Subject: Mushroom forays

From: [email-masked] (fgrun)
Date: 11 Aug 1994 05:38:23 GMT

To all Fungophiles,

A small group of us from NYC has been out almost every weekend since
April into NJ, NY and southern CT.

It was a very poor year for us as far as morels were concerned -
nothing compared to last year's bonanza. The Winecap Stropharia were
also disappointing.

However, since about 3 weeks ago the chanterelles have been
unbelievable. Black trumpets peaked at the beginning of August. I think
you'll have to go further north (Albany and beyond) now for sizable
quantities. I personally picked 8 lbs that weekend. The small
chanterelle, yellow footed and cinnabar-reds are currently everywhere
in southern CT/Westchester county. Also found a nice patch of large
smooth chanterelles this past weekend - mmmm.
A friend of mine came back with 4 crates of the normal yellows this
week from upstate NY but he ain't telling where. SORRY (?) He also
turned up with 65 lbs of assorted boletes with a lot of black velvets
and two coloreds mixed in there. Personnally I've gotten a fair number
of the sulfur yellow bolete and suillus species up in the Gunks. These
seem to be most resistant to maggot attack ! Look for them along stream
valleys especially if there are hemlocks or other coniferous trees.
Other than these I found my first chicken mushroom (L. sulphureus) this
week. Should be a good year for them. Can't wait for the Hens. Someone
let me know if you find any (and where!).

Of other interest - I've succeeded in sterilely cloning and expanding
Chicken mushroom and Black Trumpet spawn on nutrient agar plates. The
black trumpet spawn is very aggressive - it's takes about 3 days to
crawl out of the petri-dish ! I'm going to try seeding some out this
month. Does anyone have any experience or success in doing this ? I'll
keep you posted of the results (probably not before next year) if it
works. 

If you want to find out more, come by Nimrod's (70th St bwt.1st and
York, NYC). Just ask for Wolfgang. We may be willing to share some info
or maybe something more substantial for the appetite.

Happy hunting! Felix GrŸn  [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Timo Harmo)
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 1994 12:46:22 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (fgrun) writes:

>quantities.
Which way does it work? I have always thought that the mushrooms 
appear earlier in the north and also disappear sooner.
 -Timo

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From: [email-masked] (fgrun)
Date: 20 Aug 1994 01:21:57 GMT

We've noticed in past years when Black Trumpets have been
plentiful in the NY/CT region, that the major first flush of mushrooms
occurs in late July/early August. This is right during the hottest
period of the year. Thereafter, we only see sporadic specimens. In
Vermont, I've still found 
significant numbers until mid-Sept. We've also noticed this
south-to-north trend with spring mushrooms like the Winecap Stropharia
and autumn species like the Hen-of-the-Woods. All of these appear about
1-2 weeks earlier in northern NJ than they do in Westchester
County,NY/Fairfield County, CT and New Paltz, NY (mid-Hudson Valley).
      From my understanding, many fungi are primed to produce mushrooms
as a direct result of less than perfect growing conditions. These would
include a) physical damage to the mycelium, b) depleted food sources,
c) moisture stress and d) unfavorable temperatures for growth amonsgt
others.
      Once a minimum threshold temperature is reached during spring,
sustained mycelial growth can proceed. This would be expected to occur
earlier and proceed faster in more southern lattitudes. An early start
and faster growth rate imply that a crictical mass of mycelium is
reached sooner in these areas, but also that the mycelium depletes it's
local environment for nutrients at a faster rate. In cooler northern
lattitudes, growth proceeds at a slower rate and may be limited by
nutritional factors only late during the season; infact I would imagine
that the decline in temperatures during the autumn probably sends a
more powerful and direct signal for mushroom formation. Hence, the
observation that mushroom seasons are shorter in the north but more
intense (better synchronised). (cf Pacific Northwest - I've heard that
Black Trumpet season is in Jan/Feb (??) on the Olympic Peninsula;
climate is mild maritime. Any comments from someone out there ?)
     Ofcourse, life isn't quite as simple as this scenario ! For one
thing, moisture conditions during the summer are probably more
favorable in the Adirondacks/Vermont than they are in the lower Hudson
Valley and CT. And then there are micro-climates to consider aswell !
Afterall, if I could accurately predict where they'll pop up every week
I'd be doing this full time !! :)
      Does anyone out there have any good information as to what
actually triggers Chanterelle species mushroom formation ?

Felix

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From: [email-masked] (Steven Carpenter)
Date: 21 Aug 1994 20:53:20 GMT

f
I might add, that much of the season information affects the mycorrhizal
vascular plant symbiont (in the case of some Cantharellus) which must
affect the fruiting of the fungus.  Raw weather and soil conditions 
ultimately have a lot to do with control of strictly saprophytic
fungi, but the mycorrhizal species undoubtedly are "monitoring" the
state of the symbiosis (and, therefore, indirectly the daylength and
carbohydrate conversions in their tree-hosts).  A number of mycorrhizal
mushrooms (including chantrelles) come up in the Pacific Northwest well
in advance of wet weather - where I live, for example, the summers are
characterized by seasonal drought (no rain for about 3 months), yet
we are now seeing chantrelles and other mycorrhizal edibles.  As the
rains progress in the coming months, there will be more mushrooms.  
This is quite normal.  I don't know of any decent research on the
subject, but as a professional, this is an observation I have made 
on the fruiting of boreal fungi for the last 30+ years.

