- (Public Value) UCANR: Building climate-resilient communities and ecosystems
- Author: Denise Godbout-Avant
What are Mushrooms?
Mushrooms, also known as toadstools, are the visible reproductive body of a fungus which produces spores. Mushrooms seem to magically appear and then quickly disappear. The fruiting body you see releases its spores to be spread by air currents, with the mushroom then drying up. When spores land in a satisfactory location they will germinate, sending out long filaments called hyphae.
The standard visible morphology of a mushroom is a stipe (stem) topped by a cap with gills on the underside, but mushrooms come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and uses. The common mushroom is the cultivated white button mushroom we see in stores. Other shapes include puffball, stinkhorn, morel, bolete, shelf, truffles, bird's nests, orange peel, and agarics. Colors vary from white, black, brown, yellow, and occasionally orange and reds. Sizes range from microscopic to 5 feet in diameter!
Many mushrooms also have an underground filament called mycelium (plural: mycelia). You can sometimes see mycelia when turning over a rotting log or by digging underneath a cluster of mushrooms. The mycelia will look like a stringy mat of white fibers in and around plant and tree roots.
History & Uses
The terms “mushroom” and “toadstool” go back centuries. Much of their mystery is due to their association with poisonings and accidental deaths. They were thought to be special and supernatural by many cultures including Egyptians and Romans who associated them with their rulers and gods. Chinese and Japanese cultures have utilized mushrooms for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Hallucinogenic mushroom species have a history of use among Indigenous people of Mesoamerica for religious purposes and healing from pre-Columbian times. People today correlate hallucinogenic mushrooms with the hippie period in the 1960s. Edible mushroom species have been found in 13,000-year-old archaeological sites in Chile. Truffles have been collected as far back as 1600 BC.
Edible Mushrooms
Poisonous mushrooms can be very hard to identify in the wild, so unless you have been taught how to classify mushrooms by an expert, it is recommended you buy from a reliable grocery store. Mycologists identify mushrooms by observing their morphology, getting spore prints, microscopic study, and with mushroom keys, though applying DNA technology is becoming common.
You can also grow your own mushrooms at home – kits are available online and at some plant nurseries.
Mushrooms in Your Garden and Lawn
- Common mushrooms in gardens include inky caps, stinkhorns, puffballs, or bird's nests.
- A “fairy ring” of mushrooms is an arc of mushrooms around a circle of darker green lawn, often in shady areas. They get their name from an ancient belief that fairies danced in these circles around the mushrooms.
- Mushrooms in lawns often develop from buried scraps such as pieces of wood or dead tree roots.
- A cluster of honey-colored mushrooms may appear at the base of a tree in the fall. These don't usually appear unless the host tree is dying.
- New lawns require frequent irrigation until established, thus creating a perfect setting for mushrooms, which is why they often appear in freshly planted lawns.
Remember, the mushrooms you see are the fruiting bodies that produce spores. Thus, removing them will not kill the underground mycelia from which they are growing, unless you pick them prior to their release of spores. However, you can try to reduce the number of mushrooms you have by decreasing the amount and frequency of watering your lawn and let the grass dry in between. For more information in dealing with mushrooms in your lawn, visit the UC IPM website at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74100.html
Whether you see mushrooms in the forest, in your lawn or neighborhood, I hope you can appreciate and enjoy these unique, complex, beautiful, valuable, diverse, and magical organisms!
-This article was originally published on December 6, 2021.
Denise Godbout-Avant has been a UCCE Stanislaus County Master Gardener since July 2020.
- Author: Anne Schellman
- Editor: Roger A Duncan
Want fall color in your landscape next year?
Read about the trees you've noticed around town that are currently “popping” with color. And, if you plant a tree now (or in early spring), you can have fall color in your landscape next year! Here are some excellent tree species to choose from that thrive in our area (USDA Zone 9b):
Chinese Pistache – Pistachia chinensis
The Chinese pistache is Ed Perry's favorite tree. Ed was the Environmental Horticulture Advisor for over 35 years at UC Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County. He chose this tree not only for its fall color, but because it produces good shade and has “well-behaved” roots. Opt for the male cultivar ‘Keith Davey.' Female cultivars have colorful berries which although pretty, are considered messy and not suitable for over a patio.
Height: 30-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: You can't go wrong with this tree! Also, it is not closely related to the nut bearing pistachio tree.
Maple Trees – Acer rubrum
Light needs: Plant in full sun or partial shade.
Height: 40-50'
Water needs: Regular water. Does well in lawns, but water separately from the lawn.
Note: Sprinkler water will not be enough for this tree.
Bradford Flowering Pear – Prunus calleryana ‘Bradford'
This flowering pear has cheerful white blooms in spring and produce fall color during cool winters. Their roots are well-behaved so they can be planted near sidewalk. Please note, many cultivars of flowering pear have problems such as mistletoe and fireblight. Make sure you choose a Bradford pear. After bloom, this tree does drop small fruits that are messy.
Height: 40-50'
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Water needs: Moderate. Does well in lawns.
Note: although bred to be fruitless, the Bradford pear cross pollinates with other pears which is why it produces inedible “fruit.”
Japanese Maple Trees – Acer palmatum
Light needs: Plant in partial shade, some species (‘Emperor One') are adapted to full sun.
Height: 6-20', varies. Do some research before choosing your tree.
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: This tree can give year-round interest!
Ginkgo – Ginkgo biloba
This ancient tree existed long before dinosaurs roamed the earth. In fact, fossils of gingko leaves have been discovered from the Jurassic period! Ginkgo trees leaves turn a beautiful golden color in fall. Choose a male cultivar such as ‘Saratoga' or ‘Autumn Gold.' Female cultivars produce fruit that some people consider unpleasant.
