May
/ June, 2006 Volume
34 Issue 3
The Mushroom Log
Summer Foray-Camp Myeerah
By Joe Christian
7 pm Friday July 7 till Noon Sunday,
July 9.
We will be operating
from the main lodge & seeking mushrooms on the Camp’s 550 acres of mixed
hardwoods & evergreens, surrounding a scenic 15 acre lake.
On site
accommodations are free at the main lodge.
Bring along your sleeping bag.
Tent camping and camping trailers are also an option.
Program
7 pm, Fri. July 7
Gather at the
9 am, Sat. July 8. Sign-In, Coffee,
Donuts, etc., Dennis Rose,
Dennis cultivates
shiitake commercially and along with a few other group members, will be
available to talk about growing techniques and experiences. Jerry Pepera, OMS Chairman, will comment on
collecting and displaying fungal finds.
10 am to noon. Proceed into the wild to collect, return to
display the bounty.
Noon-1pm. Free lunch, with pizza and
drinks. Please bring
a favorite pot-luck type dish of your own making.
1-2 pm. John Plischke III will give a slide
presentation, “Mushrooms from the Common Edibles to the Unusal”.
2-4:30 pm.
Return to the wilderness to find all the specimens you missed in the morning
and then some.
4:30-5:30
John Plischke, Walt Sturgeon, Dick Grimm — Mushroom Identification, Discussion,
Table Walk, Q & A.
6 pm Dinner at a local Bellefontaine Restaurant, tba.
8 pm (?) Return to
Lodge, socialize, review collections.
9 am-Noon, Sunday July 9. Seek out any elusive
stray mushrooms, I.D., review collections, Q & A. Clean up, bid farewell to old and new
friends, take home memories and any good edibles,
leaving only footprints.
Salt Fork Foray Report
By Jerry Pepera
The week preceding the foray was very dry and the rains finally came the night
before the foray. Conditions in the woods were moist and a number of members
found a handful of young, emerging yellow Morels. They were hard to spot since the
leaf litter hid the young specimens from view. Hugh and Nancy Urban were once
again our champion Morel hunters and brought back a full basket of mature
specimens which they found under a single tree.
Hope to see you all
next year!
Marie Burleson’s Haul
Beaver Creek Foray of May 6
By Walt Sturgeon
Thirteen members
broke into two groups, visiting two sites.
Weather was cloudy and cool at first but soon became sunny and
delightful. Most folks found at least a
few. Marie Burleson had the largest
Bigfoot morel along with several other good sized ones. Mike McNalley and Marilyn Hobbins were shut
out in the morning and maybe thought no morels were out until they saw Walt
Sturgeon’s 3 lbs. of Morchella esculenta, all collected under dead elm
trees. So they skipped lunch and went
back out, getting 14 nice ones under tulip poplar. Encouraged by his morning find, Walt went
back to see how Mike and Marilyn had done, but they had already left. So back into the same woods and 45 minutes
later, Walt picked up 51/2 lbs under two elms and an ash tree.
Species list: Morchella
deliciosa, M. esculenta, Agrocybe praecox, Pluteus atricapillus, Flammulina
velutipes, Psathyrella sp., Coprinus sp., C. micaceus, C. atramentarius,
Polyporus arcularius, P. badius, P. squamosus, and Entoloma violacea.
Garlic Mustard
By Henry Fountain
A healthy Stand of
Garlic Mustard
Ed. Note: The
following is reprinted from the Science Section of May 2, 2006 N.Y. Times. Garlic Mustard (Allairia )
is fairly common in the Oberlin area, becoming established in open areas,
possibly spread by deer tracks. They are
in bloom right now. The mustard family
is one of a few plant families which “goes it alone” without mycorhizzal
partners. It’s believed their success is
due to rapid seed germination and growth, extensive root hairs and ability to
rapidly absorb minerals and outcompete other plants;
in other words, they’re weeds. It now
turns out that they might have a chemical arsenal at their disposal to help
them overtake their mycorhizzal competition.
In drama, the
uninvited visitor is a common plot device. Everyone is getting along swimmingly
until a new character arrives and upsets the apple cart. Things quickly fall
apart.
Garlic mustard, a
tall weed native to Europe that was introduced to the United States in the late
1800's, is a bit like that uninvited visitor.
