Photo courtesy of Peter Wilberforce
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
Page No. 5
Page No. 6
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
Photograph courtesy of Peter Ross.
Hand courtesy of Tony Carter
Shitake (left) and Oyster Mushrooms (right) - see page 10
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
Page No. 7
Keswick Weekend - Pages 11 & 12
Page No. 8
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
The cultivation of edi-
Clitocybe rivulosa; Russula queletii;Ramaria abietina; Chlorophyllum rha-
ble woodland fungi at
codes; and on one occasion a group of
Limacella guttata and also of Agaricussilvicola.
John Watt
From the supplier, AnnforFungi in In-
A few years before my retirement, as a
verurie, I selected Pleurotus ostreatus;
woodland owner in Lancashire, I was
Pleurotus pulmonaria; Lentinula edo-
informed by the Council's tree officer
des (Shiitake), and Hericium erina-
about a workshop on the cultivation of
ceous (Lion's Mane) as suitable for
woodland fungi which I attended with
broadleaved log cultivation. The fun-
great interest and thereafter acquired
gus comes in the form of either dowels
books by Paul Stamets, one of which is
or 'spawn' which one innoculates into
called Mycelium Running: How mush-
the drilled holes with a 'jaberator' - as it
rooms can help save the world; a pro-
has been jokingly called. For the logs, I
vocative title, and rightly so.
had felled a mixture of Grey Alder;Grey Willow; Turkey Oak; Silver Lime
However it was only after my retire-
and Common Ash in January 2012, and
ment when I had formed a Friends of
then cut them into 1 m lengths by 10-20
Scutchers Acres volunteers group and
cm diameter. They were labelled care-
had built up links with the local youth
fully and stacked off the ground on
group of the Lancs Wildlife Trust and
pallets pre-treated with wood-preserva-
local schoolchildren, that I embarked
tive. (See page 6) Eight weeks later
upon a serious attempt to grow some
these were ready for drilling, inoculat-
mushrooms on logs. I was also given a
ing and sealing with hot cheese-wax
grant towards this by the West Lancs
and so several sessions were coordinat-
CVS as a Community Food Growing
ed between groups of volunteers, the
local children from the wildlife Trust
The information given at the initial in-
and the school (see pages 6 & 7). It
duction had indicated that my chosen
proved to be great fun for the children -
site near the Eller Brook River within
even though many kids don't like to eat
an acre of Picea abies should be ideal,
mushrooms - and it was a good oppor-
sheltered from direct sun and wind.
tunity to be the advocate for the place
This parcel of 'non-native' coniferous
for fungi in our world. I had to disap-
woodland, within a mosaic of broad-
point that the fungal logs would take at
leaved woodland and grassland is, in
least 18 months to bear fruit. This being
itself, a wonderful place for mycorrhiz-
the case, we undertook a second series
al fungi especially late in the year. I
of inoculations again this spring, using
have observed the regular appearance
Pedunculate Oak and Turkey Oak,
there of Lepista flaccida; Rhodocolly-
bringing the tally to over 70 logs in
bia butyracea; Clitocybe nebularis;
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
Page No. 9
Fairly soon after the first series of in-
esting to see if they out compete the
noculations, we suffered a very dry
spring and I became quite concerned
The logs, if still with viable edible fun-
about the drying out of the logs so that
gal mycelia, should continue to pro-
I bought a Protimeter moisture meter,
duce fruiting bodies for some years,
and found indeed that the moisture con-
and so I do not for the moment plan
tent was dropping to the 20% levels in
further inoculations this coming spring.
some cases, especially in Ash, which
Furthermore, because I can only look
for this reason, like sycamore, is actual-
after them on a low maintenance regi-
ly not a suitable species for log cultiva-
men, i.e. without regular control of
tion. I then bought a double diaphragm
moisture, I need to evaluate the overall
manual water pump for irrigating logs
potential success of such a project and
and filling water butts even though I
how easily it could become a communi-
don't have time to do this very often.
ty food project. I am wondering if the
After some months, it was possible to
logs would in fact be better stored on
see signs of the mycelial run from the
the ground, to ensure better moisture
whitish appearance at the cut ends of
most of the logs and a few oyster mush-
The logs are evident to walkers in the
rooms sprouted in autumn 2012, after
woods, and for the most part have not
only 8 months. (See page 7) This au-
been interfered with, except on the one
tumn, following the long dry spell in
occasion some adventuresome children
summer, we shocked logs into fruiting
built a log cabin with many of the logs;
by soaking some and delivering a sharp
I left this for some days but in due
hammer blow to the ends of other logs,
course my volunteers and I reorganised
as is the traditional Japanese method.
them back onto their pallets and put up
However, the 10% of logs which did
sprout fungi this autumn appeared tohave done so spontaneously without
Mushrooms such as shiitake, quite
specific shock treatment. However, the
apart from their nutritional value most
number of fruiting bodies per logs was
especially for vitamin D, are said to
at most about 5-6 i.e. not the amount
possess many health-giving properties
the commercial producer would wish.
with dozens of scientific papers on their
So far, we have had a mixture of some
antiviral, antibacterial and immunos-
shiitake (see page 7) and oyster mush-
timulant properties. Lentinan is an ap-
rooms and the Forest School children
proved anti-cancer drug in Japan.
were able to cut these from the logs and
The mushrooms were described in Ja-
take some back to school for cooking
pan in AD199 and they have been cul-
and I have also dried some. Annoying-
tivated in the Far East for one thousand
ly, many of the oak logs cut this year
years. In the time of the Sung Dynasty
have sprouted extensive growths of
there is the first written account of
Bulgaria inquinans and it will be inter-
growing them in logs in Longquan
Page No. 10
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
province, and striking the logs to bear
Lake District Foray
fruit. Even today, 95% of farmers inthis region of China practise its cultiva-
tion. In comparison, we in the westhave been far behind.
