Temperature for mushroom growth in the forest in autumn

Seasonal characteristics of mushroom growth

Fungi are complex organisms. Their main part - the mycelium or mycelium - is hidden from view by a layer of forest humus, and only fruiting bodies appear on the surface, which attract mushroom pickers. Mycelium grows all year round, so it is not easy to answer the question at what temperature mushrooms grow in autumn.

Along with humidity, one of the most important conditions for fruiting for most species is warm soil. Therefore, the first mushrooms appear in the spring. In April-May, when clearings, clearings and forest burnt areas freed from snow warm up, morels and stitches appear. They are the ones who open the mushroom season, and then other mushrooms pick up the baton.

Towards the end of May and early June, after warm rains, the first moss mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, and even white ones appear. But these are only scouts; the main layer will appear later, when the rye begins to sprout. By the way, these mushrooms are popularly called spike mushrooms.

Aspen boletuses, or as they are also called, krasoviki, redheads, appear a little later, when the aspen has faded. At the same time, colorful caps of russula peek out from the grass, and cheerful flocks of chanterelles scatter in the moss, like orange beads.

But the summer layers are short - a week, two at best, and the mushrooms disappear as if they never existed. But the real mushroom will only grow in the fall, when the braids of the birches begin to turn golden and splash crimson on the foliage of the aspens.

Do mushrooms grow in cloudy weather? How quickly do mushrooms grow after rain: how to harvest first?

With the arrival of the summer season, a real mushroom picker wants to get out of the house, go to the forest, collect a good harvest and cook dinner from it. But in order to implement this idea, you need to know where to go and what time is best to pick mushrooms. They all grow best in warm, humid conditions, meaning the time after rain is ideal for harvesting. With how quickly mushrooms grow after rain, you can choose the best moment to go to the forest.

At what temperature do mushrooms grow?

The underground part of each mushroom, the mycelium, grows throughout the year. Frost or extreme heat is not a hindrance to this. For the formation of the above-ground part - the body of the fungus - moderate climatic conditions and a lot of moisture are required.

By observing the “behavior” of this plant, people managed to find out which mushrooms grow most likely and which ones grow very slowly. That's what came out of it:

Boletus grows several centimeters per day.
Porcini mushroom - after warm rain it reaches its usual size in 2-3 days.
Boletus - the mushroom needs 4-5 days to fully ripen.
Honey fungus – growth time is from a day to a week.
Chanterelle - you can wait three weeks for it to grow to the desired size.

All of these mushrooms will grow well if rain is accompanied by temperatures favorable for growth. The most comfortable temperature for their ripening is from 10 to 24 degrees. If this figure is less or more, you should not hope for a good mushroom harvest.

How many days do mushrooms grow after heavy rain?

A mushroom is a living organism. It absorbs both beneficial and harmful substances. If it grows in an ecologically clean area and optimal conditions are created for it, then after precipitation this growth accelerates significantly. In just a day, an ordinary mushroom can reach a significant size and can be picked. Knowing how many days mushrooms grow after rain, you can always arrive in the forest on time and enjoy what you love.

To ensure that picking mushrooms and their further consumption are completely safe, you should follow a few simple rules, namely:

since mushrooms absorb absolutely all the substances with which they are surrounded, they should not be collected near roads or in overly polluted areas;
The product will only be beneficial if you manage to collect the mushrooms before the end of their growth period - after which the decay process begins;
Some inedible mushrooms are very similar to those that can be eaten, and therefore it is worth learning to distinguish them, and always being careful.

Mushroom pickers have three periods of the year when they can do what they love.

The first begins at the end of May and lasts throughout the next month.
The second will need to wait until the end of July, and the third in the fall, when the first leaves begin to fall.
And the closer we get to autumn, the slower the mushrooms grow after rain, because it gets colder.

How long does it take for mushrooms to grow after rain?

On the second day after it starts to rain, you shouldn’t immediately take your basket and go into the forest. To begin with, it is worth analyzing the following parameters:

how warm it was during the rain and after it;
if someone goes for a specific type of mushroom, it is worth taking into account their intensity and growth characteristics;

You can go for porcini mushrooms, boletus and aspen mushrooms on the second day after the rain, but for honey mushrooms and chanterelles you will have to wait almost a whole week. It is imperative to go for mushrooms with a knife so as not to damage their root system. If you completely pull them out of the ground in a few years, their appearance in the forest will completely disappear. You also need to check all your finds for absence of damage - externally that this product can be eaten.

To find out how quickly mushrooms grow after rain, just ask experienced mushroom pickers and people who know the forest. Almost everyone knows at what temperature good mushrooms grow. If it is clear that the weather conditions are favorable for a good harvest, then you should not hesitate to go out into nature to search for mushrooms.

Mushrooms are plants that, due to their characteristics, have been combined into a separate kingdom. During rain and fog, they grow at an excellent speed - a day or several days. It’s especially good if the rain is light and warm, because then you can find entire glades with mushrooms in the forest. Now you have learned how quickly mushrooms grow after rain, and you will be able to boast of a naturally generous harvest, before other mushroom pickers.

Mushrooms of the autumn forest

In autumn, almost all types of summer mushrooms grow, but new ones also appear, those for which it is too hot in summer. These are, for example, autumn honey fungus, greenfinch, row and others. Moreover, in the fall, the growth of mushrooms is the most intense, since they do not like heat, and in order for the fruiting body of most species to begin to develop, 5–10 o C is enough. The temperature at which mushrooms grow in the fall affects the speed of their development: how The lower the degree, the slower they grow.

