The "milk" and mold

Controlling pests of bamboo

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Eastlandia
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The "milk" and mold

Post by Eastlandia »

I cut down a few of my culms after the freeze this winter only to notice that a few days later the "live" bases of the culms were still pumping up water, etc. from the roots. The Phyllostachys Aureosulcata dripped with a white substance that then turned black (mold)
This was not surprising because I had seen pictures of Roy's ants feasting on the "milky" substance in another "Bugs, Beasts and Diseases" topic.

What did surprise me however was to find a bright pink substance coming out of my P. Vivax 'Aureocaulis' culms. I don't know how to describe it. It might have to do with the color of the culms. Who knows :roll:
Brian T. Lawrence
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Roy
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Re: The "milk" and mold

Post by Roy »

Eastlandia wrote:I cut down a few of my culms after the freeze this winter only to notice that a few days later the "live" bases of the culms were still pumping up water, etc. from the roots. The Phyllostachys Aureosulcata dripped with a white substance that then turned black (mold)
This was not surprising because I had seen pictures of Roy's ants feasting on the "milky" substance in another "Bugs, Beasts and Diseases" topic.

What did surprise me however was to find a bright pink substance coming out of my P. Vivax 'Aureocaulis' culms. I don't know how to describe it. It might have to do with the color of the culms. Who knows :roll:
Maybe it has to do with the color pigment for the culms?

Image
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Roy Rogers
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needmore
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RE: The "milk" and mold

Post by needmore »

Don't think its culm color related, the Viridis is presently exuding an electric orange/pink gack. I had mentioned to FoxD that Viridis seems to almost ferment and or at least it takes on a very fermented smell, more so than other bamboos when dead culms are cut down.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
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Eastlandia
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RE: The "milk" and mold

Post by Eastlandia »

Maybe its just that. Sugars and nutrients sent up the culm for new leaves are just fermenting in the stagnant sunshine. But why would the color be different among species?
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Re: RE: The "milk" and mold

Post by Roy »

Eastlandia wrote:Maybe its just that. Sugars and nutrients sent up the culm for new leaves are just fermenting in the stagnant sunshine. But why would the color be different among species?
Well, you've got your red wines, your white wines, and ....... :D
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RE: The "milk" and mold

Post by hotchkiss »

I have seen this "orange slime" on cut culm bases and aborted culms of many different Phyllostachys species. Someone brought me the rhizome below which had been exposed and cut on one end. It was covered with the same "orange slime". The picture is not that good but I think you get the basic idea. There was also dark mold on portions of the rhizome. Since I work in a plant pathology lab I put the orange slime on a slide and looked at it under the microscope. It is definitely a filimentous fungus and appears to be a species of Fusarium. Fusarium is root and stem pathogen on some crops and is present as a non pathogenic fungus on other hosts. The fungal mat peeled off of the rhizome easily but there were a few lesions. It appears that it only occurs on cut rhizomes or culms and probably is primarily growing on the plant sap. Image
Mike in central Georgia
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Re: The "milk" and mold

Post by kushal_fpost »

Hey nice posting all of you, I have really liked this.
I am 24, I am male and I love to learn
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