Black morels, morchella importuna.
An excellent edible mushroom, the black morel grows naturally in spring in forests, generally in limestone soils. It is a very popular mushroom and particularly sought after for its refined taste.
Unlike other varieties of morels which are symbiotic and form mycorrhizae with specific plants, our variety is of the "saprophytic" type. This means that it decomposes dead matter and does not need a living host (tree) to grow.
Storing the mycelium: If you are not using the mycelium within 3 to 5 days of receipt, it is best to store it in the refrigerator. It can therefore be stored for 1 to 2 months before use.
In summary :
| Mycelium bag size | Sown area | Number of nutrient bags needed | Harvest expected |
|---|
| 1.5 kg | Approximately 5 m² | 5 nutrient bags | Up to 1 kg of morels |
| 3 kg | Approximately 10 m² | 10 nutrient bags | Up to 2 kg of morels |
Our commitment to quality:
We produce our mycelia under laboratory conditions, thus guaranteeing variety purity and optimal quality.
We produce our mycelia 100% organically, and all our products are certified " BE-BIO-01, Agriculture Belgique " by CERTISYS.
Note: Growing morels is more complex than most of the other varieties we sell on our site. Its culture remains relatively experimental, but research in recent years and the sharing of information have considerably advanced this culture. We guarantee the quality of the strain, but we cannot guarantee the success of the cultivation. Do not hesitate to share your feedback with us with this culture.
Morels are generally grown outdoors: in the vegetable garden under a shade sail, in a shaded greenhouse or in the undergrowth.
Sowing is generally done in late fall and early winter, between October and December. Temperatures should no longer exceed 20° (just above the ground).
Late sowing can be done until the end of December in certain regions which do not have too much frost. For colder regions, choose spring sowing after the last frost.
The biotope:
The objective is to reproduce the naturally optimal conditions of the morel. In the majority of cases, a shelter in the form of a tunnel with a shade sail will be necessary. The mycelium needs shade to develop well and cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Think undergrowth or edge, and try to reproduce this brightness.
Avoid growing soils that have contained fungicides such as copper (present in Bordeaux mixture, authorized organically for example), or even acidic soils or soils rich in tannins. Morels appreciate calcareous, basic soil. The ideal pH is 7 or 8, measurable with pH measuring strips. It may be necessary to amend with calcium carbonate, Meudon white or limestone. Avoid lime rich in magnesium, which is generally not suitable for growing mushrooms.
As a secondary decomposer, morel mycelium will appreciate soil rich in already pre-decomposed organic matter. If you have wood chips, the ideal would be to let them compost for a year, then integrate them into the top 5 centimeters of the soil in spring or summer. The manure must also be 2 to 3 years old before being mixed with the soil for the morels.
Morel mycelium resists 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 tarpaulin.
1. Inoculation (seeding):
There are two options:
- The mycelium is broadcast (200 to 400 g 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, placed 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 "deflagration" of the mycelium by giving it a direction with the opening upwards, while allowing good respiration. mycelium.
Some recommend, at the same time as inoculation, light sowing of cereals (wheat, rye, etc.) to cover the ground. This light vegetation will provide natural shade to the mycelium, some sugars from the roots, as well as protection against the winds and a more constant hygrometry favorable to the development of the mycelium. Too dense sowing is not recommended.
The soil before inoculation must be well moist to allow the good development of the mycelium, either after rain or after watering.
2. The explosion of the mycelium:
The mycelium of the morel will start from the mycelium on grains to explore its environment. It will appear on the surface of the soil in eccentric circles, called deflagrations. Depending on the biotopes and temperatures, this can take 1 to 3 weeks and present more or less pronounced aspects.
3. Feeding:
The morel will feed first of all on its so-called "endogenous" food, present in the soil. Quickly, the morel mycelium will have to be fed with so-called "exogenous" food, placed directly on the ground. This greedy mushroom needs sugars (starches, cellulose, and simple sugars). We recommend our nutrient bags , to be placed with an opening towards the ground. Another technique consists of bringing cooked apples, cut in half, placed with the opening on the explosion of the mycelium.
