October fungi foray

A quick, late-October fungi foray around the garden today.

To support our fungi family here we disturb the ground as little as possible, have lots of dead wood on the soil surface or stacked and use lots of our own compost and rotted wood chip as mulch. Woodchip too for paths.

Where we’re encouraging fungi grass is never cut too short.

Importantly - we never use herbicides or fungicides.

Tiny butter waxcaps once again in the orchard path -protected from mowing by a barrier of ancient rusted farm tools in case I absent-mindedly march through with the mower.

Said to be indicators of healthy, undisturbed grassland ecosystems.

Three metres of impressive massed clouded funnels growing in a Woodland Garden path - loving the rich humus built up by years of woodchip.

Brittle stems especially photogenic today nestled up against partially-buried logs. As a saprophyte, it helps to break down dead organic matter and returns nutrients to the soil.

Widespread but not common in the UK, striated earth stars have increased in numbers here this year. We had planned for potatoes where they’re growing but changed plans because the soil disturbance of harvesting potatoes may have been detrimental to the fungi. They are often associated with specific trees like mature Leylandii - perhaps a light mulching with well-rotted Leylandii woodchip before the spring?