Researchers have found that it disrupts a healthy relationship between
hardwood tree seedlings and soil fungi, with results that can be disastrous for
a forest.
Like other
scientists, Kristina A. Stinson, who studies invasive plants as a research associate
at the
Many plants make use
of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which form an elaborate network of filaments throughout
the soil. These fungi are a diverse group, but they all have one thing in
common: they help plants take up nutrients from the soil, getting carbon in
return.
Garlic mustard is a
member of the mustard family, "one of the very few families that do not
need to associate with mycorrhizal fungi at all," Dr. Stinson said. These
species produce chemicals that have antifungal properties. Native mustards have
been around long enough, she suggested, that the mycorrhizal fungi have learned
to live with them. But the fungi haven't had time to adapt to garlic mustard.
"It basically is killing off the fungi," she said.
In a study using
soils from a forest in
In studying invasive
species, scientists often see a direct effect.
Invasive cane toads in
Garlic mustard has
now spread through 30 states, from
While the effect
might not be immediate, it will occur nonetheless. "Our experiment was on
seedlings,” Dr.
Stinson said. "But those are the future generations of forests."
MORELS AND HOW TO FIND THEM
Written by Tim Geho
Ed.Note: Read this to
find out how you can find even more morels next year!
Several species of
morels grow in the
The following may be
news to many experienced mycologists. Recent research has determined that these
names may not be correct for North American morels. M. esculenta was originally described in
Recent DNA sequencing
has shown at least 14 taxa of morels present in the
The scientific effort
at classifying morels using DNA results is currently in high gear. Much of the
effort is associated with the Morel Data Collection Project (MDCP). Hopefully
some day or year soon, we may finally know how many species of morels there
actually are, and they may actually have widely accepted names. One thing that has been established is that
what many people and some books referred to as M. crassipes has DNA identical to that of
what is currently called M. esculenta. The MDCP needs specimens of morels from the
East Coast, especially of the species M.
semilibera, because it is thought that there may be a species in the
eastern US not found elsewhere. If any club members wish to contribute a few
morels to the effort, they are encouraged to visit www.MushroomExpert.com,
the main web site for the MDCP. One mushroom with a little supporting
information can help solve the issue of how many species of morels there are
and their distribution.
Morels can be found
in a variety of habitats in this part of the country. Trees they are known to
associate with morels in this area are tulip poplars, ash (both white and
green), hickory, dead or dying elms, cherry, apple, striped maple, grapevines
and sycamore. There are many more trees morels are known to associate with
across the country. It may well be that
some of the morels found locally are actually growing in association with these
other trees, though people may be unaware of which species the trees are due to
their inability to properly identify them. The most common tree people look for
morels under in the DC area is the tulip poplar, but you can add to your haul
if you learn to identify and look under other species of trees such as white or
green ash, and dead or dying American elm.
The other trees listed are not usually found in large stands like tulip
poplars, but they may be in small groups or mixed in or adjacent to the
poplars. In some sections of
Morel fruiting in
this area can occur as early as late March and can last until mid to late May in
higher locations. The season for the black morel occurs first and lasts about
three weeks. The season for the yellows or whites comes next and can last about
four weeks. These seasons usually overlap, with the yellow morels beginning to
fruit as the season for the black morel draws to an end. The season for M. semilibera usually overlaps the
seasons for black and yellow morels.
