From: rusty.hinge@foobar.girolle.co.uk   
      
   On 15/06/15 13:58, riburr wrote:   
   > RustyHinge wrote:   
   >> riburr wrote:   
   >>> RustyHinge wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>> What you're blowing away, burning, etc is future years' crops. The only   
   >>>> plus might be a few morels where you've burnt stuff.   
   >>>>   
   >>>   
   >>> So far this year the harvest doesn't seem to have changed much, maybe a   
   >>> little less than normal due to lack of rain.  Precipitation is by far   
   >>> the dominant variable determining numbers.  I see lots of cottony-white   
   >>> mycelia across the surface of cleared ground.  Perhaps a leafy layer   
   >>> might help these develop into mushrooms.  Otherwise, several days of   
   >>> damp, wet weather is required, which is much less probable than the   
   >>> presence of damp leaves in the forest had I not cleared them.  It should   
   >>> be noted, the cleared area of forest floor in my yard is much less than   
   >>> the area left untouched.  And, I am finding mycorrhizal mushrooms in   
   >>> cleared areas.   
   >>>   
   >> However, you are removing subsequent years' nosh for the important stuff.   
   >>   
   >   
   > Was thinking about this...  I am temporarily, and for a short period,   
   > removing the compressed forest duff.  This decaying mat is only being   
   > somewhat removed.  It is being blown, redistributed into piles here and   
   > there, and the piles burned, the ash being alkaline minerals (calcium,   
   > potassium, etc.)  This coming fall, leaf drop will reestablish a more   
   > fluffy, aerated cover of fresh, fallen leaves.   
   >   
   > By "important stuff" do you mean the bacteria that facilitate decay? Or,   
   > the saprotrophic mushrooms such as Agaricus and blewits, etc?   
   >   
   Everything - including those. Woodlice, leaf-litter, twigs, rotten wood,   
   all contribute to a fungus-friendly environment.   
      
   Odd bonfire heaps can be a good medium for morels though.   
      
   --   
   Rusty Hinge   
   To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)