However, not only temperature indicators matter, but also humidity. If autumn is dry, then you can’t count on a good “catch” of mushrooms. However, they don’t like prolonged rains either. An experienced mushroom picker will look at how the next bad weather splashes on the roads in puddles, and sigh sadly: “Eh, the mycelium will get wet!” The mycelium, of course, will not get wet, it will remain under the dense forest floor of fallen pine needles and moss, but there may indeed be no mushrooms.

But light frosts, which are not uncommon in autumn, are not scary for mushrooms. Sometimes on a cold October morning in the forest you can find boletus, boletus, redhead, boletus, and honey mushrooms literally frozen through. When determining at what temperature mushrooms grow in the forest in the fall, you should focus on average daily values, since warming up the soil during the day plays an important role.

At what temperature do mushrooms stop growing?

As autumn approaches, it gets colder outside, and most species stop growing at temperatures below 15°C. However, some specimens are able to grow normally at lower temperatures. New mushrooms sometimes germinate under fallen leaves even on very cold days when the temperature does not exceed 5°C.

All types of mushrooms stop growing during frosts. Most of them simply freeze, but continue to grow after the thaw. That is why in warm winters you can find bee mushrooms or oyster mushrooms in the forest.

It is worth noting that during the cold season, only the fruiting bodies visible above the ground stop growing. But the mycelium, hidden under a layer of soil and leaves, grows and develops all year round. It will only suffer if the winter is very cold and the ground is very frozen.

The optimal temperature for active growth of most types of mushrooms is 18-25 °C. However, some species thrive in lower temperatures. And everyone’s favorite oyster mushrooms and beech mushrooms can grow even in winter, subject to frequent thawing.

When the frost hits

Few of these forest dwellers can survive severe frost, and most mushroom pickers believe that the season ends in November. But that's not true.

One of the most cold-resistant mushrooms is honey mushrooms. The best temperature for their growth varies in the range of +8. +12 o C. Their cheerful families grow in the forest even after serious frosts. At what temperature do mushrooms grow in autumn? Winter honey mushrooms, for example, can be found at sub-zero temperatures, even under snow.

Winter oyster mushrooms are also not afraid of frost, which can be harvested not only in November, but also in January.

To summarize

Now you know in which forests porcini mushrooms grow, what conditions they need and what time is best to go pick them. It’s worth repeating: if you know an experienced mushroom picker, be sure to invite him along on a hike. He will not only teach and share his own experience and knowledge, but also prevent the collection of poisonous and false mushrooms.

Besides, it’s always more interesting to go hiking with a group. It is recommended to go on reconnaissance in advance so that the next day you can fully and not just pick mushrooms. Write your questions and leave your thoughts about this topic in the comments below the article. Thanks for reading the article!

Conditions for the growth of porcini mushrooms

No matter how full the mushroom picker’s basket is, his luck is judged primarily by the number of porcini mushrooms.

White, or, as it is also called, boletus, is a cunning and finicky mushroom. Sometimes you have to go around half the forest to attack a mushroom place. But if the conditions are suitable, then even in a small patch you can collect more than a dozen strong boletus.

At what temperature do porcini mushrooms grow in the fall? Firstly, we note that for white it is not so much the condition of the air that is important as the condition of the soil. The optimal soil temperature for it is 15–16 degrees Celsius.

But as for the air, the conditions for the growth of porcini mushrooms in summer and autumn are different. In summer, boletus mushrooms do not like excessive dampness and prolonged rains and prefer a temperature of +18. +20 o C. That is why they hide in the moss and under the thick paws of spruce trees, where it is not very hot.

How to collect correctly

Anyone who has ever gone to the forest to pick mushrooms knows the basic rules for picking:

The mushroom trophy cannot be pulled out of the ground along with the roots.
When going out on a “quiet hunt,” you should stock up on a small, sharp knife, with which you cut off the prey above the soil surface. Thus, the mycelium is preserved and grows, and next year you can count on a generous harvest of whites in the same place.
Before going into the forest, you should stock up on a long stick or staff to carefully dig out mounds of leaves, moss and earth, under which strong families are hiding.

Autumn is a great time to visit a quiet, colorful forest, filled with the smell of mushrooms and fallen leaves. And what could be better than a basket of strong boletus, brought from a walk and filling everything around with a mushroom aroma.

When to collect boletus mushrooms in the fall

Boletus mushrooms, especially young and strong ones, are in no way inferior to white ones - even boiled, dried, or fried. And if they go in layers, then you can collect more than one bucket of them in a relatively small forest.

According to popular belief, the first boletuses appear when the mountain ash blooms, and then they do not leave forest glades and birch groves all summer. Unless, of course, the summer was too hot and dry. But the summer boletus has one drawback - the worm really loves this tasty mushroom. So the mushroom picker has to reluctantly throw away one mushroom after another.

In autumn, boletus flowers are clean and strong. And besides, their special appearance appears - with a thick stem and a dark cap, the taste is practically no different from the white one. Finding it, however, is not easy in the fallen leaves. But if you come across one, then you can find a dozen more around it.

At what temperature do mushrooms grow in autumn (boletus mushrooms)? Their temperature regime is almost the same as that of whites. For boletus, 10–12 degrees Celsius is quite enough, only these mushrooms love wetter weather, not prolonged rains, but thick autumn fogs. And if the autumn is dry, then boletus mushrooms should be looked for in damp places, in lowlands and even in a swamp.

A good mushroom picker knows at what temperature mushrooms grow. In the fall, in the forest, he will quickly fill a basket, or even take out a bag - don’t leave boletus and boletus, aspen and boletus, milk mushrooms and capillaries under the fir trees and birches! And if honey mushrooms attack, there may not be enough packages.

