Wood Rot, What is it?
The microscopic organisms that discolor and decay wood belong to a huge group of primitive plants known as fungi. Unable to produce their own food, fungi feed instead on natural substances that make up organic materials like leather, cloth, rattan, paper, and wood. Mushrooms that spring from lawns and tree trunks are fungal “fruits”. They release millions of dust-size spores that are scattered helter-skelter by wind. When the conditions of the surface they eventually settle upon are right, spores germinate, sending out thread-like filaments called hyphae. Enzymes secreted by hyphae break down organic matter so fungi can use it for food. Before fungi can colonize wood, four requirements must be met: an oxygen supply, temperature in the 40 to 100 (F range, a supply of sufficient moisture, and a food source (wood). Infection can be prevented by eliminating any one of the requirements. Obviously, it’s hard to limit oxygen. Temperature control is tough too, since most living things thrive i
