Got questions about mushrooms or fungi? Ask here and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Is heartwood or sapwood more susceptible to decay? 
QUESTION: Is heartwood or sapwood more susceptible to decay? im getting conflicting information. On the one hand im reading that sap wood is more …

Have I been lied to about the toxicity of Amanita Muscaria? 
QUESTION: One of the most memorable things i've been taught as a child is that Amanita Muscaria is a poisonous mushroom. Fast forward to my …

Do mushrooms impact the weather? 
QUESTION: I was alone in a coffee shop, when I heard part of a conversation at another table. I couldn’t pick out the details, and didn’t want …

Which mushrooms stay fresh the longest? 
QUESTION: I’m new at this, but really want to include wild mushrooms in more recipes. If I buy fresh wild mushrooms from a local market, which …

Is it true that slime molds exhibit intelligence? 
QUESTION: I’m on a deep dive into all things fungi, and loving it! One of the things I’ve bumped into is the idea of fungi having intelligence. …

What are the oldest known fossils of fungi, and how old are they? 
QUESTION: I don’t even know if there are any fossils of fungi. After all, they don’t have bones or even bark. Have fungi or mushrooms been found …

Can fungi absorb chemicals from its host? 
QUESTION: I have been finding and foraging beautiful shelves of chicken of the woods from trees in my neighbourhood. They LOVE to grow on a specific …

Why do some mushrooms grow in a circle, forming a 'fairy ring'? 
QUESTION: As a kid, I remember seeing rings of mushrooms on my parents’ lawn. It’s been a very long time since I saw that. Recently I took my own …

Amanita Muscaria vs Pantheria Toxicity 
QUESTION: Hi Nick, I’ve been reading through your past questions, they were very interesting to look at and I learned a few new things for myself. …

Do mushrooms create Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight? 
QUESTION: I read somewhere on your website that mushrooms are rich in Vitamin D. The part that caught my attention was when you stated mushrooms …

Mycelium growing onto coir. 
QUESTION: I have a substrate cake sitting on damp coir in a medium sized plastic tub. The cake has produced a good first flush and now not much …

Question on Mushrooms and Serotonin 
QUESTION: I have a question about these 6 medicinal mushrooms and how much they increase serotonin in the brain. Which are Lions mane, Reishi, …

Mixing regular mushrooms with psychedelic mushrooms. 
QUESTION: Do normal mushrooms/mycellium that don’t have psilocin and Psilocybin such as reishi, cordyceps, turkey tail etc. counteract/weaken the …

New tree dead because of mushrooms 
QUESTION: We planted a brand new Juniper near 2 other Junipers . Around them we placed weed barrier and rocks. The tree died I believe because …

I found these mushrooms outside my program building  
QUESTION: I want to know if they are edible and any information about them, cause I heard they glow in the dark I took one home but washed my hands... …

Why Do Certain Mushroom Species Have Buildups of Heavy Metals? 
QUESTION: Why is it that certain mushrooms (especially in the genus Agaricus) have buildups of heavy metals such as cadmium and copper? As in, …

Is the fungus on this corn cob Corn Smut? And is it safe to eat? 
QUESTION: I bought a bag of corn at the framer’s market and, when I got home and started peeling them, I found this one, with this slivery-covered …

Are frozen mushrooms as good as fresh? 
QUESTION: A friend who grows mushrooms at home sometimes bring some over when he has too many for his family. That's great, except when he brings …

Are Boletes, Chanterelles, etc. Mushrooms? 
QUESTION: Dear Incredible Mushrooms, In one of my mushroom identification book, the book labeled Boletes as separate from mushrooms because …

Have mushrooms been used in witchcraft? 
QUESTION: I have an interest in the kinds of plants and herbs that have traditionally been used in witchcraft, through the ages. I’m not finding …

How do mushrooms reproduce? 
QUESTION: I’m falling down the mushroom and fungi rabbit hole and loving it! I’m trying to learn more about how mushrooms reproduce. I imagine …

What are the main types of symbiotic relationships fungi form with other organisms? 
QUESTION: I’m doing a high school project on mushrooms and fungi, and want to focus on how fungi have symbiotic relationships with plants and organisms. …

Can mycelium be used to create biofuels or other renewable energy sources? 
QUESTION: Hi, I’ve been reading on one of your other pages about all the ways people are finding to use mycelium. Sounds amazing. My question …

Using rye berries for PK tech method (PF Tek Method?) 
QUESTION: Let's say I am doing the PK tech method and have used the rye berries to grow mycelium in a pint jar. Do I treat it the same as using …

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Has an antidote been found for being poisoned by Death Cap mushrooms? 
QUESTION: Someone told me an antidote had been found to cure poisoning by eating Death Cap mushrooms. Is this true? If it is, that would be great. …

