Sunday, August 14, 2011

What IS this???

I notice some of my annuals are looking puny, so I go around, making sure the rodent hasn't been digging it up and I find this! I find this over and over, all the plants seem to be weak and needing feed. 
These white masses are soft and attached to the roots. Can anyone tell me what in the world is going on here?
Photobucket

10 comments:

  1. Yuck! Not sure what it is as I've not seen it before. I think some kind of bug eggs maybe? Did you bust one open to see what is inside? That will give us a hint of eggs or a fungus.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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  2. Looks like a fungus

    ~and no, F F isn't holding me hostage... just working me to death!

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  3. Hopefully someone on here will let you know for sure! I think cutting one open is a good start, like Sunray said.

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  4. Wow, was it a potato plant? (-:
    I'm going to check back here, I hope someone identifies it. What kind of plant were they on?

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  5. What you seem to have there is a fungus called Haustoria...the organ of a parasitic plant that penetrates the host tissues and absorbs food and water from them. That's why your plants look puny, they're getting their nutrients robbed from them, poor things. If you have a greenhouse or garden center near you, bring the root for them to look at and maybe they can tell you exactly what it is. xoxo

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  6. Interesting to see, not great to have. I agree that you could take it to a garden center to find out both the cause and the remedy. Love your night shots in the newer post and I am gardening in zone 5.
    Hugs, Beth

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  7. Weird --I just dug the same thing out of my garden. It wasn't directly under any plants, but my daughter noticed it and though it was pebbles. I dug the area up and removed all of them, but I don't know what it is. I figured it was a fungus because of the feel.

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  8. BTW, at one point I associated them with stinkhorn mushrooms because I found them in places where I'd found stinkhorns earlier. But I don't know if they really are.

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  9. Oh, sorry for all the comments but I think it is the stinkhorn. Here's a site where they talk about it emerging from an "egg".
    http://www.mushroomexpert.com/phallaceae.html

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  10. Oh, my, I have never seen these white things attached to plant roots. I am glad you found out what it was. I have heard of stinkhorn, but I don't remember having them in my yard.

    The things we learn from our gardens. :)

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