You are right, gargwarb, about alkalinity as in yellowing and stunting. William Shakespeare rose is stunt with yellowish leaves: I fixed the soil with 2 gallons of peat moss and 1 gallon of alfalfa meal (peat moss pH of 4, and alfalfa meal pH of 5, NPK of 2-1-2). He became dark green instantly, grew tall and vigorous. I have two healthy 12-years old Japanese Maple trees that were planted in native soil amended with peat moss. They are big trees with zero leaf burn. The 3rd one planted in native soil mixed with BAGGED mushroom compost had leaves brown at the margin - looks more like high salt. Then it died. The 4th Japanese maple is planted in 10 bags of Scott's premium top soil with no amendments. Leaves also are brownish at the edges, zero new growth in 7 months. It's stunt, barely alive. pH test in red cabbage juice showed Scott's soil to be more alkaline than my native soil tested at 7.7 by EarthCo. I ran the pH test the 3rd time with the soil around this tree. It's so dense, like mud and doesn't dissolve as easily as my native soil, or MiracleGro potting soil. I don't know what's in Scott's premium top soil - it's pitch-black, not light brown/yellow clay like my native soil, nor my neighbor's soil from the nursery. After working with bagged soils, I am stained black like coming out of a chimney, I have to alcohol my skin to get the black stain out - is it woodash, reportedly high in salt ???

Several years ago I had a big bunch of mushrooms in the front yard. They seemed to be spreading in lines, not rings. One morning I came out and picked a full 5 gallon bucket from one day�s growth. They looked like they were progressing to the neighbor�s yards. I did some research and some university sites said golf courses used a product, I think called "Prairie", but I could not find any sources. They also used a "wetting agent". I finally decided to try a fungicide. I bought GreenLight brand Fung-away from a local nursery. The product came in a hose end sprayer. I added some of the wife�s laundry spot cleaner "Sunburst" as a wetting agent. I used one quart in an area of about 15 by 20 feet. Then I soaked it in good, trying to get it deep enough to get to the actual fungus area. This worked. I used one Qt Sept 08, and had to use another Pint along the edge of the previous infection in Aug 10. No more mushrooms. However, in July, 11 I have a new infection, in a line, right at the edge of the area I previously treated. Green Light no longer makes or sells Fung-away. My container label was damaged, but the active ingredient as best I can see was Triadmegon, Triaoliyil and Chionophanory. Do not quote me on these names, the label is almost gone. Since I could not buy Fung-away, I tried a Bayer Advanced product called Fungus Control for Lawns, with Propiconazole. I made two applications, first 8 oz with Shout in July, and the rest of the quart in early September. Today I picked more mushrooms on that line. I need to find another product. Can I buy Consan-20 in California?

I live in Phoenix, Arizona--the last thing I expected to see in my yard was stinkhorns, but they cropped up along the foundation of my house in 2012 spring/summer when we had some uncharacteristically humid weather. I spent more time than I like to think about last year pulling them out, digging out eggs, raking the rock back away from my foundation, pouring salt, spraying fungicide...and what do I see all along the foundation of my house this morning, after a week of rain and humidity? At least 30 eggs, all in the same place they were last year. I have taken down the information about the different fungicides that have been recommended, but I have to say that gasoline is sounding pretty good to me. For the post talking about fungal death at 104 degrees--this summer we experienced temps up to 122 degrees, and had weeks of temps past 110. I had hoped that after this kind of heat that anything stinkhorn related lurking in the ground was dead as could be. This morning's discovery is a big disappointment. I will post again once I try gasoline. But I agree with other posters--sites that talk about how fascinating stinkhorns are and that refuse to disclose "how" to kill them drive me crazy. Unless you've experienced the swarms of flies and the utter stench, not to mention having the view of your yard marred by their disgusting and undeniably obscene appearance, you can't relate. Now that I've read the post about the danger to pets, I am even more concerned about getting rid of them. I'll take the "dog vomit" fungus any day (yes, I've had those, too, after a humid spell) over stinkhorns. They are a foul, wretched nuisance.

These are not in mulch at all. They are growing in the soil where a tree used to be and I believe are growing on the old dead roots of that tree. The tree died some time ago, it was a lilac. I planted a butterfly garden around where the tree was. Unfortuantely some of these plants are now in danger of being lost because these things are popping up. I have some special plants in there (fern leaf peonie, peach maltese cross, unusual coneflowers etc.) that I may not be able to get again. I am being very careful about pouring the vinegar because I do know it will kill the plants but my hope is it will kill any spores that have dropped into the soil. I haven't had a chance to check out there yet today as I have been at work. I will when I get home later. Thanks again for all the ideas/help.