Most years the peak times are from about April 10th to May 10th. Morels
usually begin to fruit in the greater DC and surrounding area a week or so
before they do in the Shenandoah area of
Morels can grow in a
variety of soils from sandy to clay. Some books claim that the soil pH needs to
be on the alkaline side with at least a pH of 7.1. However, when soil samples
from across the
No matter which name
you want to use or what type of morel you are looking for, there are some tips,
suggestions, and signs that may aid your efforts. The most important item is to look in the
proper habitat. You are not likely to find morels in pine woods in this area
with the possible exception of white pine. They are however found in the piney
woods of eastern
Moisture is a key
determinant of morel growth just as it is with other mushrooms. Rainfall,
including the preceding year, the months leading up to, and during morel season
have a major impact on fruiting of morels. In order to grow, mycelium needs
moisture over an extended period, not just during the season. In some years the
rainfall and other conditions are so ideal that just about anyone can find bags
full of morels. However, you can usually
find some morels even in dry years if you know where to look. Spicebush, paw
paws, or garlic mustard usually show where there is ample moisture, so looking
for the areas with those plants or heavy groundcover can be helpful. If you
find a morel make sure to make a mental note of what other vegetation or
groundcover is nearby. It may help you find morels in others areas with similar
conditions. Knowing this helps in identifying where there may be enough
moisture to support morels. Natural swales and valleys are one good place to
look because water always runs downhill. The floodplains of small streams are
another. Even small depressions can hold enough extra moisture to produce
morels. The place where a steep slope meets relatively level ground is another
potential good spot. Not only does water tend to accumulate in such places, so
does organic material. This leads to more moisture retention and a potential
food source for the morel mycelium. There are spots where the underlying
bedrock is solid enough that water from rainfall even months ago that has
seeped downhill and accumulated will be sufficient to produce morels under even
the driest conditions. Learn to recognize and remember places like this. This
can be a matter of trial and error, but there are methods that may help
identify such an area. Poking a stick into the soil and seeing how much
moisture adheres to it is one method to tell moisture content; use of a finger
is another. Watching to see if annual plants are wilting in
most areas but not in others can show the presence of underground sources of
moisture. Springheads are often good places to look for morels. Areas
with many loose rocks on the surface may indicate that there may be loose soil
and crevices for water to drain away from the surface. Not only is it hard
walking in such places, but also it may be too dry for good morel production.
Soil temperature is
important for morel growth. The most currently accepted theory is that morels
begin to fruit when the soil reaches a consistent temperature of about 53°
Fahrenheit. Many say that when you have a week of nighttime temperatures in the
50’s, morels should begin to grow. Morels begin to fruit in controlled
conditions near this temperature, and this is consistent with the soil
temperature of morels grown commercially. It is by no means an exact
temperature, but can be used as a guideline. Soil temperatures can fluctuate
greatly, even within a few hours.
Anther method for
judging when conditions are right for morels is to use natural indicators.
There are many plants and trees that begin to grow, bloom, leaf out, etc. at
about the same time you are likely to find morels. It is said that the time to
look for morels, especially white or yellow morels, is when the oak leaves
reach the size of a squirrel’s ear. If you use these indicators for yellow
morels, use the preceding stage of plant growth to know when you are likely to
find black morels; i.e., instead of using when something is in bloom, use the
stage when it is in bud.
Other indicators are:
When the mayapples
start to flatten out
When the redbuds are
in bloom
When the tulip poplar
leaves are the sizes of a silver dollar
When the flowering
quince blooms
When the
garlic mustard forms little broccoli-like heads prior to blooming. (It is also very good to eat at this stage)
When the dogwoods
bloom
When the showy orchid
is in bloom, it is the peak of white or yellow morel season
When you see squaw
root, it is near the end of morel season
When the violets
bloom
When the ash tree
leaves begin to show green
When the spicebush
has leaves
When the trillium
blooms
These are some of the
indicators that many MAW members and others use as guidelines to when morels
should be fruiting. There are likely many more that are used that have not been
listed. Make written or mental notes each year when you do find morels. Keeping
a calendar with written entries is a good idea. Record time, date, place,
trees, temperature of both soil and air, ground cover, other plants in the
area, what else is blooming, the amount of moisture, recent rainfall, amount
and type collected, and of course location. Many prefer to do this in their
heads, especially after gaining years of experience; but if you are new to
collecting morels, it really helps to write your observations. It also helps
you enjoy the other beauties of Nature while you’re out there.
There is yet another
way to tell when it is time to look for morels. It is perhaps the easiest and
fastest way—using the Internet. The following sites have listings of reported morel
finds and two of them have public discussion boards as well:
www.morelmania.com has a sightings button on their main web page.
www.mushroomexpert.com has progress maps and a public morel discussion board.
www.morelmushroomhuntingclub.com has both a public discussion board and mushroom finds page.