-Steve Carpenter
 Abbey Lane Laboratory
 [email-masked]

grun ([email-masked]) wrote:
:       We've noticed in past years when Black Trumpets have been
: plentiful in the NY/CT region, that the major first flush of mushrooms
: occurs in late July/early August. This is right during the hottest
: period of the year. Thereafter, we only see sporadic specimens. In
: Vermont, I've still found 
: significant numbers until mid-Sept. We've also noticed this
: south-to-north trend with spring mushrooms like the Winecap Stropharia
: and autumn species like the Hen-of-the-Woods. All of these appear about
: 1-2 weeks earlier in northern NJ than they do in Westchester
: County,NY/Fairfield County, CT and New Paltz, NY (mid-Hudson Valley).
:       From my understanding, many fungi are primed to produce mushrooms
: as a direct result of less than perfect growing conditions. These would
: include a) physical damage to the mycelium, b) depleted food sources,
: c) moisture stress and d) unfavorable temperatures for growth amonsgt
: others.
:       Once a minimum threshold temperature is reached during spring,
: sustained mycelial growth can proceed. This would be expected to occur
: earlier and proceed faster in more southern lattitudes. An early start
: and faster growth rate imply that a crictical mass of mycelium is
: reached sooner in these areas, but also that the mycelium depletes it's
: local environment for nutrients at a faster rate. In cooler northern
: lattitudes, growth proceeds at a slower rate and may be limited by
: nutritional factors only late during the season; infact I would imagine
: that the decline in temperatures during the autumn probably sends a
: more powerful and direct signal for mushroom formation. Hence, the
: observation that mushroom seasons are shorter in the north but more
: intense (better synchronised). (cf Pacific Northwest - I've heard that
: Black Trumpet season is in Jan/Feb (??) on the Olympic Peninsula;
: climate is mild maritime. Any comments from someone out there ?)
:      Ofcourse, life isn't quite as simple as this scenario ! For one
: thing, moisture conditions during the summer are probably more
: favorable in the Adirondacks/Vermont than they are in the lower Hudson
: Valley and CT. And then there are micro-climates to consider aswell !
: Afterall, if I could accurately predict where they'll pop up every week
: I'd be doing this full time !! :)
:       Does anyone out there have any good information as to what
: actually triggers Chanterelle species mushroom formation ?

: Felix

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From: [email-masked] (Nathan J. Wilson)
Date: 22 Aug 1994 22:15:01 GMT

A perspective from central California coast.

Steven Carpenter ([email-masked]) wrote:
: A number of mycorrhizal
: mushrooms (including chantrelles) come up in the Pacific Northwest well
: in advance of wet weather - where I live, for example, the summers are
: characterized by seasonal drought (no rain for about 3 months), yet
: we are now seeing chantrelles and other mycorrhizal edibles.  As the
: rains progress in the coming months, there will be more mushrooms.  

For us in the Santa Cruz area there is a really big difference between
the fruiting times of Cantharellus and Craterellus.  Cantharellus
cibarius and subalbidus (the yellow and white chanterelle
respectively) grow throughout our season.  Starting as early as
September if we get some rain and continuing through April.  The peak
is typically sometime in January, but there are often big flushes
before this.  Of course we also get the ledgendary west coast monster
chanterelles.  It is not unusual to find half pound specimens and I
have seen one that weighed in at 2 pounds and was over a foot across!
I also understand that ours are not nearly as flavorful as the east
coast variety which I find quite easy to believe.

: grun ([email-masked]) wrote:
: :       We've noticed in past years when Black Trumpets have been
: : plentiful in the NY/CT region, that the major first flush of mushrooms
: : occurs in late July/early August.
: : (cf Pacific Northwest - I've heard that
: : Black Trumpet season is in Jan/Feb (??) on the Olympic Peninsula;
: : climate is mild maritime. Any comments from someone out there ?)

Craterellus species (cornucopioides and fallax) here, on the other
hand, are rarely seen before our cold season (January) and have their
peak in March.  Hence I always associate them with cold weather rather
than heat.
   -------------------------    _________
         Nathan Wilson         <_________>
      [email-masked]         _|_|_       It is no dream!
      Co-Science Advisor          \___/    Matsutake are growing
   Minister of Local Forays        | |        On the belly of the mountain.
Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz    \_/ *83--                -Shigetaka

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From: [email-masked] (Schoolcamp)
Date: 11 Sep 1994 10:12:04 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked]
(fgrun) speaks of forays north of Albany. I am in Lake Placid and went out
yesterday at the recommendation of a hiker friend who said he had seen
birch trees covered with something that looked as though it would be
delicious.I went out with hopes of oysters or chickens and found instead
somethig which I do not know: beautiful massed clumps of s brown topped,
dry buffgilled species, veiled, ringed, gills fairly crowded, slightly
decurrent. I filled my day pack and have spent the morning with my books
and without a satisfactory outcome. I am making a spore print right now.
These were growing from the base and about three feet up a birch tree,
probably dead though I failed to confirm that. Also found Pholiotas in
abundance and another smaller veiled species also clumped on
birch,yellow-brown, brown gills. Both of these taste sweet and delicious
but I am nervous about going any further without more certain
identification. Any help would be appreciated.

Frank Wallace at North Country School - Camp Treetops