Edible forest mushrooms are a storehouse of useful vitamins and nutrients that can completely replace a meat product. For their high nutritional value, it is not for nothing that they are called “vegetable” or “forest” meat. They are healthy, tasty, nutritious and, most importantly for mushroom pickers, they grow quickly. Active reproduction and growth of mushrooms, starting from the first spring collection season and ending with the last, autumn, is due to their unique biological characteristics.

Features of mushroom growth in the forest

How to find porcini mushrooms in the forest

Finding mushrooms still growing is a great success. But if you find small mushrooms and decide to wait until they ripen, then you are taking a risk. After all, other people may arrive before you and collect them. But still, there is no need to collect tiny white mushrooms, since they are of no use. It’s just that now we will teach you how to search for and collect boletus mushrooms in different forests: coniferous, mixed and deciduous. Be sure to keep this information for yourself.

How to find porcini mushrooms in the forest

Pine forests

In such forests there is usually a white pine fungus, which enters into symbiosis with a clear tree, and less often with spruce and other (including deciduous) species. It differs from other boletus mushrooms in its sugary brown cap and stem, which sometimes also has a brownish tint. He likes sandy or loamy soil, but never waterlogged. That is, the mushroom definitely avoids swamps and damp lowlands, preferring dry forests to them. In mountainous areas he loves to “climb” higher - there, apparently, the conditions for him are better.

You can figure out the places where pine porcini mushrooms grow not only by digging into the forest soil with a shovel and finding grains of sand under the half-rotted litter. The main landmark is moss (sphagnum) or lichen “pillows”. Mushrooms usually appear here, especially if there are small openings in the trees that are more warmed by the sun than the rest of the surrounding area. They can also be found along the edges of clearings, clearings, and along the sides of forest roads.

Spruce-fir and spruce-fir forests

The white spruce mushroom grows here. Outwardly, it is almost indistinguishable from the pine boletus, except that the color of its cap is slightly less saturated. By the way, this mushroom is a type species, and therefore it is the “real porcini mushroom”.

The growing conditions of the spruce boletus actually correspond to its pine counterpart, with the exception that the former is more inclined towards spruce trees. Just like the previous mushroom, the spruce boletus loves sandy or loamy, not waterlogged soils, and moss-lichen litter.

spruce boletus loves sandy or loamy, not waterlogged soils

Birch forests

It's funny, but the true porcini mushroom has managed to form a subspecies here too - the birch boletus, also known as the spikelet (this name is due to the fact that this mushroom appears exactly at the time the rye heads).

Unlike previous varieties, the spikelet has a lighter cap, is not so picky about the type of soil, and grows almost everywhere, except perhaps avoiding outright swamps and peat bogs. It is very common and numerous, for which we are especially adored by fans of “silent hunting”. In fact, it can end up in any birch forest, preferring edges and boundaries between overgrown and open areas.

There are three signs by which you can accurately determine whether porcini mushrooms grow in a birch forest. First of all, these are grass tussocks. Or popularly - white grass. The other two signs are neighboring mushrooms. Red fly agaric and chanterelle. As a rule, both of them accompany the porcini mushroom, and even begin to bear fruit with it at approximately the same time.

Dubravy

This is the area where porcini mushrooms of the oak variety grow. However, this variety is controversial - some scientists distinguish it as an independent species - bronze boletus. It differs from the previous ones in the darkest color of the cap, sometimes it even has a black, mold-like coating. In France, this fungus is popularly called “negro’s head.” It grows in warm forests and tends to the southern regions. In mountainous areas it is rare or completely absent. According to rumors, it also happens here, but very rarely.

bronze boletus

Elm forests

Vyazovniki, also known as elmovniki. There are also such. A specific breed of porcini mushrooms that prefers these particular forests has not yet been noticed. However, pine and spruce species are occasionally found in these forests, and sometimes birch is also found.

Scientists from mycology unanimously claim that it is difficult for porcini mushrooms to form a symbiosis with elm due to certain specific nuances of the biology of this tree. That is why they are so rare there, and if they are found, it is in small quantities. I want to add one thing: elm forests are those forests where porcini mushrooms do not grow.

No matter how much I wandered around in these places, I never saw boletus mushrooms, although I still came across some other edible mushrooms there. It’s another matter when elm grows mixed with linden and birch trees, or even fir and spruce. But that's another matter.

The structure of mushrooms

A common mushroom that grows in the forest consists of a stalk (stump) and a cap, which together make up the fruiting body of the mushroom. The base of the stalk is connected to a mycelium (mycelium), very reminiscent of a tangled interweaving of thin threads (hyphae).

The mycelium itself is located in the loose top layer of soil, including rotted leaves, dying plant remains, humus and other soil organic matter. The threads of the mycelium form the entire fruiting body of the mushroom - from the base of the stem to the cap. It is through them that organic nutrients obtained from symbiont trees enter the mushroom cap.

This is very important for the propagation of the fungus, because There are spores in thin plates or tubes on the lower surface of the cap. After ripening, the spores fall off the surface of these formations (plates, tubes) and are carried throughout the forest by the wind, insects or animals.

In the garden

Growing porcini mushrooms on the garden plot is carried out in several stages.

Preparing the site

Preparatory work on the site begins with:

Growing location definitions: sunny place with slight shade.
Search for individual tree species on the site: determining which mushroom grows with in the forest. Therefore, they should provide the same neighborhood at home. Planting is done in the spring.
Cleaning and watering: About a month before planting, the place selected for the mushroom bed should be cleared of weeds and garden debris and watered daily.
Substrate preparation: it is worth preparing crushed tree bark and dry leaves in advance. Both components are added to the soil when planting mushrooms.

