Fungi finds

[chickenofthewoods]

Been having a great Christmas here, been out virtually every day and every day there's been something wonderful to enjoy (will somone please tell me why peeps would want to slouch about in front of the tv watching wall to wall Christmas repeats and stuff you've probably already got on DVD?? I just don't get it!).

Yesterday I finally located a local haunt of the giant puffball, having found at least five complete & spore laden specimens ranging from 10" to well over a foot across. Adoped one and brought it home to look at the spores under the microscope, and hopefully innoculate part of one of our veg patches (well I can dream can't I? ) and have earmarked the area where they lurk ready for next year.

Then this afternoon I came across a large swathe of Winter Chantrelles (Cantharellus infundibuliformis) and a couple of Hedgehog mushrooms (Hydnum repandum ), plus a smaller patch of Terracotta hedgehogs (Hydnum rufescens).

The birdsong was great, the peace superb, and I had the world pretty much to myelf. Brilliant.

 

[bloodline]

You are geting to be an expert about this fungi lark does that mean you will be cooking something special at the next kent meet? I have also been out as much as poss I dont need an excuse as I have two energetic terriers. today I collected some clematis bark, and cut some spindle wood to try out on the bowdrill when its dried out It must be better than festering indoors and all that fresh air gives me an appetite to tackle the xmas fare.

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Only if I can find some! (and I'm allowed to pick them). Tell you what, I'll keep my eyes peeled for some nice young Chicken of the Woods in the spring and you can try that - d'ya prefer curry or risotto?

I'd love to have a couple of dogs to walk with (& maybe I could train them to hunt truffles as a sideline.... ) - not that I need any excuses to get out there either - gotta do it whatever the weather, I hate being cooped up inside! But our poor old moggy wouldn't be able to cope with the competition, bless him.

 

[Mikey P]

In some of your posts you have some great pictures, but every time I try to post a picture, I'm told that my limit is 39 kilobytes - I can't get my pictures down to this size unless they're about the size of a postage stamp, or all of the quality is gone.

Is there another way to do this, as I have some Velvet Shank pics I want to post?

Cheers,

 

[xylaria]

Yesterday I finally located a local haunt of the giant puffball, having found at least five complete & spore laden specimens ranging from 10" to well over a foot across. Adoped one and brought it home to look at the spores under the microscope, and hopefully innoculate part of one of our veg patches (well I can dream can't I? ) and have earmarked the area where they lurk ready for next year.

.

Good luck with the innoculation. With the highest amount of gametes of any known organism there has to a reason why the world is not full of giant puffballs. The one I picked in November turned into this gooey green sponge which I dug into mulch yesterday. I reckon puffballs still need the nutrients from the myclieum for the spores to mature. The stipe digests away when mature.


Are you thinking of rolling it around to aid spore dispersal? It what happens naturally. I feel like a right wally carrying a giant puffball, it just one of those sights. Rolling one about would bring out the self conscience in any one. But it could be worse Truffles are coprophilous, and you have to do the 'bear thing' straight into the correct substrate.

 

[chickenofthewoods]

But it could be worse Truffles are coprophilous, and you have to do the 'bear thing' straight into the correct substrate.

Can imagine the looks on my nosey neighbours faces if we tried that method! (Might be worth trying it just to stop them peering over the fence tho')

Yeah, I admit I don't know how much hope I'd hold out for it, but there were just so many of them lying about it seemed worth a go. Plus it gives us some stuff to look at under the microscope which'll be fun. Someone on another forum suggested using molasses as a carrier, but I can't honestly see how that would help! (Maybe it was just a joke).

We dried the chanterelles for later use & had the hedgehogs lightly cooked in garlic and cream & served on brown toast that had been spread with a liberal layer of Brussels pate. Hmmmmmm....

Mikey, I'm not much of a tecchie I'm afraid I just use photobucket for my pics and reduce them down to a reasonable size for storage in there so that I can post them & I never had any problems with that. I know there's a way you're supposed to be able to post thumbnails which then open up to something bigger which is really useful for detailed pics but I've never mastered it - in spite of being shown how & much to my shame

Does this place have a tecchie thread for such questions? Maybe you could try seeking help from admin or one of the mods?

 

[Marts]

In some of your posts you have some great pictures, but every time I try to post a picture, I'm told that my limit is 39 kilobytes - I can't get my pictures down to this size unless they're about the size of a postage stamp, or all of the quality is gone.

Is there another way to do this, as I have some Velvet Shank pics I want to post?

Cheers,

Here you go Mikey. This should explain it all

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=13734&highlight=inserting+image

 

[chickenofthewoods]

Thanks Marts!