Saalfeld-Rudolstadt (dpa/th) - After a long drought, mushroom lovers in Thuringia can look forward to a magnificent season. Almost 300 types of fresh mushrooms can currently be found in the east and south of Thuringia - ten times more than at the end of August, mushroom expert Bernd Rudolph told the German Press Agency on Tuesday. The damp soil is currently allowing porcini, boletus and birch mushrooms to sprout. But there are also many rarities to be found. The German Society for Mycology had promised many parts of Germany a good mushroom season.
"We are currently observing a noticeable growth of the Krausen hen," said Rudolph happily. "A tree fungus that looks like a bath sponge." According to the mushroom expert from Unterwellenborn, it is excellent for processing with meals. Despite the rosy prospects, he was concerned about overnight temperatures. "Mushrooms are actually tough - as long as there is no ground frost." Currently, temperatures in the region could drop to 0 degrees Celsius at night. An early onset of winter could be dangerous for the fungi, some of which could still grow into November.
The mushroom expert warned: "We urgently need more rain during the year." It depends crucially on the amount of rain and not on how often it rains. "Nothing from short showers or drizzle arrives in the forest. Even if the rain lasts a long time."