Harvesting "seedlings"

Porcini mushrooms are collected for planting in a pine or mixed forest. When choosing mushrooms for “seedlings”, you should follow some rules:

You need to collect only those mushrooms that grow under the same trees as in your garden. Preference is given to the densest and largest specimens.
After the harvest has been harvested, it should be immediately processed - separate the caps from the stems and chop the caps.
Next, a special solution is prepared from settled water (without chlorine, leave for at least 24 hours), several crystals of potassium permanganate (pale pink solution) and 10 pieces of refined sugar.
The crushed raw material is kneaded to a mushy consistency, poured with this solution, mixed and left for a day.
Then filter through cheesecloth. The solution with spores is evenly spilled over the bed, the remaining raw materials in the gauze are evenly laid out on top of the substrate.

Many mushroom pickers use “wild seedlings”. To do this, dig up a section of mycelium (approximately 25x25 cm), transfer it to the planned planting site and dig it in.

Gardening stores sell ready-made seed material.

Landing technique

In the prepared area, a hole is dug about 30 cm deep and about 3 m² in area. The dug soil is thoroughly mixed with humus. The bottom is sprinkled with crushed bark and dry leaves (there should be an even layer over the entire surface of the bottom of the pit).

Planting materials are mixed with sand and evenly scattered onto the bark and leaves. Then cover with a small layer of compost. The final layer is a mixture of garden soil and humus. This type does not require a lot of moisture, so you should not water it every day. It is enough to carry out light irrigation as the top layer of soil dries. With the onset of cold weather, plantings are sprinkled with snow, fallen leaves or moss.

When planting in spring, the first harvest is harvested in the fall. If planting was carried out in the fall, fruiting bodies are obtained only after a year.

Mycelium grown at home will produce stable yields for 5-7 years. Under good conditions, from an area of one hundred square meters it is possible to collect from 15 to 25 kg of mushrooms. Such cultivation is not difficult, but it is important to consider that mycelium does not always take root in such conditions.

Reproduction

Once in a warm and humid environment, fungal spores begin to germinate quickly. This is how a new independent mycelium is formed, lying underground up to 15 cm from the soil surface.

The mycelium has many important functions:

promotes maximum consolidation of the entire fungal organism in the soil;
“distills” mineral substances obtained from the soil into the cells of the roots of symbiotic trees, and then delivers organic substances formed during photosynthesis by the trees into the fruiting bodies of the fungi;
fulfills responsibilities for adapting to environmental changes;
responsible for sporulation and preservation of fungal spores.

Mushrooms grow most quickly in mature perennial myceliums, which have a numerous and branched micellar system that is resistant to unfavorable conditions for growth and development (frost and drought). When the mycelium becomes sufficiently developed, formation begins. Mushroom threads intertwine more strongly with each other, forming small lumps - future mushroom legs and caps.

In the greenhouse

Porcini mushrooms can be successfully grown in a barn

Any room with proper conditions is suitable for propagating porcini mushrooms in a greenhouse. This could be a barn, basement, cellar, greenhouse or hangar.

Preparing the site

To successfully plant this type of house, it should provide two conditions:

temperature within 8-12 °C;
high air humidity at 85-90%.

Such a room must have good ventilation, which is necessary for intensive growth of the porcini mushroom.

During the incubation period, the mycelium does not need light, but during the appearance of fruiting bodies, the plantings are provided with daylight for 5 hours. The main thing is that the light is not too bright, otherwise the mycelium will simply dry out.

Preparation of material

With this method, ready-made planting material is used, intended for the Dutch method of growing mushrooms. The Dutch have developed a unique method in which mushroom growers get the best yields when growing crops indoors.

“Wild seedlings” will not give such results and their survival rate is quite low. The process of preparing for planting is the same as when planting on the site.

Landing rules

Porcini mushrooms are planted in greenhouse conditions in several ways:

in the beds;
in bags;
in boxes.

By the way. Some people successfully grow this mushroom in apartment conditions.

The process of planting and preparing a planting hole in greenhouse conditions is no different from the natural method of growing mushrooms. The main thing is that in such a room all the above conditions are met.

In the basement, barn or cellar, bags or boxes are used for planting mycelium. It will grow especially well in wooden (eco-friendly, “breathable” containers) boxes. A wooden container is filled with a pre-sterilized mixture of hay, corn cobs, sawdust, seed husks and buckwheat. First there is a layer of substrate, then a layer of mycelium, again a layer of substrate, and so on, alternating until the very top. The top layer must be a planting mixture. The same principle applies to planting in bags. After planting, holes are made in them.

Attention! If you are planning long-term plantings of mushrooms, then it makes sense to treat the tree with special preparations that prevent rotting, for example, Pinotex or Belinka.

Boxes and bags are placed on racks at a distance of 15 cm from each other.

Care

During the incubation period, the plantings are kept warm at a temperature of 23-25 ° C without additional lighting. When the first caps appear, the temperature is reduced to 10 ° C (it is subsequently maintained at this level, thus forming a certain temperature regime) and good ventilation of the room is ensured.

During the process of growth and development, mushrooms are regularly sprayed with a spray bottle - morning and evening. Light is needed daily for 5 hours.

Porcini mushrooms begin to be collected 20-25 days after the young caps appear.

