavy hammer of some sort. See if it sounds hollow or if you can break the top in. I'm interested in knowing if the Ganoderma is still decomposing the woody tissue in the remaining stump.  Sometimes the Ganoderma is active in the stump but if the stump is now in full sun the top won't change appearance and conk production may slow or stop.

That stump Doesn't look "right" for a 50 year old Roystonea regia. In a cultivated area there should be a gnarly flared base with lots of short adventitious roots that start forming well above ground level by the time it's 50. As shown, it's entering the ground like a telephone pole which leads me to believe the ground level in that area was raised significantly at some point which can (and often does)  kill trees over a period of time. It does appear the palm struggled to survive and put out new adventitious roots at the soil line. My guess would be with only the info provided that the Roystonea died of other causes and the Ganoderma just did it's usual thing. If you look at the base other old Royals in your area you'll see what I'm talking about.

I didn't want the herbicide applied, the tree service did it on their own before I knew.  I had a few nearby crotons died I suspect because of it.

Right now the stump still look very solid and there is no give at all.  I do have a few cut down coconut palms with a center that's caved in with this fungus growing out of it, but this happened before I bought the place so I don't know if the fungus caused the removal or the broken down stump attracted the fungus.  I will hit it with a sledgehammer and let you know what I find.

The roots of the royal, well this may be a bit deceiving, because right before I made the cut it was flowering and fruiting and I had lots of seeds raining down all around.  When the tree service came to make the cut, it was a very difficult job because they had no room to operate.  7 feet to the north is my roof, 10' to the south is my fish pond, 3 feet east is a wrought iron fence, they cannot fell the tree.  There is also an overhead  power line about 30' up, so they could not use a bucket truck.  They had to climb up to the top, and cut a section at a time horizontally across the trunk, then toss the cut section over the fence to the swale area.  A LOT of sawdust came down on the area around the trunk covering everything.  Once they got to 20' they were able to use a trunk with a grabber to hold the top and cut across the base.

[NOT A TA]

On 9/7/2021 at 1:17 AM, miamicuse said:

The royal palm I had cut down in May 2020, it's stump is still there.  It has a 22" diameter base.

 

 

 

 

A 50 YO Royal in a cultivated setting should look something like the pic below at the base, not enter the ground like a telephone pole as yours did.

Many plants will have prolific seed batches when under stress so it wouldn't be unusual that it would drop a lot of seed. Roystonea regia produce a lot of seed under normal conditions anyway so unless you have had experience with others to compare with it may have just been producing seed at a normal rate but seems like a lot to you.