Woodchip watch

[CapAndBracket]

Well folks, at last it looks like day and nightime temperatures are on the up, this makes me think a flush of fruitbodeis may appear over the next week, as wood chip is so prevalent today, cast an eye across any you pass, i did find a Peziza vesiculosa on woodchip yesterday (just a hint of things to come if feel), and remember that as some woodchip is imported you may find an exotic that will keep myconik happy for hours referencing. Didn't some poet write "spring has sprung, the grass is ris, we wonder where the fungi is".

Cheers J.P.

[Jason Green]

Sounds interesting. Particularly if a log is kept over a Particular patch. As you say, a lot of woodchip is used in gardens today.

[NickCantle]

I shall keep my eyes peeled J.P!

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Well folks, at last it looks like day and nightime temperatures are on the up, this makes me think a flush of fruitbodeis may appear over the next week, as wood chip is so prevalent today, cast an eye across any you pass, i did find a Peziza vesiculosa on woodchip yesterday (just a hint of things to come if feel), and remember that as some woodchip is imported you may find an exotic that will keep myconik happy for hours referencing. Didn't some poet write "spring has sprung, the grass is ris, we wonder where the fungi is".

Cheers J.P.

What kind of imported woodchips are you talking about here? The kinds that are found in play areas and landscaping?

Most of the fungi on them tend to grow in the colder months.

Fungi such as:

Psilocybe csyanescens, Stropharia aurantiaca, Galerina Marginita, and Gymnopilus species.

[CapAndBracket]

I'm thinking that with plenty of people looking a host of species will be recorded on woodchip, it is such a variable meadium with little chance of us knowing which source species has been chipped, i think it could be a vauable exercise to gain some idea of how many species are becoming urban.

Cheers J.P.

[wildherbalian85]

Yep all the 20 odd childrens play areas local to me use woodchips, and its pretty much the same for the surounding towns. The council are increasingly using woodchips rather then bark these days for landscaping. Most if not all the woodchips used are imported, i have even been able to identify were some of them originated purley on the fungus growing within.

Most were imported from the Pacific Northwest and the key mushrooms that indicate this are Psilocybe Cyanescens and Pluteus atromarginatus, and others.

P.Cyanescens is known to grow wild in the Black Forest of Germany so it on its own cannot be used to identify a location but Pluteus atromarginatus is a north american species and it growing along side P.Cyanescens, which is only found growing in the Pacific Northwest of north america, gave me the likely location of origin.

[FungiJohn]

Originally Posted by wildherbalian85

Yep all the 20 odd childrens play areas local to me use woodchips, and its pretty much the same for the surounding towns. The council are increasingly using woodchips rather then bark these days for landscaping. Most if not all the woodchips used are imported, i have even been able to identify were some of them originated purley on the fungus growing within.

Most were imported from the Pacific Northwest and the key mushrooms that indicate this are Psilocybe Cyanescens and Pluteus atromarginatus, and others.

I think you will find that the majority of woodchip is now sourced locally and not imported.

John

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by FungiJohn

I think you will find that the majority of woodchip is now sourced locally and not imported.

John

I cant speak for nationwide but what i can speak is for the woodchips used localy to me and they are imported.

Considering the amount used, economicaly speaking it makes sense to import them.

[CapAndBracket]

Some interesting comments on woodchip source i didn't know any came from pacific north west, i was involved in animal feed/bedding and half the shavings came from Holland, they stopped arriving about 3 months ago when the pound weakened, so i gess economics are involved.

Cheers J.P.

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by CapAndBracket

Some interesting comments on woodchip source i didn't know any came from pacific north west, i was involved in animal feed/bedding and half the shavings came from Holland, they stopped arriving about 3 months ago when the pound weakened, so i gess economics are involved.

Cheers J.P.

I cant say every shipment of woodchips the council get in are from the Pacific Northwest, only some of them. What i do know though from research is that estonia is also a big supplier of woodchips - not sure if my council import estonian wood or not.
We in the UK dont have massive forests that can grow wood purely for the nations woodchips, were as countries such as USA, Canada, Estonia, etc etc have vast forest's. Forest's in the PNW cover areas larger then the UK so its of no supprise they are big exporters of wood.
I suspect the wood chips are from woods like Alder and douglas fir.