It is April 17th and it is snowing in Northern Indiana.  The high temp is 40.  There’s been a number of frustrated posts or lack of moral, due to lack of morels ( no pun intended lol ).    The good news is – although we are experiencing a late morel mushroom season, so far it is looking like a good one once it eventually arrives.   Looking at the temps ahead – if they rise gradually with rains here and there giving us a real spring we will have a bumper crop of morel mushrooms!  So, although our season is delayed, we could have a good one.  The bad news is.. if the temps decide to go from 40s and 50s right into 80s then forget everything I just said, haha.  But so far I like what I see!!

There is one very important thing we have to remember-   Morel Mushrooms do not pop, in fact they do grow.  And when the temps are cooler they grow very slow.  So if you are itching to get out check your productive spots, there is a good chance that the morel mycelium is awake and forming baby morels under the leaves and with that said..  you could be walking all over your best spots crushing those baby morels before they ever get a chance to peak past the leaves.   As hard as it is, try to be patient and let them grow.   Early in the morel mushroom season I pick the gray morels that are worth picking, take as few steps as possible and move on, returning to the same spots 4-7 days later to pick more morels.   I also cover up some little grays and pick much bigger yellows ..  same mushroom turns from gray to yellow just like a tomato turns from green to red as it matures.

Well, I am gonna wrap it up here and go do some fishing.  Gotta have some filets in the freezer for when fresh morels come.

Best of luck this season!   Respect the nature and it will reward you!

Alex Babich

MushroomGear.com

Monster Morel Mushrooms!