Geographical layout,
elevation, and other items can influence whether the temperature is right for
morels. South, east, and southeastern facing slopes receive more sun than those
facing other directions. It is these slopes that are the first to warm in the
springtime. Even in these areas, there may be spots that slope a little
differently and can cause morels to fruit weeks apart. Higher elevations are
subject to lower nighttime temperatures and take longer to warm up in the
spring. The amount of trees or shrubs present can act as shade and present
mini-climates. This is one of the reasons that not all morels in an area fruit
at once. Logs and rocks on the ground can act to reflect sunlight and warm the
soil near them faster than just a foot or two away. The logs also act to
prevent surface evaporation. It is good practice to look next to these. Logs
and rocks also tend to concentrate any rainfall that hits the ground around
their dripline more so than open areas. Make sure to look carefully near such
objects, especially if you’re in a known morel producing area. In the mountainous sections of
Once you have learned
how to identify the proper habitat, judge the proper soil moisture content, and
soil temperature, it is time to learn how to spot morels. Begin by looking at pictures of morels in
books or other photos. You can put pictures of morels next to your computer,
work desk, or other place it will be seen often. This can help imprint the
image in your mind. Some go as far as placing dried morels around the home or
yard to get used to ‘seeing’ them. The
more morels you collect, the better the image will be in your mind and the
better you will be at spotting them. Don’t be discouraged if you have a hard
time the first few times you foray for them. You will get better the more often
you find them. Learn how to ‘scan’ instead of staring. Scanning is kind of
letting your eyes focus, but not quite. It is more of a quick focus on one area
and then another adjacent area without staring at just one spot for more than a
few seconds. Once you find a morel you can switch to more intense search of an
area. Learn what distance your eyes can ‘scan’ the best, say from 5-10 feet or
8-12 feet, and concentrate on that distance. Individuals’ optimal eyesight
range can vary significantly. Look just above the ground level. Walk slowly
through likely habitat stopping every 5 to 10 feet and scanning the ground
around you. Look at a spot, move your eyes a few feet, look again, etc. Then
walk another 5 to 10 feet and repeat. It helps to scan as you walk. Stooping
down and looking puts your eyes closer to the ground, and it is easier to spot morels
sticking up above the leaves. It is said that small children make great morel
spotters due to their eyes being closer to the ground. You should also look
near the base of the trees. Morels can be right next to the trunk and from
there to 10 feet away, sometimes farther. Some people stoop with their backs to
the tree and scan from there. Another
method to do a quick search of woods is to walk to a large tree, do a quick
scan out to about 5 feet, and proceed to the next large tree and repeat. You
can skip the ground in between if you want to scout a new area. You may miss a
few morels this way, but can cover more ground and hopefully find new areas
they are fruiting. Once you find some, then you can switch back to a more
intensive search. It is usually better to begin your search at the lowest point
and work your way uphill. This puts your eyes closer to the slope making it
easier to spot morels. Another tip to use is to stop and mark the first morel
with a stick, handkerchief, stone or other object once you spot one. Look all
around yourself and see if you can spot others. Often, you will even spot them
behind you that you missed. If you see several in different directions you can
use small sticks and point them towards each morel. At times morels can be seen
from only one direction and it helps to be able to go back to where you first
spotted it and look again. Working outward from your original spot is another
good method. Save the first one you spotted until you are confident you have
found all the morels in an area.
Walking sticks can be
used for more than one purpose. As stated above, they can be used to pinpoint
where you first spot a morel and test for soil moisture. They aid in climbing
hills and can prevent nasty falls. They can also be used going downhill or
crossing small streams or logs. A walking stick may feel comfortable if it is
just above waist height, but one about chin height is better suited for going
downhill or crossing streams and logs. It easy to leave a walking stick behind,
so keeping the stick at the first morel spotted gives you a reason to remember
not to leave it or the morel behind.
When you are picking
morels, practice a certain amount of etiquette.
If someone nearby finds a morel it is not an invitation to come pick in
the same spot, unless asked to do so.
You should give the person at least 10-15 feet of room and perhaps more.
If several people are foraying together each person should be aware of the
other morel hunters around them and try not to cross in front of them if at all
possible. At times you might have to go around fallen trees or thick vegetation
such that crossing can’t be avoided. It can be helpful in a group setting to
walk in the same general direction much of the time, unless you find an area
where morels are fruiting. If you meet someone who is not part of your group, a
quick ‘hello’ or ‘how are you doing’ can be appropriate. Inevitably paths will
cross at times, but since most morel hunting is on public land, no one has more
of a right to pick morels than another does. Some like to shout ‘bingo’ when
they find a morel. This can encourage others that you may be foraying with that
morels are in the area. If you are in an area with people you don’t know, it
may not be wise to shout this or you may have them come and ‘share’ your spot.
