Morel Cultivation Techniques: Can Morels Be Grown Under a Forest Canopy?
Can morels be grown under a forest canopy? What is the best time to plant them? What are the cultivation methods? Please give an introduction. Morels can grow under poplar, birch or mixed broadleaf forests, so morels can be cultivated under trees. When growing morels under a forest canopy, you should choose a coniferous-broadleaf forest dominated by poplar or birch, with a canopy density above 0.7, and loose, thick, moist humus soil beneath the trees...
Can morels be grown under a forest canopy? What is the best time to plant them? What are the cultivation methods? Please give an introductionMorels can grow under poplar, birch or mixed broadleaf forests, so morels can be cultivated under trees. When growing morels under a forest canopy, you should choose a coniferous-broadleaf forest dominated by poplar or birch, with a canopy density above 0.7, and loose, thick, moist humus soil beneath the trees. The optimum temperature for morel mycelium growth is 18-25°C. A large day-night temperature difference, with a forest temperature of 4-16°C, favors the formation of fruiting bodies. Morels are suited to growing in moist soil; when fruiting bodies appear in large numbers, the soil moisture content is 50%-60% and the relative air humidity is 80%-90%.
Preparation of Morel Mother Culture Medium
Medium formula: potato 200 g, glucose 20 g, agar 20 g, vitamin B1 1 g, water 1000 ml.
Preparation method: boil the potato in boiling water for 30 minutes and take the juice. Add glucose, agar and other supplementary materials to the juice, stir and heat continuously; once the agar has fully dissolved, fill test tubes, filling each tube to 1/5 of its height, and seal with a cotton plug. Sterilize with high-pressure steam for 2 hours, then remove and place at a slant to cool.
Preparation of Morel Mother Culture
Use freshly picked morels as the stock culture and collect morel spores by the spore-shooting method. Place the collected spores at room temperature (temperature not exceeding 25°C) for about 7 days, and inoculate once the mycelium has spread over the medium.
Mother culture preparation: inoculation must be carried out in a sterile inoculation box; after inoculation, place the test tubes in a dark environment at a temperature within 25°C. The mycelium will cover the medium in about 10 days.
Preparation of Morel Spawn Medium
Medium formula: sawdust 75%, wheat bran 20%, gypsum 1%, lime 1%, humus soil 3%.
Preparation method: material-to-water ratio 1:1.3, humidity about 60%; after mixing and stirring, fill into spawn bottles, filling the medium to 4/5 of the bottle height, and plug the bottle mouth with cotton. Sterilize with steam for 8-10 hours, then remove after cooling and set aside for use.
Preparation of Morel Spawn
Mother culture selection: choose mother culture with healthy mycelium growth, free of contaminating microorganisms and free of discoloration. Morel mycelium is white, slightly yellowish, and produces sclerotia when mature; the sclerotia are yellowish-brown and visible to the naked eye.
Spawn preparation: inoculation must be carried out in a sterile, dust-free, sealed space, and steam sterilization must be performed throughout the operation. Each tube of mother culture can inoculate 10-15 bottles of spawn. Place the spawn bottles in an iron room at a temperature not exceeding 25°C for about 30 days, until the mycelium has covered the bottles and yellowish-brown sclerotia have appeared.
Under-Forest Planting Method for Morels
Planting method: sow at the end of October. Before sowing, shallowly turn the soil under the forest, then directly broadcast the spawn from the bottles into the soil; after sowing, cover with 1-3 cm of humus soil, then cover with 2 cm of broadleaf leaves on top.
In mid-March of the following year, when the day-night temperature rises to 4-16°C, fruiting bodies can appear. During the fruiting period, keep the casing soil moist, maintain the soil moisture content at 50%-60%, and follow the watering principle of small amounts and multiple times. According to observations of the growth conditions of wild morels, during this period, if the temperature difference changes too much, below 4°C or above 16°C, fruiting bodies are very difficult to germinate; if drought occurs in early spring, water promptly to maintain soil moisture, otherwise the occurrence of fruiting bodies will also be seriously affected.
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