Black morels, Morchella importuna.

The black morel, a cultivable gastronomic treasure

An excellent edible mushroom, the black morel naturally grows in spring in forests, often on calcareous soils. Appreciated for its refined taste and unique texture, it is especially sought after by gourmets.

Our morel strain stands out for its ability to be cultivated under controlled conditions. Unlike some varieties that establish symbiotic relationships with trees, it is mainly saprotrophic: it feeds on decomposing organic matter without requiring a living host. This particularity allows its cultivation on substrate, making production possible outside its natural habitat.

Note, however, that we recommend outdoor cultivation. The success of the cultivation depends on many parameters, including the presence of certain soil bacteria that help with fruiting.

Mycelium storage: If you do not use the mycelium within 3 to 5 days after receipt, it is best to keep it in the refrigerator. It can then be stored for 1 to 2 months before use.

In summary:

Size of the mycelium bag	Seeded area	Number of nutrient bags needed	Expected harvest
1.5 kg	About 5 m²	5 nutrient bags	Between 3 and 7.5 kg of morels
3 kg	About 10 m²	10 nutrient bags	Up to 15 kg of morels

Our quality commitment:

We produce our mycelium under laboratory conditions, thus guaranteeing varietal purity and optimal quality.

We produce our mycelium in a 100% organic way, and all our products are certified "BE-BIO-01, Agriculture Belgium" by CERTISYS.

Note: Morel cultivation is more complex than most other varieties we sell on our site. Its cultivation remains relatively experimental, but research in recent years and information sharing have significantly advanced this cultivation. We guarantee the quality of the strain, but we cannot guarantee cultivation success. Please feel free to share your experience feedback with this cultivation.

🌱 Growing conditions

Morels are generally cultivated outdoors: in the vegetable garden under shade cloth, in a shaded greenhouse, or in the undergrowth.

Sowings are generally done at the end of autumn and beginning of winter, between October and December. Temperatures should no longer exceed 20° (just above the soil).

Late sowing can be done until the end of December in some regions that do not have much frost. For colder regions, prefer spring sowing after the last frosts.

growing morilles

The biotope:

The goal is to reproduce the naturally optimal conditions for morels. In most cases, a shelter in the form of a tunnel with a shade cloth will be necessary. The mycelium needs shade to develop well and cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Think of undergrowth or forest edge, and try to replicate that light environment.

Avoid cultivation soils that have contained fungicides like copper (present in Bordeaux mixture, authorized in organic farming for example), or acidic soils or those rich in tannins. Morels prefer a calcareous, basic soil. The ideal pH is around 7 or 8, measurable with pH test strips. It may be necessary to amend with calcium carbonate, Meudon white, or limestone lime. Avoid lime rich in magnesium, which generally is not suitable for mushroom cultivation.

As a secondary decomposer, morel mycelium will appreciate soil rich in already pre-decomposed organic matter. If you have wood chips, ideally let them compost for a year, then incorporate them into the top 5 centimeters of soil in spring or summer. Manure should also be aged 2 to 3 years before being mixed into the soil for morels.

Morel mycelium withstands light frosts well. If prolonged frosts below -5° are expected, try to further protect your mycelium by covering your tunnel with a thicker veil or tarp.

🔧 Method (I.T.)

1. Inoculation (seeding):

There are two options:

The mycelium is scattered by hand (200 to 300 gr of mycelium per square meter) and then covered or buried under 2 to 4 cm of soil.
The mycelium is buried in "pockets" of 100 to 200 g, covered with 2 to 4 cm of soil (2 to 3 pockets per square meter). With this technique, the mycelium can be placed in terracotta pots, positioned with the hole facing up and closed at the bottom. It is a more laborious method, but it protects the mycelium from contamination, limits the impact of rodents, and accelerates the mycelium "deflagration" by giving it a direction with the opening facing up, while allowing good respiration of the mycelium.

Some recommend, at the same time as inoculation, a light sowing of cereals (wheat, rye, etc.) as ground cover. This light vegetation will provide natural shade to the mycelium, some sugars through the roots, as well as protection against winds and a more constant and favorable humidity for mycelium development. A too dense sowing is not advised.

The soil before inoculation must be well moist to allow proper mycelium development, either after rain or after watering.

2. Mycelium deflagration:

The morel mycelium will start from the grains to explore its environment. It will appear on the soil surface in eccentric circles, called deflagrations. Depending on the biotopes and temperatures, this can take 1 to 3 weeks and show more or less marked aspects.

deflagration

3. Feeding:

The morel will first feed on its so-called "endogenous" food present in the soil. Quickly, the morel mycelium will need to be fed with so-called "exogenous" food, placed directly on the soil. This greedy mushroom needs inputs of sugars (starches, cellulose, and simple sugars). We recommend our nutritional bags, to be placed with an opening towards the soil. Another technique is to provide cooked apples, cut in half, placed with the opening on the mycelium deflagration.

The morel mycelium will thus move from a rich environment (its inoculation point) through a nutrient-poor environment (the soil) to again a sugar-rich environment (the exogenous food). This alternation of environmental richness will allow the mycelium to properly develop its sclerotia, which will then produce beautiful morels.

