Fertilizer and mushrooms

[Raye7r]

Was watching an episode of North American Whitetail today, they were talking about how to keep deer on your property/forest. The guy said at a minimum you could fertilize your ground in your forest (and plant japanese honeysuckle which I have found out is very invasive).
Anyway my real question is "If i spread fertilizer through my woods, how will it effect the mushrooms"?
I don't want to hamper there growth!

 

[treeman22]

I focused on soil science when I was in college, and the one thing you need to know is that a natural forest should already have excellent nutrient conditions (assuming it wasn't clear cut, and heavily eroded in its recent history).
I think you're best bet is to not even touch your forest. The ground gets fertilized everytime a squirrel poops, and a tree limb falls to the forest floor. Now if you're talking about land that was heavily farmed before being turned back to forest then yes, fertilizer may be a good idea to replenish the Phosphorous, Potassium, Iron, and other metals needed for optimum plant growth.

Really, the most you should be doing to your woods is planting oaks, and possibly opening up spots for deer to bed. But there is much more to a forest than deer, so keep the whole ecosystem in mind when managing your property.

And please, Don't even think about planting honeysuckle! That is probly the worst thing you could EVER plant in yours woods. If you planted bush honeysuckle, and walked away for 100 years, you would find when you came back (If you lived long enough) that there will not be a woods left, but rather one single dense honeysuckle thicket. Every year I go through my parents woods and rip out every single honeysuckle I find. Please...don't plant Honeysuckle.

 

[Rock River]

And if the land was being heavily farmed and is being put back into timber, it will be a long time before morels ever start growing there again. I would definitely agree with treeman22, a true "forest" doesn't need any help from us to add nutrients to its already rich soil.

 

[traderdan]

To be really honest,I do not think anyone knows what conditions are conducive to the growth of morels! I have found them in many illogical places.

 

[huntall50]

Questions, what animals feed on honeysuckle, and use it for cover. Would the benefits of that attraction factor tend to keep the invasive plant in check?