Remember this variation of the Golden Rule.
Treat other morel hunters, as you would like to have them treat you.
So in conclusion,
make sure you look in the proper habitat, judge the moisture, temperature, and
other conditions to ensure a relatively good chance at finding morels. Learn to
read Nature’s signs and record them either on paper or in your head. The more time you spend looking for morels,
the more likely you are to become familiar with the conditions that help to ensure
success.
This article was
written by: Tim Geho,
With input from the
following people who assisted with suggestions, comments, proofreading, and
content:
Ray LaSala
Larry Goldschmidt
Dr. Michael Kuo
Judy Roberts
Also, special thanks to
the web sites of: www.mushroomexpert.com,
morelmushroomhuntingclub.com
and morelmania.com for
permission to reference their sites. All rights reserved. This article may not
be reproduced or distributed without specific permission.
Time to Renew
OMS Dues are Due for 2006
|
A |
new year is upon us, and
this means your OMS membership is up for renewal. OMS dues are $10 per year, or
$125 for a lifetime membership. The
cutoff date for dues payment is March 31, 2006.
You will be removed from the OMS Mushroom Log mailing list after the
March/April issue is mailed out if payment is not received by then.
NAMA renewals are also due now. NAMA dues for OMS members are $32. To qualify for this discounted rate, you must
be verified as an OMS member. You can
either mail your dues directly to NAMA with the letter you received from them,
or you may send a separate check made out to NAMA, to Dick Doyle for forwarding
to NAMA.
Articles for the next newsletter
Deadline – July 26
David
Miller
352
Oberlin, OH 44074
David.H.Miller@oberlin.edu
Seen below is a
close-up of the flowers, which are white, of the garlic mustard, Allaira, about which the note from the N.Y.
Times spoke. This should help you
I.D. it, so you can eradicate it if it invades your woods. Apparently the clusters of flower buds are
quite tasty, somewhat reminiscent of broccoli.
Would that make a good combination with all those morels you bring
home? However, I use the word
“eradicate” advisedly, as, being a good weed, garlic mustard puts most of its
resources into a prolific production of seeds, which then become part of what
ecologists call the “seed bank”. These
seeds can persists in the soil for many decades, just waiting for the right
conditions to occur
for the seeds to be stimulated to germinate and produce yet
another generation of seeds. Ecologists
believe the seeds are spread by mud picked up on deer’s feet.
In a specific
experimental detail not mentioned in Times article, sugar maple seedlings grown in soil with
garlic mustard, grew at only one tenth the rate of seedlings in “unpolluted”
soil, so the effects on maple seedlings health are substantial. One can only hope the mycorhizzae can adapt
fairly quickly to these new unfavorable conditions, so they can tolerate the
chemicals given off by the garlic mustard.
There! I’ve filled page 7!
Calendar of Events
OMS Events
Email Jerry at gpep@apk.net to receive
notification of impromptu events. Check
your most recent issue of the Mushroom
Log for event updates and for more detailed information. Please plan to join us.
July 7-9 (Fri-Sun.) Summer Foray at
July 15 (Sat.) 9:00-3:00
Beaver Creek Mushroom Workshop. Reservations and fee required. Contact Jim Kerr 330/301-0019.
July-Aug — Impromptu
Summer Forays — with Dick Grimm, email Jerry above.
Sat. Sept. 10
— Miniforay at Grove’s Woods. Pete & Pauline Munk
(440)236-9222.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1(Sat.-Sun.)
— Fall Foray at Penitentiary Glen in Lake Co., north of Chardon. At
Sat. Nov. 11
— 10th Annual Dick Grimm Banquet in the Sawyer House in
Ohio & Regional
June 2-4 — Landowner’s
Conference, in the Hocking Hills, contact Cynthia Brunty (740/767-2090) or forestry@ruralaction.org
Sept. 16 — The WPaMC Gary Lincoff Mid-Atlantic Mushroom Foray. See their web site at www.wpamushroomclub.org
National & More
Summer, 2006 Travel Adventures in
July 9-16 “The Queretar Mushrooming
August 6-13 “The Wonderful Oaxaca Foray”
see their website: www.mexmush.com
Aug. 17-20th, 2006 NAMA Foray in
Sept.1-4 NEMF at St. Anthony’s Hermitage, about 250 mi. n. of