Robin Cowley
Shiitake are generally saprophytic and
The Lake District foray always turns up
their preferred hosts are Castanopsis
a good collection and this autumn the
cuspidata, Pasania and Quercus and
fungi did themselves proud. But there
Asian Fagus species. Despite their abil-
were four very special things that made
ity to grow in other broadleaved logs
this year's foray unusual: a profusion of
and their widespread cultivation, it is
honey fungus, some tremendously
interesting that the fungus does not ap-
good picture shows, wild mushrooms
pear to have spread in the wild beyond
on the menu and massages.
its traditional geographical region. Is
Saturday was a gorgeous warm, dry
this just a matter of time? Keep a look
and sunny day and even Sunday was
out for it may turn up anywhere, espe-
less wet than predicted, so there was
cially in Scutchers Acres now!
plenty of encouragement from nature togo and see what we could find.
The two best sites, not for the first time,
were Blencathra and Great Wood. To
We have one article in reserve so I
Irene's delight both yielded over a hun-
would encourage anyone thinking of
dred different species, with a colourful
writing an one to do so in order that we
range of waxcaps from the Blencathra
can bring the next newsletter out in
fields. This was fortunate because the
good time. Many thanks to all those
fields below Latrigg were noticeably
members who have contributed articles
lacking in what is usually a diverse
for this issue and to Mike Walton for
display; plenty of Hygrocybe virginea
typesetting and organising the printing
and a few H. conica but little if any-
and posting of the Newsletter.
thing else. The eager explorers returned
Articles need not be long or technical
with baskets full of treasures, but also
and can be submitted to me by email.
tales of a surprisingly large amount of
Alternatively please send hard copy, honey fungus on the loose.
ideally in a form that can be electronically The National Trust's Aira Force site
scanned (i.e. black print or type) or, if beside Ullswater again had a splendid
this is not possible, hand-written in clearand legible writing. Pictures of fungi ring of Amanita muscaria in its car parkto accompany articles are very welcome - at least until late on Saturday, bypreferably sent as separate attachments. which time it was reported that some
children had been allowed to do what
Paul F Hamlyn
children like to do with fungi. DoddsWood also turned up an interesting
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
Page No. 11
range of Boletes, Amanitas, Lactarius
mas and Lactarius and the usual funny
and Russulas to name only the ones I
little brown things that aren't interest-
could recognise on the table. This was
ing enough to identify (oops, did I say
far better than the previous year when
that?). Oh, and lots more honey fungus.
it was extremely wet and slippery and
There was also a very handy coffee
yielded nothing much. And there was
shop at the bottom on the way back to
quite a bit of honey fungus there.
the road, but the intrepid adventurers
Lots of wonderful things turned up,
were too soggy to chance that.
although possibly not so many rarities
Back at the hostel there was a choice of
as have turned up in previous years. I
the games room laboratory for the dead
was delighted to see a specimen of the
keen with their microscopes, or the
white hedgehog fungus (Hydnum
luxury of a cup of tea up in the lounge
repandum) captured to complement the
for the fungused-out. We had some
more usual orange (rufescens) variety
delightful photographic presentations
that we know where to find, a parasitic
with unusual birds and fungi and things
bolete (Pseudoboletus parasiticus),
(I won't say who from as Steve might
some huge Lactarius and delicate angel
feel embarrassed). Our catering team
wings (Pleurocybella porrigens).
did us proud again, with amazingly
There were also exciting exploratory
wonderful food, the best apples I've
visits to Moss Wood, highly recom-
ever eaten and a dazzling array of farm-
mended the previous year by a local,
made cheeses. Just to prove how ad-
Thornthwaite and Borrowdale.
venturous they were the catering teamseized upon the opportunity to cook
Moss Wood, beside Bassenthwaite,
and sample the text-book cep and a
was a dead loss - apart from rather a lot
decent handful of chanterelles liberated
of honey fungus. Thornthwaite, west
from Borrowdale. This bravery was so
from Keswick, yielded nothing much
encouraging that it led to them prepar-
either, although much of the more
ing and serving just enough Boletus
promising parts were fenced off so not
badius for everyone to sample with our
explored. Borrowdale, however, was a
last evening meal. Utterly delicious.
revelation. A very beautiful site (even
Undoubtedly this should become a tra-
in the Sunday drizzle) with a lovely
dition for Lake District forays.
climb up from the Bowder Stone carpark then back down and up and
As should the intriguing group event
around and about and down with lots of
that followed our last meal - which
fungus on the way. The highlights were
involved lots of massage (courtesy of
some frogs, a bank of bright yellow
Enid Braddock). It almost got me rath-
chanterelles, solitary fly agarics, sever-
al ceps (including an utterly perfectly
And there it was; Keswick 2013, anoth-
formed specimen straight out of the
er memorable event.
textbook that was hiding under some
I'll bet you're sorry you missed it now!
bracken), plenty of Russulas, Entolo-
Page No. 12
North West Fungus Group - April 2014
Source: http://fungus.org.uk/nwfg/news-04-14.pdf
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