[Lulu]

Mods - please do move if not in the right section 

When I have dug up some of my plants the soil looks like wood ash from a fire.  I know it didn't look like that when I planted the plants as I always use some form of compost.  What is making it like this???  Is it because sometimes the plants are near the privets??? and if that is so why isn't it all like that??

bit puzzling 

[Snoop]

Does it look like just a dusting or is there are lot of it? Have you tested if for ph?

[Lulu]

Whole root systems seem to be in it so I would say a lot.  Always happened since we moved in 1995.  I thought it was the hedges

[JayG]

I'd guess it's some sort of fungus, possibly living off some dead roots, or from some other decaying morsel that particular fungus is partial to - it will be patchy because the conditions in certain spots will be ideal, others less so.

Unless plants are dying off because of it I wouldn't worry about it.

[Yorkie]

I agree with JayG 

[3 allotments]

Hi its possibly Mycelium from some sort of fungus not to worry i agree with jayg

[8doubles]

Fungus and dead do not always go together, healthy roots often have a symbiotic (my big word for this month) relationship with fungus.
Must be quite common on privet as i have seen it many times whilst putting in fencing posts.

[Lulu]

Never thought of a fungus.  Thanks guys for answering my question -I like to know these things