Honey mushrooms of the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg): photo and name, mushroom places

Honey mushrooms in the Leningrad region in the summer of 2021 began to appear ahead of schedule – already in the first days of June it was possible to harvest, although it was not large. The peak of fruiting of mushrooms falls at the end of summer – the beginning of autumn, however, the mushroom picking season is already considered open. You can find a variety of types of mushrooms in the forests of the Leningrad Region, but before going to pick mushrooms, it is recommended to read their description again – along with honey mushrooms, their poisonous counterparts begin to bear fruit in large quantities.

What honey mushrooms look like in the Leningrad region

As you can see in the photo below, honey mushrooms are very small mushrooms, the height of which rarely exceeds 12-14 cm, however, larger specimens are sometimes found in the Leningrad Region. The shape of the cap in young mushrooms is ovoid, but as it grows, it opens, the edges bend upward, and the fruiting body takes the form of a neat umbrella. In the middle of the cap, a slight bulge is clearly visible, the color of which may differ slightly from the main one. The diameter of the cap is on average 12 cm. In mature mushrooms, the edge of the cap becomes slightly corrugated.

The flesh is smooth, very tender and juicy. It tastes good, as does the smell. The flesh color varies from whitish to pale yellow.

The length of the stem is about 8-10 cm, and at the very cap it expands noticeably. Just like the cap, the flesh of the stem is white, sometimes yellowish. It is fibrous in structure. The color of the legs of young mushrooms is yellowish-ocher, close to the color of light honey, but as the fruiting body grows, its leg darkens and becomes brown. In some species, there is a small skirt on the leg, closer to the hat.

Important! Its color largely depends on the type of wood with which the mycelium of the fungus is associated. For example, fruit bodies growing under oaks have a reddish-brown cap color, while those growing under acacia or poplar have a light, honey-yellow cap.

Honey mushrooms of the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg): photo and name, mushroom places

Types of edible mushrooms in the Leningrad region

In total, there are about 40 different species, of which 10 varieties were found on the territory of the Leningrad Region. A description of edible mushrooms in the Leningrad Region with a photo and name is presented below.

One of the most popular representatives in this region is northern mushrooms (lat. Armillaria borealis). Their height is 10-12 cm, and the diameter of the cap can reach 10 cm. It is convex, brown-orange in shape, but there are also mushrooms with an olive or ocher color. There is a light spot in the center of the cap, and the surface of the mushroom is covered with small scales. The edges are uneven, slightly rough.

The leg expands downward, its diameter is 1-2 cm. In the middle of the leg there is a characteristic ring-skirt, quite soft. To the touch, it seems to consist of a film.

This variety of honey mushrooms in 2021 grows in the forests of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) in large groups, they are especially common under birches, oaks and alders. Fruiting lasts from the last days of August to the end of October. In warm years, mushrooms can be collected until November.

Honey mushrooms of the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg): photo and name, mushroom places

Another popular edible species of mushrooms in St. Petersburg is thick-legged autumn (lat. Armillaria lutea), a photo of mushrooms is presented below. You can grow them yourself. Fruiting bodies reach a height of 10 cm, the diameter of the cap in this species is 8-10 cm. Its shape is conical, the edges are dense and bent down. The entire surface is covered with small scales. The color varies from brown tones to ocher. The pulp is dense with a distinct cheese aroma.

Thick-legged mushrooms grow on pillows of rotten leaves, remnants of bark and needles. Large groups of mushrooms are found in places of fires.

Honey mushrooms of the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg): photo and name, mushroom places

Important! In the Leningrad region, several types of false mushrooms also grow. They cannot cause significant harm to health when eaten, however, at the slightest suspicion that the mushrooms that have come across are inedible, it is better not to touch them.

Where to collect mushrooms in the Leningrad region

In 2021, honey mushrooms in the Leningrad Region went in abundance in pine and mixed forests, whole families can be found under old trees. Traditionally, mushroom groups can be found in the following places:

  • on old mossy stumps;
  • in wet ravines and lowlands;
  • in the old windbreak;
  • in places of deforestation;
  • at the base of drying logs;
  • on the trunks of fallen trees.
Important! Single mushrooms practically do not grow, which allows them to be distinguished from inedible counterparts. Usually they stick around the stumps and trunks of trees in large clusters.

