on the eve of mushroom season

[georgem]

Kansas mushrooms in the news and the crappie.com of the morel world www.morelhunters.com

[esoxesox]

Thank you "Gem". I enjoyed your link.

[Wknd Warrior]

George,

Thanks for the link. What other types of mushrooms do you usually find during the time of year that morels are popping?

Also, what are the typical conditions that make morels start popping? How long after they pop will they last on the ground, assuming no one finds them?

[georgem]

Thanks esox!

Wknd, during morel season I see a large number of different species of mushrooms in addition to morels, primarily members of the genus Gyromitra, or the false morels. I do not recommend them for the table, although some people do consume so called "red morels", there is evidence to suggest the toxin they contain is accumulative.

Occasionally oysters can be found in the spring but they can be pretty buggy when the weather is warm.

Morels are strictly vernal, but the best time of year for hunting edible mushrooms is midsummer, when the diversity of our forests' really comes into glory. Well over a thousand species of fungi have been documented in Kansas and somewhere around 30 are quite good. That said, there are a handful of species that are severely toxic, some even deadly!

Here are some of my fungi albums, many of the photos include captions, but I have yet to label all of them.

Mushroom Album

Mushroom Album II

Just Morels

[georgem]

George,
Also, what are the typical conditions that make morels start popping? How long after they pop will they last on the ground, assuming no one finds them?

They need warmth and moisture, however it is hard to determine when conditions are right by exclusively relying on observations of regional temperature and rainfall (although this is certainly helpful as a general guide). Forest habitat can harbor a broad diversity of micro-climates.

Presuming conditions are about average, a morel will persist for two to four weeks. Under the best circumstances they will actively grow for about three weeks, sometimes even longer! So, if you find babies that are unlikely to be found by a competitor, it is worth waiting for them to mature. They can grow substantially, and the growth isn't always a steady progression, moisture and temperature plays an important, if somewhat unpredictable, role.

[Fish Taxi]

Thanks for starting this thread and posting the links, georgem. Here's the real question... Have YOU found any yet?:D

I need to get out and find some since they go so well with crappie. :D I've really been stacking up so many fillets this year that my freezer is getting full.... not.:o Guess I need to get serious about the fishing too, or I will be serving a lot of french fries at my next fish fry.

[cannon14]

Hey GMS thanks for starting this thread. I havent posted anywhere else but i found a freak cluster monday that were wind/freeze burned already. I think they started coming up last thursday because the soil in my yard was 62 degrees but then it got cold again and probably stunted or stopped them from growing..i havent found any fresh ones and i think this cold is gonna set em back again. Hey taxi I would trade you a mushrrom hunt for a slab hunt??:D

[georgem]

Taxi, aside from looking at a few spots in my yard I haven't been out to check. I usually wait until i know they are large enough that I will see them so the babies don't get stepped on.

Cannon14, that is cool! May I place your photo on the morel progression map at 2010 Morel Sightings Map

[cannon14]

Thats what happened i stepped on them, i probably wouldnt have seen them if i hadnt knocked them over... ya you can post it.

[georgem]

Done! Thanks. I will attach your name to it if you like.