The morel mycelium will thus pass from a rich environment (its point of inoculation) through an environment poor in nutrients (the earth) to once again go towards an environment rich in sugars (exogenous food). This alternation of richness of the environment will allow the mycelium to properly develop its sclerotia, which will then give beautiful morels.
"These food bags will be left in place for a few weeks, untouched, except in case of contamination by mold or insects. By carefully observing the bags, you should see the mycelium colonizing the mycelium on grains in the days following their placement. Around March-April, when temperatures start 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 exogenous food to bring them to the earth, a poor environment. It will concentrate and store its resources there in the form of sclerotia, which will subsequently produce beautiful morels.
5. Watering:
Since mushrooms are almost 90% water, humidity is a crucial factor. The soil should be well watered before inoculation. A few weeks before fruiting, the soil must be watered regularly. Avoid strong jets of water which could damage the mycelia on the surface. Favor gentle watering using perforated pipes or micro-droplets, preferably in the morning. In the event of heavy rain, protect your mycelium well with a double shade sail if necessary.
6. Fruiting:
Mushrooms will begin to grow when soil temperatures rise. At this stage, the mycelium will need more light. This can be done naturally, as the days start to get longer, but you can also remove part of the shade sail during the day. At night, always cover them with a veil to limit the risk of frost.
The appearance of “primordias” (fungus starts) is a delicate period. The primordia are very sensitive and fragile. You must therefore be vigilant during this period by avoiding direct sunlight, drying wind, heavy rain, frost, etc., while providing them with a little light and constant humidity.
7. Harvestsare generally done between February and May, when temperatures rise to around 20° and the soil warms up. Maintain moist soil throughout mushroom growth. Morels are harvested when they measure around 10 cm.
Protection against Pests
Morel cultivation can be threatened by various pests, including insects and mold. To minimize these risks, install a shade sail and a protective tarpaulin. These devices help create a controlled environment, reducing the risk of contamination.
For effective biological control of larvae, slugs, and other pests, you can use Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), a bacteria naturally present in the soil that specifically targets insect pests without harming the crop. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper use.
Bird and Rodent Management
Birds and rodents can also pose a threat to morel crops, digging through the soil or digging up young mushrooms. To deter them, you can use protective nets or natural repellents. Installing physical barriers around growing areas can also help protect your crop.
📊 Productivity
Productivity depends on several factors:
- The quality of the substrate (soil, organic matter, soil bacteria, etc.),
- The weather,
- Crop maintenance or the gardener's "fungal hand".
With a well-performed crop, you can hope to harvest 200 to 300 gr per square meter.
The morels must be cooked. They are toxic when raw.
If this 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 around 10 minutes of cooking in a pan or saucepan for good cooking.
Is it normal for my mycelium to be brown?
Morel mycelium goes through different stages of maturity, which gives it white, orange, then brown colors.
Should I water my crop?
Being more of a winter crop, the land is generally naturally humid. Two periods must be taken into account: before inoculation, the soil must be very humid for the mycelium to get off to a good start, and in spring, when the soil warms up, it is often necessary to add water to maintain the humidity of the land.
Does it grow back 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 mycelium is weakened. It is also quite sensitive to heat and drought, so it generally does not survive the summer unless the environment remains cool and humid.
Is it possible to grow them indoors?
It is possible, and it has already been achieved in Denmark. However, growing morels outdoors is already relatively complex and experimental, growing them indoors is even more so. The difficulty lies less in the colonization of a substrate by the mycelium than in the technical conditions necessary for its fruiting.
Do cultivated morels taste the same as wild morels?
Yes, morels grown 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. Too much watering or rain during fruiting can dull the taste of morels. For better conservation and better taste, do not harvest morels immediately after rain.
Is it compatible with other crops in the vegetable garden?
Yes. Morel mycelium is mainly established from October to December, and is harvested from February to May. Morel mycelium feeds, among other things, on the dead roots of cultivated plants.
I have acidic soil, will this work?
No, morels need basic soil. You will need to add lime or calcium carbonate to raise the pH above 7 before implanting the mycelium.