Features of growth

Mushroom growth is affected by humidity

It takes approximately 3-5 days for the mushroom to reach medium size. It is these young and strong mushrooms that professional mushroom pickers prefer to collect. But not all mushrooms grow and develop at the same speed.

How quickly a mushroom grows is directly affected by:

the nature of the area where the mycelium grows;
humidity and temperature of both air and soil;
a type of edible mushroom.

For example, boletus, russula and boletus mushrooms gain the mass of the fruiting body the fastest, so you can go to the forest to collect the harvest just a few days after the previous one - you will find a lot of young mushrooms.

When mushrooms appear after rain. Diary of a mushroom picker. Mushroom growth rate.

They grow like mushrooms after rain...
But really, how fast do mushrooms grow?

Record holder for speed of growth of Veselka -

Boletuses, boletuses and white boletuses do not grow so quickly, but already on the 2-3rd day they are of interest to the mushroom picker.

Day 1. Photo by Olga Gubanova

Day 2 photo by Olga Gubanova

Day 4 Photo by Olga Gubanova

In general, the fruiting body of a sponge mushroom grows in 5 days, then ripening and release of spores begins, but this process only frustrates mushroom pickers.

If a ripe white one can still be considered a trophy (many even prefer them to young ones for their richer taste), then boletus mushrooms older than 2 days are usually no longer of interest to the mushroom picker.

Lamellar mushrooms grow slower than tubular mushrooms, especially chanterelles. Chanterelles generally “freeze” under unfavorable conditions, such as drought, then begin to grow again. Many mushroom pickers noticed that the embryos of chanterelles (primordia) disappeared altogether, never starting to grow, as would be drawn back into the mycelium.

Of the lamellar ones, the fastest one is russula, which rises quite quickly from the litter above the ground and opens within 2-3 days.

Valui is also a russula. photo Flint

a day later - they opened up noticeably. photo Flint

Polypores grow slowly, especially on living trees. In general, the growth process depends on many factors - temperature, humidity, the strength of the mycelium itself, etc.

The main thing is that they grow! And we will find them in any case!

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Optimal conditions

In order for future mushrooms to develop intensively in the mycelium and grow quickly, the fungal organism requires certain conditions.

Temperature

The low temperature regime has a negative effect on young mycelium, and sudden spring frosts are detrimental to developing mushrooms. Cold weather with sudden temperature changes can greatly slow down and even completely stop the growth of the fruiting body. Intensive and accelerated ripening of mushrooms begins at temperatures from 18℃ to 30℃, but only with sufficient humidity, at least 60%.

Humidity

The humidity level should be about 60-70%, both in the air and in the soil. If the soil is not moist enough, the mushrooms stop actively growing, although the development of the fruiting body does not stop completely.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

The development of fungi is especially active when the soil moisture is 80-85%. However, if the substrate humidity reaches 95-100%, growth and development will begin to be delayed due to a lack of oxygen, which fungi, like all living organisms, need for their development. Thus, swampy soils contain only traces of free oxygen (O2) and due to this state of affairs, only species adapted to such unfavorable conditions can be found in them - emericellopsis, some fusariums, etc. The “killer” combination has a particularly unfavorable effect on the development of fungi - high humidity and low temperature. Therefore, harvesting a good harvest in a cold, rainy summer is just as unrealistic as a hot but dry summer.

Soil acidity (pH) is also very important for mushrooms - the active acidity of the environment, the value of which shows us the concentration of hydrogen ions (H +) in the environment. The normal life of the fungus and its vital processes, such as, for example, enzyme activity, spore formation, the entry of nutrients into the cell, and the synthesis of antibiotics and pigments, depend on it. Most mushrooms prefer acidic soils, while a smaller number prefer alkaline soils.

Pests

The growth of forest mushrooms is also influenced by insect pests. When the mycelium and fruiting bodies are infected by the larvae of parasitic insects, the active life of the fungi deteriorates significantly - the fungus becomes sick. Outwardly, this may not be initially noticeable. But as it develops, “worms” appear—insect larvae—and the apparently healthy mushroom becomes unsuitable for collection.

When optimal conditions for fungal organisms occur - warm and humid weather in the absence of pests and diseases, the ripening time of fruiting bodies is reduced, and new young mushrooms grow by leaps and bounds.

The process of active growth does not stop either day or night - this is a distinctive feature of the entire mushroom kingdom and one of the characteristic features of the Plant kingdom.

Fruiting bodies grow especially vigorously in the warm season, after rain, when the sun begins to warm up the soil saturated with moisture. Under these conditions, young mushrooms form to an average size in just a few days, and then within 10 days they gain the mass of the fruiting body, which greatly pleases lovers of “quiet hunting”.

However, mushrooms are not only the fastest-growing forest inhabitants, but also the most short-lived. After the mushroom spores have fully ripened, the fruiting body enters the phase of decay of the reproductive parts. The entire fruiting body begins to collapse. Mature spores form new mycelium, and the life cycle begins anew.

Fungi, like all living organisms, require certain conditions for their growth and development. The most important criteria are humidity and air temperature. Lighting is less important for these organisms.

However, these figures are not strict, since each type has its own limits. Knowing the growth temperature of mushrooms is necessary not only for those who grow them, but also for those who like to collect them in the forest. This information will allow you to choose the optimal day when you can harvest the maximum harvest.

The most suitable time for collecting mushrooms is the period that lasts from the beginning of spring and ends with the arrival of frost. Therefore, if there have not been the first frosts yet, then in winter you can go on a “quiet hunt”.

How long does it take for mushrooms to grow after cutting?

