If you’re an accomplished mushroom hunter and don’t want to buy a kit, you may have some success growing morel mushrooms by using the spore slurry method. A spore slurry is simply a solution of water, some salt, a form of sugar, and spores. The spores are suspended in the water and used to inoculate an outdoor habitat.
To grow morel mushrooms at home, you must try to replicate their favorable growing conditions outdoors. If you don’t experience success one season, try again, as morels have an unpredictable growing habit.
You might be wondering “How do you grow morel mushrooms without a kit?”
Growing Morel Mushrooms Without a Kit Collect or buy a few morel mushrooms for later use. Start by boiling 1 gallon of tap-water and placing it in a food-safe container. Add 1 tablespoon of molasses to the water. Apply a pinch of salt to prevent the spread of bacteria. Insert the morel mushrooms in the mixture and stir it.
What is the success rate of growing morel mushrooms?
One big thing to keep in mind with growing Morels is that you will probably only have a 40% success rate and that is just the way this elusive mushroom is. People have struggled with trying to understand this mushroom forever and still don’t completely understand it.
Can you grow morels indoors?
Every mushroom that has been successfully cultivated indoors can be grown by more than one method. Just modify the parameters a little and you wont been in violation of their patent. One big thing to keep in mind with growing Morels is that you will probably only have a 40% success rate and that is just the way this elusive mushroom is.
Watering with captured rainwater is preferred to chlorinated tap water. Morel mushrooms grow best in cool, moist weather. The quintessential spring weather of mild days with temperatures of 60 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and cool evenings in the 40s with scattered rain and cloudy days will extend the morel growing and harvesting season.
Do morel mushrooms have roots?
Mushrooms don’t have roots and don’t produce seeds. In some ways, they are as different from plants as they are from animals. Growing morel mushrooms indoors is nearly impossible for all but experts with access to the strictest laboratory conditions and equipment.
How do you take care of a morel mushroom?
Regular moisture is very important to a morel mushroom’s growth. Your morel growing area should be about as moist as a wrung-out sponge. Watering with captured rainwater is preferred to chlorinated tap water. Morel mushrooms grow best in cool, moist weather.
Let the water cool to room temperature, then add in some full shredded morel mushrooms. Let the mixture sit for about two days, then strain it through cheesecloth and collect the liquid, which will contain the microscopic spores.