Hi Adam! Thank you so much for replying, I appreciate it. Will send this message to my cousin. What surprised me was the growth – no joke, these two things doubled in size in one week. They’re approaching the size of dustbin lids. Do you think we should remove them?
If you removed them when they were young, before they started releasing their spores, it might have reduced their ability to spread through wind dispersal. However, the main part of the fungus (the mycelium) will be in the wood and in the soil and will spread. It can grow on dead or living wood. I would advise just looking after your plants, not pruning or moving any this autumn to reduce the chance of infection. Healthy plants have more chance of resisting an infection. Just like us!
Fungicides will also kill beneficial mycorrhizal fungi that can protect plants, improve water retention, availability of nutrients and strengthen trees from being blown over, so I advise against those.
