Real World Gardener Podcasts

Slime Moulds part 2 The podcast continues with the topic of slime mould but particularly, about the slime mould called phytophthora.  Did you prick up your ears? Yep, that’s the root rot known as phytophthora which gardeners dread. Gardeners are often told that phytophthera, in particular Phytophthera cinnamomi,  is a fungi but it's actually a water mould. You may have even heard it called 'root rot.' Phytophora is a particular slime mould that belongs to a group or Phyllum called Oomycota  This group are moulds that can only move in water columns. Phytophthora cinnamomi lives in the soil and in plant tissues,  During drought or prolonged dry periods , the organisms become dormant chlamydospores which is just a resting spore of Ascomycota.  When environmental conditions are suitable, the chlamydospores germinate, producing mycelia (or hyphae) and sporangia.  The sporangia ripen and release zoospores, which infect plant roots by entering the root behind the root tip.  This organism is very resistant