Let the fungi do the work!

Spring is on its way! Time to work in the garden! Or for some, the farm. This is a particularly exciting time. I love excuses to play in the dirt. I crave the smell of the Actinomycetes (don’t let the “-mycetes” fool you; these are bacteria, not fungi) at work in the soil. You know that certain smell of exceptional soil? Sure you do! And so the ultimate question comes, “To till? Or not to till?”

As you may or may not know, I am particularly partial to fungi. So I’m going to argue that you should not till, for the sake of the fungi…and so you can be more lazy!

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi penetrate a plant’s roots and extend into the soil in search of water and nutrients to exchange with the host plant for sugars. Another cool thing about AM fungi: they produce a chemical called glomalin, which is also referred to as “soil glue.” Glomalin, as you might have guessed, is sticky and contributes to holding together soil particles. This helps add texture to soils, which is important for aeration and moisture flow. And it turns out that AM fungi might be key components in agricultural systems that require less fertilizer.

(AM fungi growing from a plant root)

Drs. Mike Lehman, Shannon Osborne, and Wendy Taheri studied arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural systems and suggested farmers consider partnering with these fungi in their recently published research supported by the USDA titled: “Fall Cover Crops Boost Soil Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Which Can Lead To Reduced Inputs.

Cover crops are plants that cover the dirt (who’d have thought?), reducing the evaporation of moisture from the soil and holding the soil in place, resisting erosion. Cover crops can be used as “green manure” by cutting the plants and letting them fall and compost in place. The cover crops often can be directly planted into the soil, rather than clearing the area first. This all helps provide a stable living environment for soil organisms. As the soil gains an infusion of life over time, the chemistry changes and different sorts of nutrients become available as worms, bacteria, insects, fungi and other life grow and die in the soil.

(an example of cover crops between annual greens)

But this new infusion of nutrients from this influx of life in the soil means nothing to a plant that cannot take in many of these nutrients. There can be a lot of phosphorous in the soil, but it has to be “fixed,” or “available,” in order for plants to uptake it. So it should be pretty clear how beneficial a partnership with fungi can be for some plants. These fungi can take in the phosphorous in the soil that is not available to plants and make it available to the plant. It’s quite an amazing relationship.

So what does this mean for the gardener or farmer? Well it means several important things. First of all, this means that if plants can develop these fungal relationships, they are likely to require less input. This means less fertilizer is needed, whether it be organic or chemical fertilizer. This translates to money saved! Another thing to consider is that too much phosphorous in the soil decreases the active arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. Just another reason why it’s better to err on the side of too little, rather than too much.

Second, in order for these systems to develop in the soil, the soil cannot be repeatedly disturbed. This means no tilling, if possible. If the soil is not suitable for planting, rather than tilling, “fork” the land with a broad-fork to open the soil up a bit. Then apply some organic matter, usually in the form of compost. This can then be sheet mulched over and planted. Here is an example of sheet mulch, although they do not have to be this complex:

I also have to mention compost teas. Compost teas can be a way of inoculating soils with beneficial fungi and bacteria. Compost teas are made by literally making tea with compost while pumping air through the water in order to promote the life of beneficial aerobic bacteria.

(brewing compost tea with aquarium air pumps and a 5 gallon bucket)

Spores often pass through to the tea from the compost. Spores can also be purchased and added to the tea (or to potting mixes if one is container gardening). Then the liquid is just sprayed onto the soil and plants in the area.

So, the moral of the story is: as this gardening/farming season gets going, consider partnering with your soils and optimizing the diversity of life in your soils, ultimately fostering those arbuscular mycorrhizal relationships, as well as many other bacterial and fungal relationships, and perhaps making the work of it all a little easier! Trust the biology and let it work for you!

It’s mushroom season!

Now that summer is gone and the rains are moving in, here are some common edible fungi you might find while exploring the Southern Oregon wilderness!

The best places to hunt for edible mushrooms would be toward the coast on the other side of the mountains to the west where there is much higher precipitation. I’ve heard reports of people finding all sorts of things like boletes, chanterelles, shaggy manes, and more! So in the spirit of the season, I thought I would write up a quick little introduction to common edible fungi.  You are likely to find these in this area right now. I hope to get you aspiring mushroom hunters out into the field!

As a quick disclaimer: Mushrooms can be poisonous and even deadly. This being said, there is no reason to fear mushrooms. Edibles are often easy to distinguish once you know what to look for. You will not get sick from handling a mushroom. Do not eat any mushroom that you do not feel like you have confidently identified 100%.

Alright, let’s get to it!

Chanterelles

 These mushrooms have a pretty distinct morphology (physical appearance). They are usually yellow to orange (although there is a lot of variation) and are trumpet shaped. They have rudimentary gills which often appear more like veins running slightly decurrent down the stem. Once you see one chanterelle, start to look around because there are almost always a lot more hiding! A dangerous look-a-like is the False Chanterelle which is typically smaller than a true chanterelle and has true gills. These are found in forests, are mycorrhizal, and can associate with either hardwoods or conifers depending on the species.

Puffballs

Young puffballs are edible! Just cut one in half to determine age. If it is white and spongy inside, then it is good to eat!

Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)

These white-rot fungi grow on decaying logs and fallen trees, as well as on wood chips and debris. These are gilled mushrooms with white spores that often grow in clumps and do not have a true stem, although they are often elongated and look like they have a stem.

Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

This toothed fungus is pretty easy to identify. It grows on decaying wood. I find that in the Southeastern United States, they tend to show themselves when fall approaches winter and when winter approaches spring, but in general it is thought that they are a late summer/fall mushroom. There are a few look-a-likes for this mushroom but they are edible so fret not!

The Lion’s Mane mushroom serves as a good seafood substitute!

Boletes

 Boletes are easy to spot as they have pores rather than gills under their caps! They are often medium to large mushrooms with a yellow, brown, or reddish colored cap. Many boletes are edible and choice, but you really will want a field guide to learn the different varieties. Some general local wisdom is to avoid red pored boletes, although other people will claim that some red pored boletes are edible. This is why, in the end you have to use a guide and identify to species!

Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)

Shaggy manes (Coprinus comatus) are unique mushrooms in that they digest themselves in order to expose their spores. This results in a black “ink” at the cap margins. The shaggy scales, unique elongated bell shape, and black ink make this a fairly easy mushroom to identify. As always, use an identification guide. These could possibly be confused with other field mushrooms that are gastrointestinal irritants.

This should be enough to help get you started looking for mushrooms! When hunting, keep collected mushrooms in a basket, paper bag, or wax paper, but NEVER plastic bags. Be aware of mushroom permit regulations in parks. Be respectful and try not to over-indulge when collecting. I like to give mushroom caps a tap before collecting to try and knock out any last moment spores before carrying the mushroom from the area!

For more information about all things mushrooms, visit the educational website, www.toadstoolstreasures.com

(all pictures from Google Images)