In article ,
Jon Nicoll wrote:

So the current idea is that it was some sort of fungal attack, starting
at the roots,
with the bracket fungus being later evidence of this?

No. It was a bracket fungal infection from spores in the air getting
into a wound in the bark, the sponginess contains the body of the
fungus, and the bracket is just the fruiting body.

I guess this means that I should dig out the roots and be careful about
what I plant in
its place. Is there anything else I can do to the soil? Should I be
worried about
the nearby rose?

Not really. Spores are everywhere, and most plants have adapted to
that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.