White Stuff on (Unused) Orchid Bark [PICS]

[TENroaches]

I went to soak some orchid bark that I've had for a year and a half in a bag. I noticed some white-ish and greyish spots on some of the pieces and was wondering if it's a type of fungus maybe growing, or what. Maybe it's normal. It might have had spots when it was brand new; I don't remember.

After taking pictures, it looks like one is growing something for sure.

 

[Exo]

Fungus....the bark must have been moist when they packaged it.

 

[TENroaches]

Thanks. I guess I'll go get a new bag and dump this in the woods.

 

[rattler]

Thanks. I guess I'll go get a new bag and dump this in the woods.

new bag will likely get it.....it will go away once it eats all the food for it thats on and in the bark.....it will go away on its own....

 

[Exo]

Thanks. I guess I'll go get a new bag and dump this in the woods.

You could still use it...but it will break down faster than usual, so it is up to you.

 

[Taliesin-DS]

Fungus in the soil isnt a bad thing imho.
Lots of plants do way better with some in the soil.

 

[TENroaches]

Well heck, maybe I'll just use the bark I've been soaking since last night then.

 

[Taliesin-DS]

If you ever get the chance, pull out any conifer from a nursery container, if its been in there for a while the rootball should be covered in white fungus.

 

[seedjar]

Fungi are very diverse and most have fairly particular diets. If the mold is growing on long-dead bark, it probably doesn't pose much of a threat to not-dead plants that don't have bark. Most orchid bark I get has little traces of fungus on some of the pieces. Are you familiar with mycorrhizae? Some molds are actually good to have in your media.
~Joe

 

[rattler]

You could still use it...but it will break down faster than usual, so it is up to you.

not enough to notice......if it doesnt show up in the orchid bark you use that means its already worked its way through.....if your gonna use organics for moist soils there are gonna be fungi, no way around it.....you can try in prevent it but after several years of building high humidity/low air circulation terrariums ive found it best just to leave it and run its course, it disappears faster than trying to fight it cause its gonna keep coming back till all the food is gone anyway....best to let it eat it now than trying to keep kicking it away from the table.....

 

[TENroaches]

Are you familiar with mycorrhizae? Some molds are actually good to have in your media.
~Joe

Thanks to you and wikipedia, I am now. I guess I'll just move forward with this orchid bark. But one of my reasons for repotting was fungus on the soil surface of my nep. Maybe that's not a problem.

 

[vraev]

Yeah! I have seen this many times on the bark I use. It is always damp when I get t because the greenhouse they stock this places then in the orchid area and the bags get misted with the orchids themselves. Never had an issue with it.

 

[GrowinOld]

I have had this on orchid bark from time to time, and it was never an issue.
The "fungus" looks to be a type of mushroom mycelium , although I never had enough of it growing on orchid bark to have any mushrooms produced in the pots. I have however, seen others have small mushrooms growing in their orchid pots, especially some orchid nurseries and in the pots that were exposed to a lot of moisture.
Unless it is all over, I wouldn't worry too much about it causing any problems.

As a side experiment, you might try taking it and keeping it moist without too much light, and see if you can get it to fruit (produce mushrooms). It would be interesting to see what type are produced.
Nice pictures of the mycelium!