Depending on the weather, it begins Mushroom season for collectors between late summer and early autumn. Experienced mushroom pickers know what time of day to collect mushrooms. If you don't know yet, find out here.
To the point
- Humidity plays an important role in determining the optimal time of day
- Fungal growth overnight
- New mushrooms can be harvested within a day
Table of contents
- Best time of day
- Best weather conditions
- frequently asked Questions
Best time of day
The best time of day for Collecting mushrooms is early morning. They also grow in the dark and increase in size and aroma significantly at night. It is optimal if the search begins about an hour after sunrise. There are various reasons for this and it brings with it serious advantages.
Advantages:
- Growth to harvest maturity within one night
- contain a lot of water, which can evaporate during the day and cause mushrooms to age quickly
- Aging can promote toxicity in mushrooms
- Soils stay moist for a long time at night and the additional morning dew ensures optimal freshness and juiciness in the morning hours
- Walkers and dogs can trample/damage freshly grown mushrooms during the day
- Better visibility of fungal areas because the sun is still low and provides more diffuse light
- less competition for collectors in the early hours of the morning
- Cool mornings ensure inactive maggots and other fungal pests
The morning light also makes the mushroom colors easier to see, which is helpful for identification and the Risk of poisonous mushroom species minimized - provided you know which mushrooms are poisonous/non-poisonous and which characteristics to look out for.
Best weather conditions
The successful search for mushrooms is not solely dependent on the perfect time of day. The weather also plays a serious role. Mushrooms sprout through the earth's surface due to warm, humid weather conditions. For this reason, they mainly grow in late summer and early autumn, because the rain is still somewhat warm and the soil still has residual heat from the summer.
That's why a morning is optimal for mushroom hunting if it rained the day before. But it should have been fairly dry at night because too much rain gets into the mushrooms and “dilutes” the aroma, which reduces the taste.
Due to the water absorption and the associated loss of aroma, you should never clean mushrooms with water. Coarse dirt can be removed with a soft brush and then you can wipe off the remaining dirt with a slightly damp cloth.
frequently asked Questions
Do not collect mushrooms that are too young (baby mushrooms), too old, damaged, or otherwise do not look “perfect.” Depending on the light and weather conditions, the mushroom color can be deceptive. Check each individual mushroom again at home to make sure you identify it. This is essential so that you do not fall victim to a poisonous fungus. Don't be fooled by pleasant or typical mushroom smells, as these say nothing about possible toxicity.
Most often you will find Porcini mushrooms in coniferous and mixed forests. They usually grow on sandy soils in the shade near spruce, birch, oak, Pine trees and books. If you have access to cattle pastures, you can also try your luck there after warm, humid days.
Mushrooms are generally not easy to pull out of the ground by hand. This would damage the so-called mushroom mycelium, which should remain in the soil so that this new fungus can grow. Therefore, always equip yourself with a sharp knife for mushroom hunting. Use this to cut the stems 1 to 2 centimeters above the surface of the soil and cover the remaining part with some soil.