Perhaps none of the plants widely used by humans for food grows as quickly to a ripe state as a mushroom. Hence the expression “grows like a mushroom.” However, in the minds of mushroom pickers, the growth rate of mushrooms is usually exaggerated. This happens because some of the mushrooms go unnoticed during collection. When visiting the site again after a day or two, mushroom pickers find mushrooms of considerable size. Cap mushrooms grow very quickly. Over the course of one, several days, and even part of a day, porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms and boletus mushrooms significantly increase in size. Most mushrooms grow to medium size in 3-6 days. Under favorable weather conditions, boletus, boletus, and russula can be collected within a day or even a night after they appear on the soil surface. The fact is that the fruiting bodies of the most famous cap mushrooms first form underground, grow there for a long time and emerge almost fully formed to the surface. However, even after this, their growth until full ripening can continue for 8-12 days. Infection with fly and mosquito larvae slows down or stops the growth of mushrooms. During the day, the mushrooms grow by an average of 1-1.5 centimeters in the total height and diameter of the cap. But even among mushrooms of the same species, for example, boletus, the daily growth ranges from 3 millimeters to 3 centimeters, which is due to their individual characteristics and condition. In the first 5-8 days, the growth of the mushroom, both in total height and in diameter of the cap, occurs quite evenly. The growth of mushrooms in height stops one to two days earlier than the growth of the cap in diameter. A day after growth stops, the mushroom is destroyed. Some argue that there is no significant difference in the growth rate of mushrooms at night and during the day. Sometimes there is a noticeable increase in fungal growth after precipitation. And yet, mushrooms appear to grow most at night. You walk through the forest in the evening - there are no mushrooms, it’s empty. And in the morning, the young mushrooms are right there, asking to be put in the basket. So light has little effect on the development of mushrooms, because the mushroom is a child of the shadow. In the summer-autumn period, the average weight of fresh mushrooms on the fourth day of their growth is expressed by the following values: porcini mushroom - 160 grams, boletus - 74, boletus - 45, oiler - 35, moss - 33, chanterelle and goat - 9, milk mushroom - 79 , volushka—17, russula—12 grams. In which forests are the conditions most favorable for mushroom growth? Some argue that mushrooms grow better in young forests, in which the mycelium filaments get along better with young, small, soft-barked tree roots. These roots are located in the top layer of soil and are accessible to fungi. In older trees, the roots are located deep in the ground, so they are less accessible to the mycelium. The practice of mushroom pickers confirms the opposite. There are fewer mushrooms in young forests than in old ones. The first porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms and others, as a rule, appear on large trees and most often in the immediate vicinity of them, where there are significantly fewer young, small roots at the soil surface. At the same time, these mushrooms are almost impossible to detect in young forests. Somewhat later, approximately in the second half of August - early September, mushrooms grow relatively evenly in both forests. At the end of the season, mushrooms are again found more in old forests than in young ones. The only exceptions are boletus and saffron milk caps, which grow better in young growth and on the edges. The collector is sometimes struck by the unevenness of the mushroom harvest, that they seem to “wander” from one place to another, from one forest to another. This is explained by changes in fungal growth factors. For example, dry, hot weather set in, and there were almost no mushrooms in the elevated, dry places, but in the lower areas of the forest, where excess moisture from the soil evaporated, mushrooms appeared as if by magic. Therefore, mushrooms cannot tolerate either excessive dampness or dryness.

Temperature required for mushroom growth in autumn

This time of year marks the peak of the mushroom season. In autumn you can find almost all summer species, but new ones also grow - exclusively autumn fungal representatives. The very first to stop growing are porcini and oak mushrooms - as soon as the temperature drops below 15 degrees, the development of these species stops. Then in the forest the number of moths, russula, flywheels and scales gradually decreases. These species stop growing when the atmospheric temperature drops to 10 degrees.

The most common species found in the forest at this time of year is the autumn honey fungus.

They prefer dampness and old wood as a growing environment, so you need to look for them in ravines and on stumps. The most favorite plants of the autumn honey mushroom are poplar and mulberry.

Greenfinch has greater resistance to cold.

It can grow at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius. People also call it the harbinger of winter: as soon as the greenfinch appears in the forest, it means that frost will hit in two weeks. Greenfinch prefers pine forests with sandy soil. Grows in well-lit clearings and paths. It practically does not grow alone, so you can collect almost a full basket from one plot.

Do mushrooms grow at temperatures from +5 to +10 degrees

At such low temperatures, only cold-resistant species of mushrooms grow. This means that you can go into the forest for a quiet hunt both in November and December, but you shouldn’t count on a big “catch”. The chances of finding oyster mushroom families are especially high if the temperature constantly “jumps”: sometimes it rises to +15, sometimes it drops to +5 degrees.

In addition to oyster mushrooms, the most cold-resistant mushrooms are honey mushrooms, boletus, flakes and saffron milk caps. You can also look for them in late autumn.

The greenfinch is a lover of cool air. It actively develops even at temperatures below 5°C. People even consider it a harbinger of winter. They say that two weeks after the greenfinch appears, frost will definitely hit.

In the spring, when the air has not yet warmed up enough, morels appear in the forest. They are not afraid of cold and high humidity. Therefore, they grow well in late March and early April.

Favorable temperature conditions in spring

As soon as the snow melts and the air temperature rises to 5–10 degrees Celsius, morels can be found in the forest.

Very often they are found right in melt puddles. Another favorite place for their growth is the space near deciduous trees.

Along with the morels, lines appear.

