Cultivation method and cultivation technology of Morchella

In some places, morels are also called sheep's tripe, sheep mushroom, and sheep's tripe mushroom. The cap is nearly spherical, oval to elliptical, with a blunt tip and sheep's tripe-shaped pits on the surface. Morels are delicious and have good nutritional value, and have become very popular in recent years. Let’s learn together the cultivation methods and techniques of morels.

1. Prepare the culture medium

Choose one of the following recipes to prepare the culture medium:

Option 1: 74.5% crop straw powder, 20% bran, 1% superphosphate, 1% gypsum, 0.5% lime , and 3% humus.

Option 2: 75% sawdust, 20% bran, 1% superphosphate, 1% gypsum, and 3% humus.

Option 3: 75% cotton husk, 20% bran, 1% gypsum, 1% lime, and 3% humus. Mix the culture medium and water in a ratio of 1:1.3, pile and ferment for 20 days, and adjust the water content to 60%. A 17-33 cm polypropylene plastic bag was filled with 500-600 g of the culture medium and then sterilized at 100°C for 8 hours. After sterilization, inoculate the Morchella spawn using the two-end inoculation method and seal the bag. After culturing at 22-25℃ for about 30 days, the mycelium will cover the entire bag.

2. Indoor cultivation

In the disinfected morel mushroom house, cover each bed with plastic film and then cover it with 3 cm thick humus soil. Arrange the unbagged mushroom sticks on the bed, with 40 mushroom bags per square meter. After lightly spraying water, cover the soil with 3-5 cm, and cover the surface with 2 cm thick bamboo leaves or broad-leaved tree fallen leaves to keep it moist. After about 1 month, the fruiting body will grow. The best mushroom-growing period in the southern region is from March 10 to April 20. Morels mature 7-10 days after being unearthed, and can be harvested when their color changes from dark gray to light gray or brown-yellow.

3. Outdoor cultivation

Choose a semi-shaded and semi-sunny woodland as the cultivation bed, with a bed width of 1 meter and a depth of 15-20 cm. After land preparation, spray or lightly water the land, and disinfect it with 10% lime water. The management of bagging, removing mushroom sticks and mushroom production is the same as indoor cultivation, but no plastic film is laid on the bottom layer. Pay attention to adjusting the temperature in the bed and avoid direct sunlight.

4. Pest and disease management:

Morel may be susceptible to diseases and insect pests during the mycelium growth and fruiting body growth stages. Prevention is the key, keep the environment clean. Disinfect and pest control the site before sowing. If insect pests are found later, spray pyrethrum or 10% lime water before the fruiting bodies appear.

5. Processing and Storage

The processing of morels is mainly sun-drying or oven-drying. Be careful not to damage the cap when drying, keeping it intact. You can use a curing room or sun drying to avoid wood smoking. The dried morels are packed in plastic bags according to grades to prevent moisture.

The above is an introduction to the key points of morel cultivation. There are many aspects to pay attention to when cultivating morels, and the environment must be suitable for the growth of the fungus.