Shortage of edible fungi?

[Realgar]

Is it just my area or are the edible mushrooms a bit thin on the ground this year? I had a few field mushrooms in June but so far everything else has either been inedible or suspicious. There are quite a few stinking parasols around, the patch that a couple of years ago gave me blewits has this year turned up Lactarius circellatus - anyone know the ediblity status of this one - the burning sensation from the milk suggests to me it might not be such a good plan, I can't find much information about it.

Realgar

 

[jakunen]

Due to the weather over the past few years, many species are a bit thin on the ground. I've not seen a Shaggy Inkcap for about 5 years.

Plus, around my way, the mums complain to the council that they don't want their little 'darlings' poisoned so they spray them and mow them out of existence before I can crop them

I'd say that ones not a good'un but don't have my books with me today. Best leave it.

 

[Tantalus]

ploughing is one of the worst things that can happen to a good mushroom field

as for when and why fungus fruit it is a bit of a lottery

some say day length and temperature play a role, water definitely plays a part

and i am sure grass length has something to do with finding them

maybe this year the grass is longer and they are harder to find? the wet weather certainly has helped the grass

keep on searching tho , and hey if ya dont find any, well ya get a nice walk

Tant

 

[Realgar]

There were a few very early on in the season but things seems to have changed - a spot where for as long as I've known, the largest fly agarics I've ever seen is this year producing large number of blushers. Yeh ink caps - come back, where are you. I'm almost tempted to buy some spores an innoculate the comnpost heap.

It doesn't help round here that people keep stomping the poor things - often before they're mature enough to ID. There were some perfectly good Agaricus silvicola - the aniseed scented woodmushroom growing along the path until someone took a dislike to them. Ironicaly I've seen destryoing angels growing round there and noone ever seems to squish them.

Realgar

 

[jakunen]

Hmm. Every time I find a giant puffball some damn kid's played football with it!

Yes, its white! Yes, its round! Yes its about 10" diameter!
BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE MITRE IN BIG RED LETTERS STAMPED ON IT!

I love kids!

But I couldn't eat a whole one...

 

[Tantalus]

sheep also will deliberately stamp on fungi..................for reasons best known to themselves

cattle it seems will avoid em, trampling them more by accident

and pigs will chomp them if they find them

Tant

 

[dataphage]

I love kids!

But I couldn't eat a whole one...

...though with enough mushrooms....

 

[Great Pebble]

Strangely enough I found a few inkcaps this year, first in a loooong time.

Weather's been crap though and apart from anything else those fungii you do come across are frequently rotten.

 

[stuart f]

I was at Blair Atholl at the weekend working,i went out foraging and it seems to be a good year for Fungi up there,i found loads of Chanterelle(had them for Sundays breakfast,lovely),Ceps-Boletus edulus,Orange Birch Bolete-leccinum versipelle,Brown Birch Bolete-Leccinum scabrum,plus loads of other species.
On the Field Mushroom front,a month ago they were popping up on the road verges all over the place(no good for eating though due to car exhaust pollution)so i thought it,s going to be a cracker of a season,i,ve been out and they,re scarcer than Hobby Horses s**t,i don,t know but maybe its been all this rain we,ve had of late(my home town is supposed to have had the highest rain fall in Scotland so far according to GMTV the other morning).Looks like a bit of a wash out to me(no pun intended).