The common species prefers to grow under coniferous trees. However, giant stitch is found mainly in mixed and deciduous plantings. When harvesting the mushrooms listed above, be careful, as they are conditionally edible. They can be consumed only after preliminary heat treatment.

Another type of mushroom that can be found in the spring forest is the puffball. But it appears later than strings and morels, when the ambient temperature remains stably above 15 degrees Celsius.

In addition to heat, this mushroom requires excess moisture to grow. Therefore, it is mainly found in May after rain. Widely distributed in coniferous and mixed forests. When harvesting puffballs, you need to pay attention only to young mushrooms. They represent the greatest nutritional value, because, unlike old mushrooms, they have soft flesh.

In the spring, mushroom pickers often find orange petitsa in the forest.

Apart from its attractive color, this mushroom does not stand out in any way. It has no mushroom smell or taste. It is mainly used as a bright element in dried bundles.

How will they grow

Experienced fans of mushroom hunting note that 15–20 days after warm downpours, white specimens can be found in the forest, the cap diameter of which reaches 20–25 cm. It is worth noting that the lifespan of white mushrooms is not as long as is commonly believed - these mushrooms are at peak maturity reach 12–14 days after the start of growth.

Upon reaching 10–12 days, the mushroom stem stops growing, while the cap continues to increase in diameter for another 2–3 days. After this, the process of decay begins in the pulp, and it loses its good nutritional properties.

The best time to collect young porcini mushrooms, which are perfect for pickling and pickling, is 4–5 days after a good rain. In addition, such mushrooms have not yet been attacked by parasites, which are very fond of dense, aromatic pulp.

Video: How porcini mushrooms grow

Per night

There is an opinion that boletus can grow literally overnight. However, in fact, the porcini mushroom is not so fast - its growth rate entirely depends on the surrounding humidity and air temperature both at night and during the day. Representatives of this mushroom family are more demanding of environmental conditions than its relatives, for example honey mushrooms or boletus. At +10°C, the white cap grows in diameter by about 1–1.5 cm overnight.

Required temperature in summer

Summer is a favorable time of year for fungal growth, but extreme heat is detrimental to these organisms. When the atmospheric temperature rises above 35 degrees, the activity of the mycelium is inhibited. Therefore, if it has been unbearably hot all week without a single rain, then there is no point in going on a “quiet hunt” - there will be nothing to collect. The optimal combination for mushroom growth is recent rain and temperatures around 20 degrees.

Under favorable conditions, boletuses are among the first to appear.

They grow mainly in deciduous and mixed green spaces. They love shade very much, so you need to look for them in thickets and moss.

Then the boletus begins to grow actively.

Different types of butterfly prefer different conditions, some require coniferous forests, and some are suitable for deciduous forests. Therefore, they can be found everywhere, mainly in well-lit clearings.

In mid-summer, a large number of porcini mushrooms appear in the forest.

Porcini

This species prefers to grow in pine and birch forests in open areas well lit by the sun. They rarely grow alone, so if you find one, then most likely there are at least a couple more porcini mushrooms nearby.

Even in the summer you can find wavefish.

Most often they grow in birch forests, but they can also be found in mixed forests. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend collecting only young fruits, as they have a dense cap and tolerate transportation well.

Dubovik is also mainly harvested in the summer. The peak of its growth is observed at the beginning and end of summer, since this mushroom does not tolerate extreme heat. Most often it is collected near oak or linden, so it is necessary to “hunt” for it in deciduous forests.

Mushroom places

Porcini mushrooms are collected in almost all countries of the world, with the possible exception of the Arctic and Australian zones. Sometimes this species can be found in Chukotka and Kamchatka. Porcini mushrooms are also found in the taiga. Seasonal “hunts” begin annually in early June, with the second gathering taking place in mid-July, and the third at the end of October or beginning of November.

Mushroom pickers get the largest harvest in mixed forests in the European part of our country. Often porcini mushrooms (boletus mushrooms, as they are also called) appear in places where lichens and moss accumulate. They can be found in forest areas with birch, oak, hornbeam, and fir. You can also meet them in a pine forest, although in small numbers.

There are several varieties:

dark birch;
birch;
pine;
spruce

The first species should be looked for in beech, oak and hornbeam forests. The second is in birch groves, on the edges and along forest paths. Pine trees are found in a pine forest, and sometimes a good harvest can be obtained in a spruce forest. Spruce trees are characteristic mainly of spruce and fir forests; sometimes they can be found in pine forests.

To what temperature can mushrooms grow during the first frost?

Very few types of mushrooms can withstand the cold. Therefore, for most lovers of “silent hunting”, the mushroom season ends with the arrival of November. But this is not entirely reliable. Since there are species that grow exclusively after the first frost.

A striking representative of frost-loving mushrooms is the winter honey fungus.

It grows mainly in deciduous forests on trees. In addition to their bright appearance, they have excellent taste, so hunting for them makes sense. The mycelium does not grow directly in sub-zero temperatures, but frost only slows down its growth and does not stop it. Therefore, when it gets a little warmer, the winter honey fungus thaws and continues to grow.

Another mushroom that can be found in winter is the winter oyster mushroom.

It likes to grow on dried aspen and birch trees. It is extremely rare in other species.

Useful tips for picking mushrooms

For mushroom picking to bring a lot of pleasure and benefit, you must not only choose the right favorable days and good weather, but also listen to simple tips:

It is worth choosing places for collection away from highways and large cities, as mushrooms absorb heavy metals and can lead to poisoning.
They do not go on “silent hunts” along the roads.
Almost all mushrooms appear in families and groups. Therefore, having found one, you should take a closer look, and not move to another place.
They go searching in the morning, when it’s not hot. At this time, collecting is much easier.
Before going into the forest, you should study all the edible and poisonous representatives of this world. If there is the slightest doubt, the mushroom should be left in the forest.
It is important to choose the right clothes. It should be comfortable. Despite the hot weather, you should not go into the forest with bare arms, neck and legs.

