Is it worth foraging in the June heat?

June can go either way. Sometimes it's generous with rain, and sometimes it's hot and dry, the ground cracks and the forest stands as if lifeless. Which raises a fair question: is it worth going mushroom hunting in weather like this at all, or is it better to wait for rain?

Let's look at what heat does to mushrooms, when a trip still makes sense, and where exactly to look for mushrooms when everything around is dry.

What heat does to mushrooms

Mycelium needs moisture to grow. In hot weather without rain, the topsoil dries out and the mycelium simply can't put up fruiting bodies. That's why at the height of a drought you can walk the forest for hours in vain.

Heat also harms the mushrooms that are already up. Young specimens wilt quickly in the sun, caps crack, and the flesh turns dry and tasteless. On top of that, insects are more active in the warmth, so mushrooms get wormy faster.

To predict when the drought will give way to moisture, use our mushroom radar: it tracks rainfall and temperature and shows when conditions turn good for mushrooms again.

When a trip in the heat still makes sense

Dry weather doesn't always mean an empty basket. There are a few exceptions when going is worth it.

• It rained a few days ago. If a good thunderstorm passed before the heat set in, mushrooms may have managed to come up while the ground still held moisture.
• The heat is short-lived. A day or two of heat after a wet week won't hurt the mycelium, and mushrooms keep growing.
• You know the damp spots. In hollows, near water and in shady forests moisture lasts longer, so you can find mushrooms there even during a drought.

But in a long heat wave without a single rain, it's better to save your energy: the smarter move is to wait for rain and head out a few days after it.

Where to look for mushrooms in dry weather

If you do head to the forest during a drought, look where the ground hasn't had time to dry out.

• Hollows and dells. Moisture lingers longest at the bottom of ravines and in depressions.
• Banks of streams and bogs. Near water the soil stays moist even in the heat.
• Deep shade. Under a dense canopy in a deciduous or mixed forest, the sun doesn't dry out the forest floor as quickly.
• Mossy patches. Moss holds moisture, so that's where you'll keep finding Xerocomus boletes and chanterelles.

Dry, sun-baked forest edges and open clearings, on the other hand, are best skipped during a drought: you won't find mushrooms there.

How to save your haul on a hot day

If your trip falls on a hot day, a few habits will keep your finds in good shape.

1. Head out at dawn. Mornings are cooler, the mushrooms are fresher, and walking is more pleasant too.
2. Keep your basket out of the sun. Mushrooms spoil quickly in the warmth, so keep them in the shade.
3. Process them the same day. In hot weather picked mushrooms spoil twice as fast, so don't put off cleaning them.

The bottom line is simple: in a long drought, leave the forest in peace and wait for rain, then head out a few days after it. The best moment will be shown by our mushroom radar.

Sources

• “Key to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
• Xerocomus subtomentosus in GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
• Fungi in MycoBank, the international fungal nomenclature database.
• Mushroom hunting on Wikipedia.