Can you grow morels

Two cultivation processes have been patented. The first process is based upon work by Ronald D. The findings were published in Mycologia 74 1 , Jan-Feb Still, for many years, no one, besides the inventors, has been able to produce morels by the instructions in the patent. Terry Farms opened a morel production facility in Auburn, Alabama with Mill's assistance and offered their products for a few years, producing up to almost 1, pounds per week, but closed down the operation in While the operation was initially very profitable, the farm was hit with a severe bacterial infection in Mill's had been producing Morchella rufobrunnea derived from a morel originally collected in California.

This is a yellow morel typically found in landscaped areas. For more information on this species, see this report from the July-September edition of Mycotaxon.

Mills continues to work with Gourmet Mushrooms in efforts to make morel production commercially viable. The second patented process was invented by Stuart C. This process involves outdoor cultivation of inoculated tress under which the morels will fruit if the trees are killed. The process is generally described at morelfarms. Hao Tan, et al, published an article in Environmental Microbiology on July 17, titled Multi-iomic analyses of exogenous nutrient bag decomposition by the black morel Morchella importuna reveal sustained carbon acquisition and transferring.

It explains how morels use bags of nutrients. If you do not see morels growing in about 10 days, repeat the process. From the time that you notice a thin match-like stick poking out of the ground until you have a three-inch morel mushroom ready for harvesting can be as few as six days.

Therefore, you should make sure to keep an eye on your patch every day. If the ground seems dry, then water it. Otherwise, it is best to leave the area alone. Use a sharp knife to cut the cap off the top of the morel mushroom. Most people prefer to harvest the caps when they are about three inches tall. Use a brush to remove any dirt and bugs. Then, they can be placed in a food-grade container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for two to three days.

Do not wash the morel until you are ready to use it as the moisture will make the morel deteriorate faster. If you want to keep the morel mushroom for longer than three days, then you can freeze it.

They should be washed before freezing them. If they are larger than one-inch in diameter, then it is best to quarter them. You can steam, blanch or saute them to inactivate the enzymes, but freezing raw morels is never a good idea. Morels can also be dried. When this method is chosen, they should have less than 10 percent moisture content in order to discourage microorganisms growing.

Since most modern ovens do not go as low as degrees, you will need a dehydrator to dry the morels. They should all be cut to a uniform size. It will take between eight to 10 hours in the dehydrator. Depending on the humidity, morel mushrooms can be hung by a string to dry. It is best to only use an inch string and thread the mushrooms on it very carefully.

It can be difficult, however, in some climates to get the water level in the mushrooms low enough to stop bacteria and microorganism growth. Now that you know how to grow morels, it is important to look at some of the things that can go wrong.

They are also one of the highest sources of protein for those who do not eat meat. Here's a cool video by TheUrbanFarmingGuys where their adorable family share how they grow morel mushrooms in their farm. The first 5 minutes shows the kids running around the yard and neighborhood finding morels so if you want to skip that, you can go straight to the making of the slurry by clicking HERE. A new YouTube tab will open and you'll be starting around the 5 minute mark. Create an account.

Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Buy a morel mushroom kit online. A morel mushroom kit is pre-packaged with spawn seed as well as a set of instructions to help you get started. Spawn seed is what makes the mushrooms grow and can come in several varieties such as woodchips, grain, and sawdust.

Prepare to plant between summer and autumn. This will give it time to grow over the next couple of seasons. Morel mushrooms typically sprout around spring. Pick a spot in the shade that is 4x4 feet in size.

Create your spawn bed with a mixture of peat moss and gypsum. Concoct a blend that includes 10 gallons of peat moss as well as 1 gallon of gypsum and insert it on your 4x4 garden space.

The gypsum contains calcium sulfate which can help increase the size of your mushroom caps. National Institutes of Health Go to source Adding ashes from burnt woodchips during this step will also help because it provides nutrients for your morels. Apply the spawn seed from your growing kit. When you spread the spawn seed over the soil, make sure you do it evenly to give the morel mushrooms more chance to grow. The instructions that came with your kit will give you appropriate directions on how to do this.

Add hardwood chips to finish the spawn bed. They will give your morel mushrooms even more incentive to grow. Woodchips can found for purchase online. Wait for your morel mushrooms to grow. Be aware this can sometimes take up to two years. The good news is that once they sprout, the morel garden can continue to provide mushrooms for several years after. For most people this is a long-term endeavour. Method 2. Collect or buy a few morel mushrooms for later use. You will need some actual matured morel mushrooms for your home-made mixture.