[MoreWhisky]

Ive been put collecting mushrooms a bit lately 

What i would like to know is , is there a time when mushrooms grow best? like nightime, daytime.

As i went last night and got 3 so checks again this morning and there where none.

Any tips on best times to go mushroom hunting anyone?

[rachelr]

when i lived in devon and we got them off the moors we always went very early in the morning. I have noticed however in lincolnshire they are morning not necessarily early sometimes as late as ten.

Maybe it is where you live that matters. sorry i could not be more helpful. I love fresh mushrooms unfortunatley I cant walk far these days so have to dip out

[paintedlady]

If the area is well known for mushrooms by locals, pre-dawn with a torch ...

I know a lovely 80 year old chap who cycles in the very early hours of the morning (5.30am ish) and at this time of year he visits all his favourite secret mushroom patches before anybody else does 

[noshed]

Make sure they're the right ones...

[Spana]

We've had some lovely field mushrooms this year but they're over now. 

I picked them early morning when I checked the cattle but only ever picked what i was going to use that day and left the rest to do what ever it is mushrooms do :blink:

I picked a mix of tight buttons that were new that morning and some from the previous day that were more developed. 

I dont think it matters what time of day you pick them, you just choose how you want them and leave the rest. 

[ex-cavator]

I've been seeing them for a while so I guess it's fairly late in the season now, but then you get good seasons and bad seasons. Also there seem to be 'traditional' sites for them - one field might generally be good for them whereas other fields not. But they're certainly not as plentiful as they used to be. I guess that's down to more folk picking them.

I trust that rather than 'picking' them, you are cutting them off with a knife just above the soil so as not to damage the mycelium (the plant structure beneath the ground, the mushroom being just the fruiting body)? Failure to do so may well impact upon the likelihood of fruiting bodies in future years 

[Spana]

I trust that rather than 'picking' them, you are cutting them off with a knife just above the soil so as not to damage the mycelium (the plant structure beneath the ground, the mushroom being just the fruiting body)? Failure to do so may well impact upon the likelihood of fruiting bodies in future years 

Well must confess that i just pick, but will remember your advise next year

You're right about one field being good but none in the next field, and there are places in the good fields that are good and other areas never get any.

[Missie]

We had some wild mushrooms just last week,they were very large and absolutely delicious:)

[viettaclark]

We've noticed the decline of wild mushrooms in the New Forest and it's not surprising when you see the number of people picking. I believe alot of them are professionals picking for London restaurants and they carry huge carrier bags!!
We still find various boletus, parasols, hedgehog mushrooms, puff-balls, the common mushrooms and some delicious weird ones but it takes some hard foraging. We always cut the stalk and leave enough to keep the population going but others are not so careful.....