Liberty cap season question

[dithyramb]

Hi all. I am on a liberty cap mission this year, just arrived in their stronghold two days ago.

It's been seven years since I've come here, and I had always found the greatest abundance in the last days of October. I have always come in the beginning of October, and never come in September so I cannot know if September actually harbors an even bigger flush. The information I had been able to access always pointed out to the necessity of cooler temperatures, specifically around 5 C nighttime lows. That is usually achieved at the end of October here, and snow arrives in the beginning of November.

This year this wider region of the world has had unusually high rainfall. Since I have arrived here, it has been constant blindingly dense fog and drizzle, and the locals told me it has been so the whole summer and fall. I had initially thought this would result in amazing liberty cap abundance, but to my surprise, so far I haven't spotted a single liberty cap. Today a shepherd told me there was a frost a few days ago (a day or two before I arrived) and that that cut off the mushroom season.

Well now the temperatures are far above freezing - nighttime lows are closer to 10 C than 5, and the forecast says daytime highs will steadily rise up to above 20 C till the end of October.

Are there any experienced lib hunters who can comfort me by saying the fruiting will resume, perhaps with greater abundance than before the frost?

 

[Neo-shulginist]

One overnight frost won't impact the soil much. It takes much longer for the underground temperature to change. So probably your happy caps will start growing again after it's dry for some time and then rain some again. It has been unusually warm in many regions so I can imagine it just takes a couple of weeks longer before mush season starts.

 

[Prima Materia]

When the rain and slightly colder temperatures arrive you should find abundance of liberty caps, if this spot is indeed very rich in them. I pick them at about 1500m above sea level and my best results have been so far consistently from the middle of october to the beginning of november. Some years there is bad luck and it might be snowing very soon in the mountains, however I have been finding them after the snow has melted (if there was light snow only) after it warmed up again. Also I have been picking libs when the nights have been bellow zero, I have picked frozen ones also. They can have very surprising growth patterns. In general they prefer wet-cold, but I have found them though rarely when relatively warm.

 

[dithyramb]

Thank you @Neo-shulginist and @Prima Materia !

I live in Turkey, which is not exactly Europe, and the weather this year has been wetter and cooler than usual. And the place is at 1500m too.

I know exact spots which produce a lot of fruits, and finding not even one at this time of the year was something I wouldn't expect. The recent frost is the only seemingly plausible reason. The unusual non stop fog + drizzle would actually promote fruiting as long as it goes rather than backfiring, right? Is a period of sun after rain required for fruiting? Or perhaps an intense rain with lightning promotes fruiting better than drizzle?

 

[Prima Materia]

To be honest I'm not sure about the answers to your questions. It is possible that a short period of storm rain and thunder is preferable to the drizzle. It is indeed possible that the frost has been blocking fruiting. In general the fog and rain should promote the growth for sure. If you have the possibility it would be best to come to the place more often and observe the patterns.

 

[dithyramb]

The place is literally at the opposite corner of the country from where I live... So long term observation is not easy.

I'll report on how things progress.

 

[Prima Materia]

I have been gathering in my usual rich fruiting place for almost ten years now. I know the patterns of weather and temperatures quite well to know when to go up there. I can see the mountains where I pick basically from my home and I know when I see the fog rolling there that the time is ripe to go. It is a big advantage for sure compared to having to drive to the other part of the country.

 

[Prima Materia]

One image from this years first forage. Hopping for more. Rain is coming soon. I wish luck to all of you as well. The liberty caps are a treasure.
One image from this years first forage. Hopping for more. Rain is coming soon. I wish luck to all of you as well. The liberty caps are a treasure.

 

[Neo-shulginist]

The unusual non stop fog + drizzle would actually promote fruiting as long as it goes rather than backfiring, right? Is a period of sun after rain required for fruiting? Or perhaps an intense rain with lightning promotes fruiting better than drizzle?

I'm not too sure about psilocybe semilanceata mycelium in soil, but judging from my experience with growing cubensis, a constantly wet mycelium isn't optimal. Of course some moist is necessary, but mycelium also needs oxygen and if it's too wet there can be a lack of that.

Also, it seems that the mycelium mostly reacts to a sudden shock of (colder) water seeping through. Hence why cold plunging is a thing in mushroom growing.

That's why I said that I expect the season to start after the wheather dries up a bit and then a rain shower commences again.

 

[dithyramb]

There is a belief among edible mushroom hunting folk here that a week or two of sunny warm weather after a good storm is necessary for mushrooms to appear. I guess constant rain and humidity may indeed be counterproductive. The rain free period is just starting today... And there are no liberty caps in sight yet.

The cold plunge thing is new to me. Good to know. Gives me hope...