Can you really grow morel mushrooms? If you care to read no further, here is the answer in a nutshell: "Yes! But there are a lot of variables and it's far from a sure-fire success." Read on if we've piqued your interest.
The latest in the world of growing morel mushrooms
It is a challenging mushroom to grow, for sure. Morel mushrooms grow in most areas of the USA, so why on earth is morel cultivation still so difficult?
Let's take a step back, or rather, let's take a step accross the globe to China where they are ages ahead of us. How are they so successful while we here in the United States are still struggling? There are several reasons.
First, keep in mind that we're only seeing results from large farms or research companies. For every one of those companies that is successful, you need to consider how many are likely not. We have all likely seen the same 5 videos floating around the internet that show an abundance of morel in either hoop structures or trays. But naturally, we are never privy to videos of failed beds! For the companies that are successful, a lot of it has to do that the process has been backed by aggressive agricultural research and rural revitilzation programs, which is something we do not have here in America.
Secondly, due to aggressive research, China (and Europe!) have very aggressive strains that are just starting to make their way into the hands of US growers.
Field & Forest Products owner observing morels
Morel Cultivation in the United States
So where does that leave us? Fortunantly, we're making strides in morel cultivation here as well. We now have two strains here at Field & Forest Products that have produced morel mushrooms. And while some of the genetics may not yet be available to us, the methods are.
Before you get started with your own morel beds, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Morels in nature are abundant and new species are being tested all the time. How do you decide which to use? Find a source of a proven and mated strain and spawn. While we won't get into the science on this blog, take our word that having "mated" strains is incredibly important. Both our Landscape Morel and Black Morel are mated and known producers for us.
- Most people figure that because Morels are harvested in the spring, that’s also when you plant. However, Fall planting with the proven species is in fact the best time to plant.
- Tools are almost essential to sheltering the inoculated soil with materials such as shade cloth, drip hose and plastic tents.
- You’ll need to be around for a few critical weeks after planting in the fall and during harvest time in spring to monitor growing conditions. And when we say "be around" we mean, be ready to not even take a long weekend away.
Still, there is not a gardening crop that is more welcome and exciting to get in April/May. The process is incredibly interesting and is open to your modifications as you progress. Here we share what has worked for us.
Morel Cultivation Process at Field & Forest Products
Morel cultivation at Field & Forest Products
First and foremost is timing your plant. Planting time depends on your climate - aim for when daytime temperatures fall to 70°F. If you are using plastic tents or tunnels, keep in mind that temperatures can spike by 30-50°F when sunny, so using shade cloth and ventilating can help moderate temperatures.
Once you have an idea of your timing, continue as follows.
1. Prepare a 10ft by 3ft bed by working soil to at least 4 inches deep and edge the bed so it is slightly trenched on the sides. Spray the bed with Soil Enhancer (if using). Water the bed well so the soil is moist. Let the bed rest for 2 days after watering to make sure the moisture has equalized throughout the bed.
2. Inoculate bed by hoeing a 4x4x4 inch trench down the center the entire length of the bed. Roughly break the spawn into 2-inch-diameter chunks and place in the trench.
3. Set up your shade structure. Keeping your bed shaded and monitoring the environment is essential. You can create your own set-up with a raised bed and shade cloth (see an option for a morel bed set up here) or view our Deluxe Morel Bundle which includes everything you need.
4. Start watering to keep soil moist and watch for mycelium to surface (approx. 3-4 weeks after inoculation). Once you see these mycelial mats (called conidial mats) place nutrient bags on bed.
5. Await Spring
Exo bags on morel bed
Now, of course a lot happens with monitoring and controling the environment of your bed between steps 4 and 5. And rest assured, we do have more detailed instructions, but in effort of not having this blog run into a novella, we will wrap it up here, leaving you with the general idea of what needs to be done to try your hand at growing morel mushrooms at home. Happy growing!