These food bags will be left in place for a few weeks, untouched, except in cases of contamination by molds or insects. By carefully observing the bags, you should see the grain spawn colonize the grains in the days following their placement. Around March-April, when temperatures begin to rise, about 2 to 3 weeks before fruiting, these bags will be removed.

4. Incubation:

Total incubation takes between 1.5 and 4 months. After feeding, the mycelium will gradually take on orange then brown colors. At this stage, the mycelium will draw its resources from the exogenous food to bring them into the soil, a poor medium. It will concentrate and store its resources there in the form of sclerotia, which will later produce beautiful morels.

5. Watering:

Since mushrooms are composed of nearly 90% water, humidity is a crucial factor. The soil must be well watered before inoculation. A few weeks before fruiting, the soil should be watered regularly. Avoid strong water jets that could damage the surface mycelium. Prefer gentle watering with perforated hoses or micro-droplets, preferably in the morning. In case of heavy rain, protect your mycelium well with a double shade cloth if necessary.

6. Fruiting:

Mushrooms will begin to develop when soil temperatures rise. At this stage, the mycelium will need more light. This can happen naturally, as the days start to lengthen, but you can also remove part of the shade cloth during the day. At night, always cover them with a cloth to limit the risk of frost.

morchella elata fructification

The appearance of "primordia" (mushroom starts) is a delicate period. Primordia are very sensitive and fragile. You must therefore be vigilant during this period by avoiding direct sunlight, drying wind, rain impact, frost, etc., while providing them with some light and constant humidity.

Watering is preferably done by capillarity: avoid wetting the morels directly, but water around or on the paths. In case of high heat, it is possible to water directly by sprinkling only in the morning, before temperature rises. The water will then be quickly absorbed and evaporated.

7. The harvests generally take place between February and May, when temperatures rise towards 20° and the soil warms up. Keep the soil moist throughout the mushroom growth. Morels are harvested when they measure about 10 cm.

morel harvest

Protection against Parasites

Morel cultivation can be threatened by various parasites, including insects and molds. To minimize these risks, install a shade cloth and a protective tarp. These devices help create a controlled environment, reducing the risk of contamination.

For effective biological control against larvae, slugs, and other pests, you can use Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), a naturally occurring soil bacterium that specifically targets harmful insects without harming the crop. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper use.

For slugs hungry after winter's end, ferric phosphate is often used, also authorized in organic farming. We recommend it only at the appearance of the first primordia. The blue pellets are coated with a flour attractive to slugs, but which unfortunately also tends to promote the presence of dactylium, a mold that attacks young morels. Dactylium is favored by constant humidity, a lack of evaporation. You will therefore need to adjust your shelters to increase or limit evaporation, humidity, and soil temperature to give our beautiful morels the best chance.

Management of Birds and Rodents

Birds and rodents can also pose a threat to morel crops by digging in the soil or unearthing young mushrooms. To deter them, you can use protective nets or natural repellents. Installing physical barriers around cultivation areas can also help protect your harvest.

📊 Productivity

Productivity depends on several factors:

The quality of the substrate (soil, organic matter, soil bacteria, etc.),
The weather,
The maintenance of the culture or the gardener's "fungal hand."

With a well-executed cultivation, you can expect to harvest between 500 and 1500 gr per square meter.

⚠️ Precautions

Morels must be cooked. They are toxic when raw.

If it is your first time eating this species, it is best to start with a small amount to check for possible allergies, even after cooking.

Allow about 10 minutes of cooking in a pan or pot for proper cooking.

❓ FAQ

Is it normal for my grain spawn to be brown?

Morel grain spawn goes through different maturity stages, which give it white, orange, then brown colors.

Should I water my crop?

Being rather a winter crop, the soils are generally naturally moist. Two periods must be considered: before inoculation, the soil must be well moist for a good start of the grain spawn, and in spring, during soil warming, it is often necessary to add water to maintain soil moisture.

Does it regrow every year?

No. Since it is a saprophytic variety, it decomposes dead matter and does not form mycorrhizae with surrounding trees. After fruiting, the morel grain spawn is weakened. It is also quite sensitive to heat and dryness, so it generally does not survive the summer unless the environment remains cool and moist.

Is it possible to cultivate them indoors?

It is possible, and it has already been done in Denmark. However, since outdoor morel cultivation is already relatively complex and experimental, indoor cultivation is even more so. The difficulty lies less in the colonization of a substrate by the grain spawn than in the technical conditions necessary for its fruiting.

Do cultivated morels taste the same as wild morels?

Yes, morels cultivated outdoors can be just as tasty as those harvested in the woods. The taste depends on the quality of the soil and its richness in organic matter. Excessive watering or rain during fruiting can diminish the taste of morels. For better preservation and taste, do not harvest morels just after rain.

Is it compatible with other crops in the vegetable garden?

Yes. Morel grain spawn is mainly implanted from October to December, and harvested from February to May. Morel grain spawn feeds, among other things, on the dead roots of cultivated plants.

I have acidic soil, will it work?

No, morels need a basic soil. You will need to add lime or calcium carbonate to raise the pH above 7 before implanting the grain spawn.

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