Czech mushroom pickers have special map predicting mushroom growth in different areas
Summer holidays in Czechia are firmly associated with one of the most favourite Czech pastimes – mushroom picking. And although the weather might not seem like it, conditions for mushroom hunting are quite good at the moment. At least according to a special map predicting mushroom growth around the country.
Mushroom picking is something of a national pastime in Czechia. Although the mushroom season usually peaks only in September, for most people, it is firmly associated with the summer holidays.
Unlike many other countries, Czechia has no restrictions on access to forests or on harvesting forest fruits, including mushrooms, and most Czechs are able to identify at least the most common edible species.
As of last year, mushroom hunters can consult a special map created by experts from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. It tells them which parts of the country are most suitable for mushroom hunting at a given time.
The map was created by experts from the Institute’s Department of Biometeorological Applications, and is updated on a daily basis. One of the people who contributed to its creation is meteorologist Lenka Hájková:
“The map expresses the suitability of moisture conditions for mushroom growth. We evaluate precipitation for the last 30 days and we also evaluate average air temperatures over the past seven days. In general, I would say, the wetter and warmer the weather, the more likely you are to find mushrooms. The map was created with experts from the Czech Mycological Society, who contributed with their knowledge about the distribution of mushrooms.”
The map focuses on so-called Mycorrhizal mushrooms, which are mushrooms that grow in symbiosis with plants and trees, especially the boletus type of mushrooms that are very common in the country’s pine forests.
While the map is definitely a useful tool, mycologists point out that mushroom growth is very unpredictable and is not affected only by the weather, but also by the type of soil and terrain they grow in.
However, given the feedback received by the map’s users, it seems that predictions by the experts from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute are pretty accurate, says Mrs. Hájková:
“We have very good feedback from the last season. Hundreds of people contacted us with feedback and sent us pictures of their finds in the forests, so I would say about 90 or more than 90 percent of people are satisfied with our map.”
While the current hot weather might suggest otherwise, the map indicates that the conditions for mushroom hunting are actually pretty good in several parts of the country, says Mrs. Hájková:
“Surprisingly, there is now a high probability of mushroom growth in most parts of the Czech Republic, especially in the mountain areas, Šumava, Krkonoše, Jeseníky and in the Vysočina district, due to better soil moisture and the temperatures, which are not as high as in the lowlands. The worst conditions, on the other hand, are for instance in southern Moravia and central or western Bohemia.”
If you want try mushroom hunting yourself, you can consult the map on the website https://info.chmi.cz/bio/mapy.php?type=houby.