Where mushrooms are harvested near Voronezh

There are many mushroom places near Voronezh, among which the most popular are the following:

  • in the Somovskoye forestry, the crop is harvested near the stations Dubrovka, Orlovo, Grafskaya and Shuberskoye;
  • in the Khokholsky district, mushroom groups are found in large quantities near the villages of Borshchevo and Kostenki;
  • in the Semiluk forestry, mushrooms are harvested near the villages of Orlov Log, Fedorovka and Malaya Pokrovka;
  • in the Levoberezhny forestry, they go to the villages of Maklok and Nizhny Ikorets to pick mushrooms.
Important! It is forbidden to collect mushrooms on the territory of the Bobrovsky Reserve, as well as other types of mushrooms. Violation of this prohibition is subject to a substantial fine.

Forest areas where mushrooms grow in the Leningrad region

Spring, summer and autumn mushrooms in St. Petersburg can be collected in the following forest areas:

  • pine forest in the Priozersky district (in the direction of the Vyborg highway);
  • pine forest in the Vsevolozhsk region;
  • forest area near Luga Lake;
  • coniferous array near the village of Sosnovo;
  • woodland near the railway station Berngardovka;
  • the area around the village of Kirillovskoe;
  • coniferous forests near the village of Snegirevka;
  • swampy area between the villages of Sologubovka and Voitolovo;
  • forest area near Lake Mirror;
  • an area near the Vuoksa River, near the village of Losevo;
  • a small forest area near the village of Yagodnoye;
  • the territory adjacent to the village of Zakhodskoye;
  • forest area in the Luga region, near the village of Serebryanka;
  • Sinyavinsky Gate area, near the village of Mikhailovskoye.
Advice! It is believed that a large harvest can be harvested in forests that are at least 30 years old. It is in such forests of the Leningrad region that there are large quantities of old rotten stumps, on which honey mushrooms of various species like to settle.

Honey mushrooms of the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg): photo and name, mushroom places

When can I collect mushrooms in the Leningrad region

Depending on what species the mushrooms belong to, they begin to bear fruit in the Leningrad Region at different times:

  1. Spring ones begin to appear already in mid-March and bear fruit until May. Sometimes the harvest season in the Leningrad region is extended until June and even July.
  2. The fruiting of summer mushrooms in forests in the Leningrad region falls on the period from mid-August to the last days of October.
  3. Autumn mushrooms in the Leningrad region can be collected from August to November.
  4. Winter varieties bear fruit from September to December. Some of them can only be collected from October
Important! The most suitable time for picking mushrooms in the Leningrad region is early morning. During this period, the fruiting bodies have a fresh appearance after the coolness of the night, which persists for a long time after collection. Such specimens endure transportation.

Collection rules

It is recommended to harvest mushrooms in the Leningrad region, taking into account the following basic rules that apply to almost all other species:

  1. During harvesting, it is advisable to leave the mycelium untouched. To do this, the fruiting bodies are carefully cut with a knife, and not pulled out. It is also permissible to extract mushrooms by twisting. This method of harvesting leaves the mycelium fruitful until next year.
  2. It is better not to collect fruiting bodies growing in the Leningrad region in the immediate vicinity of roads. Mushrooms quickly absorb all toxins from the environment.
  3. Overripe mushrooms are also undesirable to collect. Such specimens are often affected by mold.
  4. At the slightest suspicion that the found instance is false, it should be left alone.
  5. The harvested crop is placed in a basket or bucket with caps down.
Advice! One of the main signs by which one can distinguish the edible variety of mushrooms in the Leningrad region from poisonous twins is the presence of a skirt on a leg. Similar inedible species do not have such a ring.

How to find out if mushrooms appeared in the Leningrad region

Whether there are mushrooms now in the Leningrad region or not, you can find out by how the weather has settled:

  1. Peak fruiting occurs mainly at temperatures from +15°С to +26°С.
  2. In extreme heat, fruiting bodies do not grow (from + 30 ° C and above). Mushrooms also do not tolerate drought well – fruiting bodies quickly dry out and deteriorate.
  3. In the Leningrad region, mushrooms begin to bear fruit intensively after rains. After 2-3 days, you can go to harvest.
Advice! A favorable sign for picking mushrooms in the Leningrad region is thick fog. It indicates high humidity, which contributes to the rapid growth of fruiting bodies.

Conclusion

Honey mushrooms in the Leningrad region traditionally begin to be harvested in the spring, however, many species ripen only in June-July, or even later. In order for a trip to the forests of the Leningrad Region not to turn into disappointment, it is recommended that before picking mushrooms, you should familiarize yourself with the guide how different species look like. It is also desirable to clarify in what terms they ripen, and where it is better to look for mushrooms in the Leningrad Region.

In addition, it is important to be able to distinguish edible varieties from false ones – despite the fact that they do not cause serious harm to health, in large quantities such a crop can cause serious poisoning.

You can learn more about the features of collecting again in the video below:

Silent hunting – Mushroom picking – Honey mushrooms autumn mushrooms

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