GROW MOREL MUSHROOMS

Fungi are difficult to study in natural habitats; for much of their life cycle they are delicate mycelia embedded in the substrate, often mixed with other species of fungi. The fruiting bodies of the fungi may disappear for years and this makes the dynamics of their growth difficult to study. There is little established information on morel reproduction, spore dispersal, colony establishment, and growth under forest conditions.

Morel spores have thin walls and germinate readily under moist conditions it is unlikely that they persist in the soil for long periods. The spores germinate to produce mycelia, which extend through the soil like an underground web. Later the mycelium begins to form storage organs known as pseudosclerotia, which are compact clumps of hyphae used to store essential nutrients. After a fire the spores are released later they will germinate to form mycelia and then they must form sclerotia before the next snow cover.

The genus Morchella were assumed to be saprobes, fungi that make their living from dead material, such dead wood or leaf litter. Recent research has suggested that some species of Morchella could in fact be mycorrhizal, or fungi that invade the roots of living trees and other plants to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. The tree provides photosynthesizes whilst the morel mushrooms collects soil nutrients at low concentrations.

The first research papers published about growing morel mushrooms were published in as late as 1883; using various substrates such as Jerusalem artichokes, apples and pumpkin. Although many attempts at growing morel mushrooms in Europe would certainly predate that time.

Growing Wild Mushrooms: A Complete Guide to Cultivating Edible and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms

This step-by-step guide introduces the beginning mushroom cultivator to everything he needs to know, from sterile culture procedures to indoor bottle gardens to indoor/outdoor compost gardens. Ten chapters cover equipment, growing media, compost, small indoor quantities, starting cultures, and incubation. Black-and-white line drawings and half-tones complement the 16 full color photos taken by the author, founder of the mail order business Mushroom People.

In the Company of Mushrooms: A Biologist's Tale

Call them the foot soldiers of the forest floor. Unassuming and prolific, mushrooms clear a path for new life by expertly and efficiently recycling accumulated dead matter, from the tiniest leaf to the tallest tree. It may sound like a dirty, thankless job, but as microbiologist and author Elio Schaechter enthusiastically notes, we should be singing praises to the fungi of the Earth; without them, all but the tallest of creatures would be buried under a global blanket of decomposing matter.

Schaechter is obviously fascinated by his subject, and his spirit is contagious, making In the Company of Mushrooms as entertaining as it is informative. Though the book serves as a guide to hunting, identifying, and classifying mushrooms--including where to look, what tools are necessary, and how to discern the flavourful from the deadly--its primary aim is to convey the wonders of the fungi world and its essential function in nature. Along the way Schaechter discusses the history of the mushroom and its role in the diets and healing practices of both ancient and modern cultures. He also offers such delectable tidbits as the fact that fungi are more closely related to humans than plants on the evolutionary scale. Mycology has never been so engaging.

As a microbiologist and professor emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, Schaechter brings a scientist's perspective to this popular treatment of an increasingly popular subject. He covers the whole mushroom: biology and life history, common wild and cultivated species, clubs and collecting, eating, and hallucinogenic and poisonous mushrooms. The author enthusiastically entertains and informs the reader with his worldwide personal experiences as a mushroom gatherer and gourmet and as a consultant to the Boston Poison Center. He provides an annotated list of resources that includes books, periodicals, events, and names and addresses of U.S. and Canadian clubs. Not a detailed field guide, cookbook, or textbook, this work is an excellent choice for the curious but perhaps biology-deficient reader who would like to know a little more about mushrooms.

The Curious Morel: Mushroom Hunters' Recipes, Lore & Advice (Nature & Cooking)

From the author
"I picked my first morel when I was 6 years old. I have never missed a "season" since. I can spot morels 50 feet away (in fact, I look for the "shape" in the distance). I can tell from ground cover whether I'm too early, too late, or need to get closer to a source of moisture, if I need to move 100 miles north or south for more predictable success that day. I wrote the first book on morels and was the first General Manager at the first facility to grow morels indoors commercially. I'm extremely fortunate to be able to encourage others to enjoy this wonder-filled healthy, outdoor activity, and share the knowledge I've come to acquire. Plus delicious flavors, great people.... Have I told you about the 3 dogs that were trained to find morels"

Anyone that can look for the shape of a morel has to have respect. In this first and most popular book on morels, Larry Lonik shares his 45 years of experience and research picking, growing, and cooking morel mushrooms-the easiest to identify, safest to pick and eat, and most sought-after of all wild mushrooms. Filled with distinctive wit and wisdom, plus delicious recipes from campfire to gourmet kitchen. A new edition of the complete "how-to," "when-to," and "where-to" classic. See why 10 million North Americans have "morel fever." This book is part of Lonik's Nature and Cooking Series.

Morel Tales: THE CULTURE OF MUSHROOMING

"How nature is interpreted is not 'natural,'" argues sociologist and author Gary Fine. "Nature is a cultural creation...." Interested in how humans make meaning out of nature through culturally grounded images and interpretations, Fine has coined a new phrase for his study--"nature work." But if it's all so much mind play, what is the point of this deconstructionist preening? In his introduction, Fine parades lengthily phrased, teasingly conceptual theories, positing them against the range of contemporary environmentalist thinking.

His three-year study of mushrooms and the people who love them (the Minnesota Mycological Society) utilizes his own field observation, interviews, surveys, and document analysis. He covers such topics as the history of mushroom collection and the mythology they have inspired ("The fact that mushrooms can literally appear overnight makes them seem a gift from the divine"). Indeed, the writing becomes engaging when Fine risks relinquishing his academic pose and offers simple statements tied to experience. His account of a foray on a crisp day in autumn is quite wonderful--the extrapolations are more grounded; the speculations more attuned to a layperson's curiosity. Reports and stories of the mushroom collectors themselves illustrate our human moral-and-meaning-making apparatus.

"Mushroomers place faith in the judgments and advice of peers," Fine notes, "and under some circumstances, risk their lives, without little worry. Much trust and confidence in the competence of others characterize the mushrooming community. Yet this community also depends on competition in finding mushrooms, and this leads to secrecy. How is secrecy compatible with the equally visible trust?" Fine's book is, above all else, an astonishing tenacity of focus. --Hollis Giammatteo

Mushroom starter kitsare the eassiestway to grow morel mushrooms.