Last week the upper midwest contended with a winter storm that slammed many of with snow and then blasted us with cold. While it certainly did some damage, today we're going to focus on why, in general, we quite like snow for our shrooms.
Mushroom logs under a blanket of snow
Winter with its low humidity and harsh winds has a tendency to dry out mushroom logs and, once logs are dry, they become a less suitable home for the mushrooms. However, if you're lucky enough to be in a location that gets snow, the snow covers the logs and actually forms a layer that traps humidity between the logs and the snow, similar to the subnivean zone.
Forest FYI: The Subnivean Zone
What is the subnivean zone? This is the area between the surface of the ground and the bottom of the snowpack that forest critters rely on for winter survival. If you're walking in the woods and notice what looks like undersnow tunnels- that's exactly what they are. Voles, mice, and other small rodents spend most (if not all) of their time in the subnivean zone creating tunnels under the snow to get from food sources, to bedding areas, to ventilation shafts. As a matter of fact, eight inches of snow is enough to keep the temperature in the subnivean zone within a degree of 32°F, regardless of the weather and temperature outside, resulting in a stable, humid winter habitat.
Air shafts are often help up by clumps of grass.
Along with the insulating properties of snow, another helpful side effect comes in springtime. Mushroom logs prefer a slow, even watering. When the snow melts, it provides just that.
In a nutshell, the more snow you have, the more protected your logs and the happier your mushrooms logs stay.
No Snow?
But what if you don't live in a place with snow? Are your logs doomed? Far from. Most places that aren't getting snow tend to get rain in the winter season which keeps the logs from drying out. However, we would recommend stacking the logs low to the ground to protect them from the wind!