Black morels, morchella importuna.
An excellent edible mushroom, the black morel grows naturally in spring in forests, generally in limestone soils. It is a very popular mushroom and particularly sought after for its refined taste.
Unlike other varieties of morels which are symbiotic and form mycorrhizae with specific plants, our variety is of the "saprophytic" type. This means that it decomposes dead matter and does not need a living host (tree) to grow.
Storing the mycelium: If you are not using the mycelium within 3 to 5 days of receipt, it is best to store it in the refrigerator. It can therefore be stored for 1 to 2 months before use.
In summary :
| Mycelium bag size | Sown area | Number of nutrient bags needed | Harvest expected |
|---|
| 1.5 kg | Approximately 5 m² | 5 nutrient bags | Up to 1 kg of morels |
| 3 kg | Approximately 10 m² | 10 nutrient bags | Up to 2 kg of morels |
Our commitment to quality:
We produce our mycelia under laboratory conditions, thus guaranteeing variety purity and optimal quality.
We produce our mycelia 100% organically, and all our products are certified " BE-BIO-01, Agriculture Belgique " by CERTISYS.
Note: Growing morels is more complex than most of the other varieties we sell on our site. Its culture remains relatively experimental, but research in recent years and the sharing of information have considerably advanced this culture. We guarantee the quality of the strain, but we cannot guarantee the success of the cultivation. Do not hesitate to share your feedback with us with this culture.
Morels are generally grown outdoors: in the vegetable garden under a shade sail, in a shaded greenhouse or in the undergrowth.
Sowing is generally done in late fall and early winter, between October and December. Temperatures should no longer exceed 20° (just above the ground).
Late sowing can be done until the end of December in certain regions which do not have too much frost. For colder regions, choose spring sowing after the last frost.
The biotope:
The objective is to reproduce the naturally optimal conditions of the morel. In the majority of cases, a shelter in the form of a tunnel with a shade sail will be necessary. The mycelium needs shade to develop well and cannot tolerate direct sunlight. Think undergrowth or edge, and try to reproduce this brightness.
Avoid growing soils that have contained fungicides such as copper (present in Bordeaux mixture, authorized organically for example), or even acidic soils or soils rich in tannins. Morels appreciate calcareous, basic soil. The ideal pH is 7 or 8, measurable with pH measuring strips. It may be necessary to amend with calcium carbonate, Meudon white or limestone. Avoid lime rich in magnesium, which is generally not suitable for growing mushrooms.
As a secondary decomposer, morel mycelium will appreciate soil rich in already pre-decomposed organic matter. If you have wood chips, the ideal would be to let them compost for a year, then integrate them into the top 5 centimeters of the soil in spring or summer. The manure must also be 2 to 3 years old before being mixed with the soil for the morels.
Morel mycelium resists 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 tarpaulin.
1. Inoculation (seeding):
There are two options:
- The mycelium is broadcast (200 to 400 g 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, placed 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 "deflagration" of the mycelium by giving it a direction with the opening upwards, while allowing good respiration. mycelium.
Some recommend, at the same time as inoculation, light sowing of cereals (wheat, rye, etc.) to cover the ground. This light vegetation will provide natural shade to the mycelium, some sugars from the roots, as well as protection against the winds and a more constant hygrometry favorable to the development of the mycelium. Too dense sowing is not recommended.
The soil before inoculation must be well moist to allow the good development of the mycelium, either after rain or after watering.
2. The explosion of the mycelium:
The mycelium of the morel will start from the mycelium on grains to explore its environment. It will appear on the surface of the soil in eccentric circles, called deflagrations. Depending on the biotopes and temperatures, this can take 1 to 3 weeks and present more or less pronounced aspects.
3. Feeding:
The morel will feed first of all on its so-called "endogenous" food, present in the soil. Quickly, the morel mycelium will have to be fed with so-called "exogenous" food, placed directly on the ground. This greedy mushroom needs sugars (starches, cellulose, and simple sugars). We recommend our nutrient bags , to be placed with an opening towards the ground. Another technique consists of bringing cooked apples, cut in half, placed with the opening on the explosion of the mycelium.