What to take with you to the forest for a quiet hunt

Since a person is away from home for a long time, it is necessary to take outerwear: a waterproof thin raincoat and boots.

The mushroom picker must have:

a basket, since mushrooms in bags become wrinkled and spoil quickly;
a knife to cut and check the pulp for larvae and worms;
compass and map of the area so as not to get lost;
a cane or smooth stick to push aside moss and dry leaves.

Video: “Mushroom season. Edible mushrooms."

How to find boletus mushrooms?

Boletus is one of the most delicious and beautiful mushrooms in our forests. Its collection season begins in mid-June, although the mass appearance of boletus mushrooms occurs in July - August.

Boletus mushrooms grow in birch groves and mixed forests interspersed with birch trees. These mushrooms grow in families, so when you find one, you should carefully examine everything around, there are probably more mushrooms there.

The boletus mushroom is conspicuous, but often grows in dense grass or hidden under fallen leaves.

How to find boletus mushrooms?

Boletus is also a very tasty and beautiful mushroom with a red cap. It appears at the same time as the boletus, but prefers forests with a predominance of aspen. You can also find boletuses in mixed forests.

Boletuses grow in groups, so when you find one mushroom, you should always inspect the surrounding area. The boletus is easier to spot than the boletus because of its brightly colored cap.

How to find saffron milk caps?

Rizhik is a real decoration of pine and spruce forests. This is a short, but often with a wide cap, mushroom that likes to hide in fallen pine needles. Saffron milk caps usually grow in huge groups, so collecting them is not difficult. It is enough to find one mushroom and carefully explore the surrounding area.

You can spot saffron milk caps by small mounds of pine needles, so to collect saffron milk caps it is better to have a long stick with you.

Saffron milk caps grow in July - October, but most of them are in August and September.

How to find chanterelles?

Few people will remain indifferent at the sight of these bright yellow or orange mushrooms, because chanterelles are unusually tasty mushrooms. The first chanterelles appear in June, but they should be collected en masse in August and September.

Chanterelles grow in mixed forests, with a predominance of pine, spruce, birch, oak and beech. They prefer damp places with an abundance of moss, thickets of bushes, and the lower parts of slopes.

Chanterelles are family mushrooms and always grow in large clusters, so once you find a mushroom place, you should not rush to leave it; there will probably be many more chanterelles around.

How to find honey mushrooms?

Many believe that you should go for honey mushrooms in the fall, in September or even October, in a dense forest with an abundance of dead wood and fallen trees. This is partly true, but not all. Honey mushrooms can be found in the meadow, on the grass, in August, July, and even in June. Such honey mushrooms are called summer and meadow mushrooms. They are distinguished by a thinner stem, but they are collected in the same way as autumn honey mushrooms, and in a harvest year the entire space can be dotted with them.

Autumn honey mushrooms have a thicker stem and grow on old stumps and fallen trees. They are collected from the end of August to the beginning of winter in any forests - pine, mixed, broad-leaved. Honey mushrooms grow in large families.

How to find boletus?

Butterflies are one of the most common edible mushrooms in our forests and can be found from the end of May to September. The peak season for collecting boletus is at the end of June - beginning of August. Boletus appears after heavy rains in warm weather, and if you find yourself in the forest in time, you can quickly harvest a good harvest of boletus.

In fruitful years, boletus can cover the substrate with a continuous carpet, delighting the heart of a real mushroom picker. Boletus grows mainly in coniferous forests, young pine and spruce forests, but can also be found in mixed forests.

How to find milk mushrooms?

Milk mushrooms are considered by many to be very tasty mushrooms, but intended exclusively for pickling. This is wrong. Any milk mushrooms are very tasty when fried, but if black milk mushrooms should be soaked for several hours to remove the bitterness from them, then white milk mushrooms require almost no soaking.

You should look for milk mushrooms in mixed forests, with a predominance of birch, bird cherry, and other forest shrubs. Milk mushrooms are often found in close proximity to paths, along river banks.

The harvesting season for milk mushrooms begins at the end of July, and can last until the end of October, although the largest numbers of milk mushrooms are found in August and September.

It is very difficult to look for milk mushrooms, and an inexperienced mushroom picker can pass by a clearing with milk mushrooms without even suspecting their presence. Milk mushrooms love to hide in fallen leaves, and often their presence can only be determined by small mounds that should be torn apart.

How to find champignons?

Champignon mushrooms are unpretentious and widespread in our country. They can be found on soils rich in manure and humus; they grow in meadows and pastures, in forests, city parks, and even in vegetable gardens.

The fruiting period of champignons is very wide, the first mushrooms appear at the beginning of summer, and the champignon harvesting season ends at the end of September.

Champignons can grow either on high legs or barely appearing from the ground, so when collecting them you need to be very attentive to various suspicious tubercles.

How to find truffles?

Truffles are a very rare mushroom for our country and are found only in some regions of the European part, on the Black Sea coast, and in Crimea.

Truffle is primarily a winter mushroom; its harvesting season begins at the end of October and lasts until March, while white truffle is harvested only before the beginning of winter.

The truffle is considered an elite mushroom, but it is extremely difficult to collect; it grows deep underground, and therefore in many countries animals with a keen sense of smell - pigs and dogs - are trained to collect truffles.