Is my boyfriend allergic to mushrooms? 
QUESTION: Hey there! So, my boyfriend has been experiencing stomach pains lately, and I noticed it usually happens after we have mushrooms in our …

What's the best way to sterilise your grain spawn jars? 
QUESTION: What's the best way to sterilise your grain spawn jars without using the pressure cooker? And it's the only way to sterilise what can …

Can eating mushrooms make me live longer? 
QUESTION: Hey there! I've been doing some reading about how to live a longer and healthier life, and it seems like scientists are doing some pretty …

Do mushrooms have a history of being used to make dyes? 
QUESTION: I love using natural dyes for my knitting yarn. I've dabbled with lichen dyes, and I'm about to give mushroom dyes a whirl. Just …

Is it true that mushrooms can eat old cigarette butts? 
QUESTION: Hey there! I have a couple of friends in class who are obsessed with mushrooms. They talk about all sorts of wild things, and sometimes …

Dried substrate in my mushroom log grow bag. 
QUESTION: Hi there. I inoculated an oak log with chicken of the woods in a log bag with a cover and plug. I came back a week later and it seems …

How is Vegan leather made from mushroom mycelium? 
QUESTION: I’m a vegan, so my life revolves a lot around not doing harm to any animals. I eat a Vegan diet, which I love. Of course, my lifestyle …

Is it true that some pharmaceutical drugs come from mushrooms and fungi? 
QUESTION: I'm having a bit of a disagreement with my mate over whether or not some drugs come from fungi. I'm pretty sure they do, but he thinks …

Do mushrooms feature in world mythologies? 
QUESTION: Hey there, my name is Jared and I'm in Grade 7. We're doing this project about the importance of food in different mythologies around …

What’s the difference between a micro dose and a full dose of psilocybin? 
QUESTION: I’m new to this, but interested in the psychedelic effects of some mushrooms. What is the dose difference between a microdose of psilocybin, …

Is it true that mushroom mycelium could be used to protect astronauts from radiation? 
QUESTION: I don’t remember where, but I read somewhere that mycelium can be used to protect astronauts, in their space vehicles, and maybe when …

Questions about using mushrooms for desalination and gray water filtration. 
QUESTION: I read that there is new research into using mushrooms as desalination tools for saltwater, since they were able to make it almost (I …

Can you help identify this type of mushroom for me? 
QUESTION: Hi everyone, I've got mushrooms in my small garden!! I need to know it's type and if it can be eaten. Thank you! ANSWER: …

Where can I buy mushrooms? Order online? Asian stores? Farmers Markets? 
QUESTION: I’m new to mushrooms and want to dive in a try as many different types as I can! So please, WHERE can I buy mushrooms that are not just …

What is the best way to preserve mushrooms? 
QUESTION: From what I have been learning so far, fresh mushrooms have a very short shelf-life. I’ve already noticed that when I buy mushrooms and …

Are mushrooms used in skincare products? And do they work? 
QUESTION: I love mushrooms, and make them part of my diet. Given how good they are for one’s health, I’m wondering if skincare products with mushrooms …

Is it OK to eat mushroom stems, or should I cut them off? 
QUESTION: My mom always told me I should cut the stems off mushrooms before cooking them. She said the stems were too woody to digest and that …

Got any tips on how to use dried mushrooms? 
QUESTION: I’m fairly new to cooking with mushrooms. Definitely too scared to go foraging and use those mushrooms to add to family recipes at home. …

Are mushrooms a good survival food? 
QUESTION: My family and I are pretty serious about being prepared for any eventuality. We keep enough water and canned and dried foods at home …

Mushrooms as a hobby? I'm over 60 and want something new to keep me busy. 
QUESTION: I’m over 60, retired early, and looking for something to spend some time on. I’ve always had a bit of an interest in mushrooms and …

Are there any vegan meat alternatives made from fungi or mycelium? 
QUESTION: I started out as a vegetarian, and now want to go vegan. But I still want to be able to use meat alternatives when planning meals. …

Is there such a thing as Puffball mushroom pizza? 
QUESTION: I overhead some people talking about making pizza with Puffball mushrooms. I don’t think they were talking about adding mushrooms …

What’s the difference between mushrooms and fungi? 
QUESTION: I’m fairly new to all this, but super pumped to learn more! Thank you for your site, and for the chance to ask you a question. Here’s …

Is mushroom mycelium bad for plants? 
QUESTION: Our neighbor says his plants have been doing poorly ever since he started seeing mushroom on his lawn and under some of his shrubs. …

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I heard mushrooms have an umami taste. What does that even mean? 
QUESTION: I’m vaguely familiar with the word “umami”. Mostly I hear it when people talk about Asia food. But I don’t really ‘get it’. Is it a taste …

Are some mushrooms poisonous for dogs? 
QUESTION: We like to walk our dog in our local woods. He’s off-leash for most of the time and runs around, exploring his favorite smells. He always …