Matsutake forecasts will begin August 1, 2016.

Thanks to those who participated last year.

Forecasts are available to Registered Members Only. To receive forecast, you must ask on the board or email matsiman@nullmatsiman.com. Email request is preferred. Those who participated last year will automatically receive forecasts this year.

You may ask for a forecast for 1 area only from those listed under the title Matsutake Forecast list on every page. The purpose for these forecasts is science and to provide some insight into possibilities of production of Matsutake, pine mushrooms, in their favorite picking area, not to provide a overview across the entire region.

Those who receive forecast are required to report accuracy of forecast.Reports are not due until you find mushrooms , in forecast or not. Reports are due, after a flush is forecast, finding mushrooms or not. Reports are used to adjust forecast, derived from chart, to increase accuracy. Forecasts are updated every 5 to 7 days, If you do not report when a report is indicated, you will be suspended from receiving further charts that year. Reports are not shared with the public or others participating and receiving forecasts.

These reports help determine at what temperature soils are cool enough for formation to begin and when soils are too cool to form mushrooms in an area. Forecasts are based on temperatures down loaded from each area. Each forecast location indicates what general temperatures in the area and not specific temperatures in areas where matsutake grow. A temperature of 60 degree in one area may indicate formation is possible, where as in another area it may be 55 degree.

Rise in temperature is also important to determine volume of crop formed. Too little rise will not form mushrooms. Too much rise will cause forming mushrooms to burn and die or not allow mushrooms to form. Generally a 3 to 9 degree rise is needed. 5 to 8 degree rise is generally ideal.

Length of formation period determines volume of crop formed. Generally a 4 to 5 day period is needed to form commercial quantities. The longer the formation period, with proper temperature rise, the larger the crop. A 14 to 20 day period, with ideal temperature rise, will produce an excellent crop.

Flushes are initiated with a cooling near or below the low which initiated the formation period.

Failure of a formation does not mean no mushroom that year. Formation is possible until soils are too cool to allow mushroom to form.

For additional information see http://matsiman.com/simple_forecasting.htm