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zeeland

(247 posts)
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 07:35 PM Apr 2013

We just found Morel mushrooms

growing in one of our garden beds. There's about eight good
size shrooms found under the burlap we placed last Fall.
What can we do to encourage more to grow next year or whenever
they are do to come up again? My husband wants to just plant
in the box as we normally would. We just pinched them off
the roots (?) and are wondering if we should move the part
left underground and put somewhere dark and moist.

Thanks in advance.

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
We just found Morel mushrooms (Original Post) zeeland Apr 2013 OP
Crumble a few up and spread them around. Scuba Apr 2013 #1
Morels? Yuck. Bring them to my house and I'll take care of them for you. uppityperson Apr 2013 #2
Yes we are very excited! zeeland Apr 2013 #3
Don't bother trying to cultivate them. Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #4
That answers the question. Since we rotate crops, zeeland Apr 2013 #5
Plant whatever you want to plant there. Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #6
YAY! MuseRider Apr 2013 #7
i'm coming. mopinko Apr 2013 #8
Be careful. MuseRider Apr 2013 #11
Tips from Mother Earth News... JaneQPublic Apr 2013 #9
Lucky dog, you!! opiate69 Apr 2013 #10
Sounds like they found their home. n/t BlueToTheBone Apr 2013 #12
This is a great group ! zeeland Apr 2013 #13

uppityperson

(115,837 posts)
2. Morels? Yuck. Bring them to my house and I'll take care of them for you.
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 07:44 PM
Apr 2013

Actually, you lucky dog you. Good luck with them, hope you get more later.

zeeland

(247 posts)
3. Yes we are very excited!
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 07:52 PM
Apr 2013

Could never afford to buy the. Ok, will crumble a couple up and spread
And wait for any other suggestions. Thanks so much!

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
4. Don't bother trying to cultivate them.
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 07:55 PM
Apr 2013

The mushroom is just the fruiting body of the mushroom, which is actually the strands of a fungus growing underground. And that fungus has found a suitable place to grow, with the conditions that it prefers. Trying to duplicate the proper conditions will be next to impossible. You will probably not hurt the mycelium, which is the threadlike strands that are underground, by using the planter. The mycelium are probably associated with tree roots or dead wood underground, and you will not damage that. Just look for them in that same area every year, and enjoy.

If you have more questions, just ask, but I don't want to do a dissertation on fungi here. Just know that the morel that you see is just like an apple on a tree---you can't transplant it have grow an apple tree, it is just a fruit of a much larger organism.

zeeland

(247 posts)
5. That answers the question. Since we rotate crops,
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 08:16 PM
Apr 2013

Is there something that would be a good choice to plant there
this season? Tomatoes, peppers, peas, greens, onions, most of the
basics.

Once again thank you for the mini-shroom lesson.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
6. Plant whatever you want to plant there.
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 08:31 PM
Apr 2013

I don't believe that the morels are using the annual vegetable crops as their food source. They normally have a symbiotic relationship with tree roots. Mushrooms can be huge and cover acres under the ground, so the fruit (what we call the mushroom) can pop up anywhere in that area of the root/roots. But they would not be associated with an annual plant.

I hunt wild mushrooms all the time, and I have spread pieces of mushrooms for years hoping that some will take....never with any luck. I wish you good luck in having them show up again next year, and for many years to come. It may not be in the exact some location, but at least you know you have the mycelium of morels in your area. Great news.

Now get a skillet and saute those morels in butter with just a little salt and pepper.

MuseRider

(34,358 posts)
7. YAY!
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 09:13 PM
Apr 2013

Our weather has been so cold ours have not started yet. This weekend should be a big one. I can't wait. We have them all over the woods and pastures on the farm.

Never had them come up in our gardens. Wow, that is really cool.

mopinko

(71,713 posts)
8. i'm coming.
Wed Apr 24, 2013, 09:52 PM
Apr 2013

jk. but we had them in our yard when i was a kid, and we thought you would drop dead to eat them.
i have never eaten them, but i will look around this week and see what i can find.

MuseRider

(34,358 posts)
11. Be careful.
Thu Apr 25, 2013, 10:11 AM
Apr 2013

Be certain they are not false morels.

God they are so good. Looking good for us this weekend, possibly before but this weekend should be when they pop.

100 feet out my front door is the first of the timber. They even come up in my pastures. We have a lot of organism here apparently

Brush em off, saute in butter. Dry the rest. Ahhhhh. So much for the diet.

zeeland

(247 posts)
13. This is a great group !
Tue Apr 30, 2013, 02:34 PM
Apr 2013

Sautéed in butter and served with salmon and spinach salad.
Now I get it...never understood what all the fuss was about.

Last fall we went to our local recycling place and bought a yard of
Veggie Mix to top off the beds and add some nutrients. We'd forgotten
about that but now realize that is where the spores must have come
from. We make our own compost but just didn't have enough.

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