Mushroom Log 2014

1/13  It is 37.7 degrees outside at 9:35 am.  There is no snow on the ground.  We have had over an inch of rain in the past few days.  The grass is turning green in spots.  We are in the January thaw.  The thoughts turn to mushrooms.
I received a message from Daniel Winkler in the Pacific Northwest.  He is interested in Chaga and some of my Chaga pictures.  Here is his web site:
http://www.mushroaming.com/
If you have some crazy money saved up you might want to take one of his trips.  I think he is off to Bolivia next.

I just received a message from England requesting help in participating in a program about Matsutake harvesting in this country.  There is some commercial harvesting of Matsutake here in the Northeast but the majority is in the Pacific Northwest.  If you harvest Matsutake for sale or are a buyer of Matsutake, you can contact Elliot.  Here is the message I received from him:

Dear Mushroom Hunter,

I am looking to find people who take part in the Matsutake Mushroom hunting season, and was hoping you could help me. I understand there are two seasons, fall and spring, with the former being the most productive. I would like to get into contact with groups who search for Matsutake and other valuable mushrooms while they are in season. I am looking into following the hunt, or foray, as part of a History Channel programme and would really be helped by your involvement.

I have been given the impression here is something of a gold rush for these mushrooms as they are not around long and are in high demand, and it represents a fascinating story. It would also be great to speak to the buyers who represent the end of the line too.

Is this something you can help me with, or would there be anyone I could have a more thorough talk with? Any help would be greatly appreciated. You can reach me on this address or on +44 207 013 4090.

Thank you,

Elliot Carr-Barnsley
Producer | Development
RDF Television | The Gloucester Building | Kensington Village | Avonmore Road | London | W14 8RF
t. +44 (0)20 7013 4090 |
elliot.carrbarnsley@iwcmedia.co.uk | www.rdftelevision.com | www.zodiakmedia.com

1/16  We have had the January thaw and some rain for the past 5 days so I went to Grafton to check a maple stump that grows by the side of the road.  I have found Oyster Mushrooms growing on it in the past.  Pictures

5/17  First yard mushroom of the season in Whitinsville MA.  Pictures

5/18  Found a second yard mushroom this morning.  I have seen it previous years but never bothered trying to ID it.  It is a Coprinus since it dissolves into black goo within hours after coming up.  I could not find it in my mushroom guides.  Using the internet I identify it as Coprinopsis lagopus.  Pictures

Later in the day went out to check the rest of the yard and found some Wine Caps growing on mulch.  Pictures

5/22  Wine Caps that I found in Shrewsbury and planted beside my garden in wood chips, last year, have produced 3 fruiting bodies today.  I expect many more to come in the coming days.  Pictures

5/24  I went back to the North Grafton site that has wood chip covered trails to see if there would be Wine Caps there, this year.  I cooked up the 3 Wine Caps that grew in my wood chip mushroom garden and find them choice.  I did not find Wine Caps but did find many LBMs growing in groups.  I assumed that these would be the same once I found there last year.  Mushrooms continue to surprise!  Pictures

5/25  Found 3 Dotted Stalk Suillus today so the Boletes are on the way!

5/27  Today 3 more Wine Caps popped out after I watered the wood chips with town water yesterday.  Maybe the chlorine in the water stimulates the fruiting??  Picture

5/28  Another pair of Yellow Bolbitius came as they did on 5/17.  This time I got a good spore print.  Pictures

6/7  More Wine Caps come up in the yard after a half inch of rain.  Pictures

6/8  Four more Wine Caps fruited in my mushroom garden today.  Picture

6/9  Overnight the Wine Caps about doubled in size.  Some LBMs also popped out overnight.  Pictures

6/14  Today I started a page where I will show one a single Wine Cap as it first pops out and the stages in growth and change as it grows to maturity.  Pictures

I had to go into Shrewsbury today.  Since we have had just over an inch of rain in the last few days I decided to revisit the first Wine Cap site that I discovered a year ago.  This is where I found the material to start my own Wine Cap garden.  They have put a new layer of mulch down but I found about 8 of them that where growing or just pushing up the chips with their caps.  Pictures

6/15  The Wine Cap growth study came to an abrupt end today when I saw that the mushroom fell over under its own weight.  Pictures

6/18  No mushrooms yet in my regular spots so I continue to work on my mushroom garden.  Today I transplanted about 6 more Wine Cap to my latest patch by the side door.  I burried the caps and butt ends under the wood chips and watered thoroughly.  When I watered the wood chips this morning in my original mushroom patch I discovered that another Wine Cap has sprouted.  This one has a cap of about 2" to start.  I will keep track of it as it develops to see how large it will grow.  Since this one is twice as large as the first study I am hoping it will have a cap of about a foot at maturity.  Pictures

6/23  Took some time off to take a tour of some hospitals after having two strokes.  I am surprised to see that I am not dead and actually recovering.  I just started walking with a cane.  I was using a walker for a time.  Maybe the Chaga tea helped?  Today I made my first foray into the woods to look for mushrooms.  Picture

10/17  Yesterday we had a localized one inch of rain.  This morning I found a group of Inkies growing by the raised frame garden bed, on wood chips.  Took a ride to the local cemetery and found a Maitake, Black Staining Polypore and some Honey Mushrooms growing on the same oak stump.  Pictures

10/29  A few days back we got 3" of rain and there has not been any frost lately.  The temp got into the lower 70's for a few days.   I checked the King Bolete spot near my apartment and found 5 usable bolete and 2 too old to use.  Pictures

12/20  My web site was off the air for about a month.  I thought that Obama found out I was bad mouthing him and he killed my web site.  It turns out that there is a new rule where they verify the owners of each web site.  IX Web Hosting did not warn me about this new rule.  For some reason they had my old Shrewsbury e-mail address and sent me a warning about this new rule to an address that I had 5 years ago.  When I did not reply they turned off my web site.  IX Web Hosting has had my new address since I got it and had no problem sending me notices. It sounds like something that Obama dreamed up in one of his executive orders.

I was ready to give up on the site since my mobility is reduced after the strokes and I do not go looking for mushrooms except those I find in the yard.

Mushrooming Log 2013
Mushrooming Log 2012
Mushrooming Log 2011
Mushrooming Log 2010
Mushrooming Log 2009
Mushrooming Log 2008
Mushrooming Log 2007
Mushrooming Log 2006
Mushrooming Log 2005
Mushrooming Log 2004