Morel Grain Spawn-Golden Morel

Grain Spawn on Oats.

To successfully cultivate a morel crop you must continuously nurture and care for your Inoculate as soon as you receive it. Planning ahead for planting is very important and you must determine where, when, and how to prepare for the planting of your Inoculate before you receive it. The following is a list of items to keep in mind when planting and caring for your Inoculate.  Healthy and happy trees mean a more fruitful morel crop.  Heat and dryness are enemies of your trees and the delicate morel fungus that lives inside the roots.  Wet the Inoculate with rain water when you receive it and store in a cool place.

Here’s a list of things that you must do to plan for the planting and the care of the Inoculate.

• Till the soil at least 1 foot deep before planting.
• Plant in soil that is sandy loam, or humus, without much clay.  Some clay is ok, but too much may cause the soil to hold water. Rocky or gravel type soil where water drains too quickly must be avoided.  You must plant in a section of the United States where hardwood trees grow naturally, such as oak, elm, ash, maple, etc. Soil should have Ph of  6 – 8.
• Tamp the soil firmly around the roots of a tree when planting to avoid air around the root.
• Plan to have a good source of water available before you plant, and be sure to water immediately after planting.
• Plant the Inoculate in soil that is well drained. Puddles or standing water will kill the fungus. Rain must run off slowly. Planting in swampland, bogs, septic systems or marshland, must be avoided.
• Never plant on a steep slope, or on the north side of a hill or building, or in a place where it will not receive adequate sunshine. Planting on east facing gentle slopes is permissible or slightly sloping land where the Inoculate will receive morning sun and afternoon shade.  Mulch and water often during the first two years.
• During an extended period of hot or dry weather you must water often and make sure there is adequate mulch, at least 1 inch, but not more than 2 inches. Use non-acidic natural mulch such as ground bark chips, leaves, pine needles, etc. No not allow grass to grow around the Inoculate
• During the year do not walk too close to the Inoculate, try to keep the ground soft and unpacked, and do not till around the Inoculate.
• You may be required to install a small fence around your plantation. Rabbits will eat the Inoculate , squirrels will dig around, and deer will eat the morels.
• Do not spray with chemicals, and avoid fertilizers with nitrogen over 15. You may sprinkle 12-12-12 very lightly around Inoculate. Too much fertilizer will burn out the morel fungus.
• Box plantations are planted in small sections such as 30 feet by 15 feet, holding approximately 50 Inoculate per plantation. Trees are planted approximately three feet apart in order to share shade. You can allow enough room to walk around the box plantations for watering or mulching by throwing light mulch around the trees without walking inside the box. When finished you may want to put up a small fence to keep rabbits and other animals out of the plantation.
• Morel production is proportional to the age of the patch and the amount of wood mulch and water you add.