Morels 

1. Decide where to grow your morels.

The easiest choice is to plant them on the side of a dying tree, but that is not always an option. Space should be well shaded receiving less than three hours of direct sunlight per day.

Ideally, daytime temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s when you plant. Morels are a cool-season crop that is best grown when the weather is going from winter to spring.

 2. Prepare your soil

Regardless of where you decide to plant the morels, it is important to properly prep the soil. Start by burning some wood chips so that you have ashes. Then, mix equal amounts of peat moss, wood chips, and ashes to form a mixture. 

Hoe up an area about 0.25 inches deep, and as big as you want your morel area to be. Most growers do very well with a four foot by four-foot square morel growing area.

Plant your spawn:

• Mix your morel spawn/spores into the prepared bed by spreading it through the top layer.

• Spread the mix of the peat moss, wood chips, and ashes on top of the spawn bed. Morels grow near elm, ash, old apple, and tulip trees so use chips from one of these trees (preferably elm or ash).

Wait:

• The worst part! Although the mycelium is a fast colonizer, it may take a few years before it produces any actual mushrooms. Growing morel mushrooms is not a hobby for the impatient.

Don't get discouraged if nothing happens the following spring. Keep the area moist and nutritious. With some luck and the right conditions, you may someday have morels in your backyard!