The morel mycelium will thus pass from a rich environment (its point of inoculation) through an environment poor in nutrients (the earth) to once again go towards an environment rich in sugars (exogenous food). This alternation of richness of the environment will allow the mycelium to properly develop its sclerotia, which will then give beautiful morels.
"These food bags will be left in place for a few weeks, untouched, except in case of contamination by mold or insects. By carefully observing the bags, you should see the mycelium colonizing the mycelium on grains in the days following their placement. Around March-April, when temperatures start 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 exogenous food to bring them to the earth, a poor environment. It will concentrate and store its resources there in the form of sclerotia, which will subsequently produce beautiful morels.
5. Watering:
Since mushrooms are almost 90% water, humidity is a crucial factor. The soil should be well watered before inoculation. A few weeks before fruiting, the soil must be watered regularly. Avoid strong jets of water which could damage the mycelia on the surface. Favor gentle watering using perforated pipes or micro-droplets, preferably in the morning. In the event of heavy rain, protect your mycelium well with a double shade sail if necessary.
6. Fruiting:
Mushrooms will begin to grow when soil temperatures rise. At this stage, the mycelium will need more light. This can be done naturally, as the days start to get longer, but you can also remove part of the shade sail during the day. At night, always cover them with a veil to limit the risk of frost.
The appearance of “primordias” (fungus starts) is a delicate period. The primordia are very sensitive and fragile. You must therefore be vigilant during this period by avoiding direct sunlight, drying wind, heavy rain, frost, etc., while providing them with a little light and constant humidity.
7. Harvestsare generally done between February and May, when temperatures rise to around 20° and the soil warms up. Maintain moist soil throughout mushroom growth. Morels are harvested when they measure around 10 cm.
Protection against Pests
Morel cultivation can be threatened by various pests, including insects and mold. To minimize these risks, install a shade sail and a protective tarpaulin. These devices help create a controlled environment, reducing the risk of contamination.
For effective biological control of larvae, slugs, and other pests, you can use Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), a bacteria naturally present in the soil that specifically targets insect pests without harming the crop. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper use.
Bird and Rodent Management
Birds and rodents can also pose a threat to morel crops, digging through the soil or digging up young mushrooms. To deter them, you can use protective nets or natural repellents. Installing physical barriers around growing areas can also help protect your crop.
📊 Productivity
Productivity depends on several factors:
- The quality of the substrate (soil, organic matter, soil bacteria, etc.),
- The weather,
- Crop maintenance or the gardener's "fungal hand".
With a well-performed crop, you can hope to harvest 200 to 300 gr per square meter.
The morels must be cooked. They are toxic when raw.
If this 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 around 10 minutes of cooking in a pan or saucepan for good cooking.
Is it normal for my mycelium to be brown?
Morel mycelium goes through different stages of maturity, which gives it white, orange, then brown colors.
Should I water my crop?
Being more of a winter crop, the land is generally naturally humid. Two periods must be taken into account: before inoculation, the soil must be very humid for the mycelium to get off to a good start, and in spring, when the soil warms up, it is often necessary to add water to maintain the humidity of the land.
Does it grow back 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 mycelium is weakened. It is also quite sensitive to heat and drought, so it generally does not survive the summer unless the environment remains cool and humid.
Is it possible to grow them indoors?
It is possible, and it has already been achieved in Denmark. However, growing morels outdoors is already relatively complex and experimental, growing them indoors is even more so. The difficulty lies less in the colonization of a substrate by the mycelium than in the technical conditions necessary for its fruiting.
Do cultivated morels taste the same as wild morels?
Yes, morels grown 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. Too much watering or rain during fruiting can dull the taste of morels. For better conservation and better taste, do not harvest morels immediately after rain.
Is it compatible with other crops in the vegetable garden?
Yes. Morel mycelium is mainly established from October to December, and is harvested from February to May. Morel mycelium feeds, among other things, on the dead roots of cultivated plants.
I have acidic soil, will this work?
No, morels need basic soil. You will need to add lime or calcium carbonate to raise the pH above 7 before implanting the mycelium.
