Morel - Morille

Morchella belongs to its own division in the fungi kingdom. Morels benefit from fall and spring planting. Dry morels for year-round use.

1. The common morel, Morchella esculenta, is popularly found among leaf litter in decaying old apple orchards and after a fire. Grow morels preferrably in the shade of deciduous trees, especially apple, elm, fir, pine, poplar, ash, oak, chestnut, larch, olive, Douglas-fir, sycamore, aspen and cottonwood. 

Insert peg spawn into prepared beds of mineral loam soil with a high content of organic matter and rotting wood, cover with plenty of dried leaves or straw. Provide consistent moisture and allow ample time for the spawn run. Morels like freezing winters and spring transitions. Subsequently add fresh wood fire ash and water to encourage fruiting by raising pH. Morel mushrooms yield mostly in daytime temperatures of 15 to 21 degrees celsius and cooler nights. 15 pegs plant up to 10 sq. ft.

Inoculate perished shade trees and areas that appear promising and mass plant beds containing a lot of organic material with sawdust spawn. Mulch periodically. 5.5 lbs. of sawdust spawn inoculates an area of 10 to 20 sq. ft.

2. Landscape morels, Morchella importuna, are easier to successfully cultivate, they grow among landscaping planting seemingly having little relationship with the surrounding vegetation. . Add landscape morel sawdust spawn to heavily mulched areas. Utilize soil rich in organic matter and mulch over with fresh wood chips. 5.5 lb. of sawdust spawn will inoculate 10 to 20 sq. ft.