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 30-50.'
Water needs: Moderate water; can tolerate drought but won't look healthy.
Note: Excellent street or patio tree, also does well in a lawn.
Liquidambar – Liquidambar styraciflua
Light needs: Plant in full sun.
Height: 50-60.'
Water needs: Regular water.
Note: Surface roots can crack sidewalks and come up in lawns.
Tree Notes – Choosing a Tree
When choosing a tree, look for one with leaves growing along the entire stem. Avoid trees that resemble a mature tree (with a long stem and a heavy top). The leaves are necessary to help the tree develop a strong trunk.
Tree Notes – Planting
Planting a tree correctly is essential to having a healthy tree. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Remove the tree stake.
Step 2: Dig a hole twice as wide but the same depth as the container.
Step 3: After removing the “root ball” (area of soil and roots) from the container, set it in the hole.
Step 4: Make sure the top of the root ball is lined up with the surrounding soil or a little higher.
Step 5: Fill in around the root ball with removed soil, do not cover over the root ball with soil. Make sure the root ball is still showing and is level with the ground.
Step 6: Create a basin around the base of the tree and water well.
Tree Notes – Staking
If you remove the stake from your new tree and it falls over, return the tree. Healthy trees should not fall over and do not need to be staked. In fact, a tree that can't stand upright that grows into a mature tree is likely to become a landscape hazard** in the future.
Allowing your new tree to sway with the wind helps it develop a strong trunk and root system. The only time it is recommended to stake trees is in areas with heavy wind. In this case, two stakes should be used, and then removed after one year. Learn more about tree staking in the Planting Landscape Trees publication below.
Tree Notes – Water
All newly planted trees need regular water for the first 2-5 years after planting. Regular water means keeping the soil moist but not too wet or allowing it to dry out. Once their roots are established, trees need deep water once or twice per month during the dry season (May-October), depending on temperature, tree species, soil type, and other factors.
Resources
Stanislaus County Tree Guide
Looking for more tree recommendations? Visit our publications page and scroll to the bottom of the page to click on our “Trees in Your Home Garden” publication at https://cestanislaus.ucanr.edu/Gardening_Publications/
Planting Landscape Trees
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8046.pdf
*University research has shown that adding amendments such as compost and fertilizer to planting holes does not help trees; in fact, it can cause problem. Read more at https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=46215
**worried you may have a hazardous tree in your landscape? Download this free guide for tips on how to inspect it. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8365.pdf
- Author: Heidi Aufdermaur
We wondered about that too! With this in mind, a group of UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners toured the City of Modesto's Compost Facility on 7001 Jennings Road.
Recently in California, there has been an emphasis on green waste collection. This was sparked from recent legislation, AB1383-short-lived climate pollutant reduction strategy--, which in simple terms is to “adopt regulations that achieve the specified targets for reducing organic waste in landfills.” Of course, there is much more to the legislation, but how does this relate to the ‘green cans?' Earlier legislation started the ball rolling, AB 939, AB341 and AB 1826 which focused more on commercial waste.
The main goal of this bill is to reduce the materials taken to our local landfills, which have ever-diminishing space. When organic materials are sent to the landfill, they create methane gas, toxic soup leachate, and hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg gas). Not only that, but homeowners are missing out on a great resource. This compostable material could be kept at home, providing environmental and gardening benefits!
Environmental benefits: Waste reduction, keeping soil fertile, improving air quality, water conservation. Gardening benefits: saves money, enriches soil, contributes to health lifestyle.
How can you benefit from using the green waste from your garden? Come learn more at our workshop. Even if you are already composting or want to learn how to best put that waste to use in your garden, come join us and see how much fun composting can be. We will also talk about vermicomposting and show you how to start your own container of green-waste-eating worms.
Registration Details:
Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Harvest Hall Rooms AB&C
Register: https://ucanr.edu/compost/2023
The workshop is free! However, if you'd like an 11 gallon compost bin to take home, you can make a $35 donation to our program (while supplies last). Children interested in learning about compost and worms are also welcome at this workshop!
The UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Stanislaus County have taught adult classes at local libraries since April of 2022. Now, we are excited to present our Vermicomposting Class in June that will be fun for the WHOLE family!
Vermicomposting is the process of using red wiggler worms* to help eat kitchen scraps. Join us for this class to learn interesting facts about these worms, how to make your own “worm hotel,” and which foods the red wiggler worms eat that can help turn your kitchen scraps into compost for your garden!
In addition to presenting information about vermicomposting, you'll be able to “meet” a few live worms and see them in action in a worm bin. Kids of all ages will love "meeting" the worms, so be sure to bring them. We hope you can attend at one of these local Stanislaus County Library locations:
Vermicomposting Classes
Sat, 6/3 at 2:00 p.m. – Empire Library
Tues, 6/6 at 6:00 p.m. – Salida Library
Thurs, 6/8 at 1:00 p.m. – Patterson Library
Sat, 6/10 at 2:00 p.m. – Riverbank Library
Mon, 612 at 6:00 p.m. – Ceres Library
Tues, 6/13 at 6:00 p.m. – Oakdale Library
Mon, 6/26 at 5:30 p.m. – Modesto Library
Wed, 6/28 at 6:00 p.m. – Turlock Library
*earthworms don't like to be disturbed, so they are not used for vermicomposting.
On April 1, 2023, the La Loma Native Garden held its 3rd annual Pollinator Festival. Participants stopped by the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener booth to spin our “Pollinator Wheel” and learn about native insects and best landscaping practices to protect them.
If you are interested in learning more about native insects and pollinator plants, you can watch our classes on these topics on our YouTube Channel at http://ucanr.edu/youtube/ucmgstanislaus
All photos by Rachel Bahn, Master Gardener from the 2022 Class.
