Mushroom season in Saxony: Less yield due to insufficient rain

The abundance of rain in recent days has not ensured full baskets for mushroom fans in Saxony. The periods of precipitation after the very dry and hot summer were not long enough, said Peter Welt from the Saxony Mycologists' Association. "It probably won't be enough for a large mushroom pan yet."

In general, it is "guesswork" when and where mushrooms grow, emphasized the chairman of the mushroom friends association in Chemnitz. "Mushrooms have to get their water at the right time. But nobody can say exactly when that time is". There have also been very dry years with lots of mushrooms. In general, however, a walk in the forest is good. "You get fresh air in any case, regardless of whether the basket is full or not."

The mushroom expert in the district of Leipzig, Edgar Fenzlein, is also less optimistic. He has only seen a few mushrooms on his forays through the forest so far. "In my experience, you have to wait about eight days after the rain for the mushrooms." But then it shouldn't get too hot. "Mushrooms are mimosas, everything has to be just right for them."

A detective game in the forest for children

Sieglinde Köhler, on the other hand, is more confident. As a mushroom consultant in Mittelsachen, she is already planning guided tours and is confident of finding some beautiful specimens. "The change in weather with slightly cooler temperatures was favorable for the mushrooms. They needed to recover after the tropical late summer". She also advises parents with children to go mushroom hunting. "A kind of detective game is particularly fun for the little ones in the forest. Regardless of whether lots of edible mushrooms are found."

The rather poor yield is also noticeable at the poison control center. Due to the heat this year, the mushroom season is not yet really present and the inquiries are low, said the deputy head of the Joint Poison Information Center, Mandy Gollmann. Due to the weather, she only expects an increase in inquiries about possible mushroom poisoning in the coming weeks.

According to Fenzlein, there are around 2,000 varieties of mushrooms in Central Europe, most of which are inedible. Special care should be taken when picking them. The mushroom expert emphasized that there is always confusion. He has noticed that more and more young people are going into the forest to look for mushrooms. This is generally a good sign, but laypeople should consult a mushroom consultant or book a guided tour. "Many people are out and about with their cell phones and use photos and apps to identify mushrooms," explained Fenzlein. However, if mushrooms end up in the pan using only this method, it could be dangerous.