MOREL MUSHROOMS

[DPBOB]

When is our season going to start ?

It's been too ******** cold out.

Last year was my first time out looking for them.
Was out with L4S and found only 1 good one.
Fried it up and it was tasty.

The season should be starting soon. Who's going out ?

[Tuberale]

The season has begun in CA, WA, and OR. But only starting as far as I know. This AM's temp too low to allow large fruitings yet, but I've seen morels with snow caps, so may not be that long to go for the main flushes. OR still hasn't seen temps over 65 this year.

[Dirt fishing Wolf]

When the lilacs bloom, its all about weather.

[Tuberale]

Lilacs often bloom later than morels here in Portland. A good indication, but sometimes too late to help you.

I often find Calypso orchids in bloom when morels are fruiting at higher elevations, along with blue anenomes (windflower). There are other indications as well I won't go into here.

If checking in OR, WA or CA check disturbed soils (recent road construction good) at lower elevations. This April was one of the wettest years in record, so the moment the soils start warming above 55 degrees, they could pop.

[d-dub]

It's coming soon. We are keeping an eye and we'll let you know!

[DPBOB]

It's coming soon. We are keeping an eye and we'll let you know!

Thanks

[soupie]

Soup scored a good batch of white morels yesterday and several peckerheads,although it has been quite warm for the most part here,been a decent year for the fungus as well as the deer ticks...spray well...
Good luck out there Bob...

[watercolor]

I wish I knew more about mushrooms. . . (sigh)

[soupie]

Here you go Mark

http://thegreatmorel.com/

This is another tasty mushroom

http://theforagerpress.com/fieldguide/octfd.htm

[fistfulladirt]

I've been chasing those morels for close to 40 years, since I was 12. That's good eatin! We just had 2 inches of snow yesterday in S Mich, and it's cold. THe shrooms come in around here in early/mid May.

[bilt46]

Wait for a few more warm nights in a row and they will be everywhere...
Might be a bit to much rain, soggy ground is not a good thing...

[Lookn4Seated]

Wait for a few more warm nights in a row and they will be everywhere...
Might be a bit to much rain, soggy ground is not a good thing...

Yeah, but when I was walking around checking out some of my morel spots, the ground was super dry. So, all this rain might get soaked up pretty well and we might actually have quite the season. I'm thinking at least one garbage bag full this year.

[DPBOB]

Wait for a few more warm nights in a row and they will be everywhere...
Might be a bit to much rain, soggy ground is not a good thing...

Yeah, but when I was walking around checking out some of my morel spots, the ground was super dry. So, all this rain might get soaked up pretty well and we might actually have quite the season. I'm thinking at least one garbage bag full this year.

Give me a call. I should be able to look for them but swinging the coil thats a different story. It gives me problems don't think swinging the coil is going to happen to much this year. Maybe from time to time but nothing like I would like too. Short hunt for me.....is all I can do.

[Tn Gizmo]

I believe the season is about over here in Tennessee...I found sixtysix this season, last six yesterday and they were beginning to dry up.

Oops, I never realized this was the Illinois forum until I posted, I lived in Ill for about 26 years, does that count?

[nhagan]

they are just starting to pop here around peoria! buddy here at work went out both sunday and monday night. found 19 small greys on sunday and 14 more on monday. so they will be popping up soon if this damn rain ever quits.. we need a nice strong 65+ degree week to get them popping.. the first week in may has always been my best week for finding them...

i didnt take many pictures the last few years but here are a few from 2006..



they will be coming soon dp my pics got me hungry for them again!
come hunt down here with us!
neil

[88junior]

I grew up in Kentucky they called these mushrooms dry land fish now I live in Georgia and I have yet to see one. You guys talking about these has made me miss hunting and eating these! Good luck on finding them!!!

[Tuberale]

Nancy Smith Weber, daughter of famed mycologists Alexander H. Smith and Helen V. Smith, has stated that most morels in the US are probably saprophytic. That means they "eat" composting leaves and other dead vegetable material.

But recently some species are suspected of forming mycorrhizal relationships with specific tree types. Elm, tulip poplar, Douglas-fir, Oregon White oak are among the suspected host trees.

Morels also form sclerotia: small hard accumulations of mycelia which can fruit at a later date, sometimes many years later if soil conditions are not acceptable. Sclerotia require supersaturation with water before they will fruit, as the water has to rehydrate the mycelium before the mushrooms begin to grow.

Some morel growers have been cultivating morels for 20 years now. In my experience, they are among the easiest mushrooms to cultivate outside. The mycelium can grow from spores across a Petri dish in a day at 77 degrees. And Nancy has noted that with morels which have been kept in a dry area away from sunlight, there is nearly 100% spore germination 1 year after the original morel has been picked.

[Tuberale]

Morels are excellent hiders. Each year it takes me several hours to train my eyes to SEE them. In Oregon, they are often well camoflaged amidst cones, needles, and leaf litter.

The first time I ever hunted morels, one of my freshman students took me out to a site he had already scouted out. I saw my first morels 5 minutes after leaving the car in a clearcut filled with logging slash. My student told me to stay still, and see how many more morels were nearby. This took another 5 minutes. I was standing the middle of a big patch of morels, but could see only the one ... at first. Then my mind and eyes began to accept what I was seeing. I counted 52 within 10 feet of me. My student said not bad, I see 58. Took home about 25 pounds that first day.

[Dirt fishing Wolf]

A few warm days and nights soon and we will be pickin'em.

[MR Senior L4S]

To watery now , we have wait , til -at 3 night straith 58-60 , and little flowering signs.