How to Prepare the Soil to Grow Morel Mushrooms

Determine the size of the crop you wish to cultivate. For every one-quart mason jar you will need one cup rye seed and one teaspoon of mycelium. Place the total quantity of rye seed in a large bowl, cover with water and soak overnight.

Prepare the substrate. Every five parts of rye will require one part potting soil. Place the soaked rye seed and potting soil in a large bowl and mix until blended. Invert the lid of a mason jar, add one cup mixture, cover loosely and sterilize the filled jar in a pressure cooker at 15 psi for ninety minutes. Allow it to cool completely. Repeat until you fill all your jars and your substrate is gone.

Add one teapsoon of morel mycelium per jar, cover loosely and shake to spread throughout the growing substrate. Store in a dark place where the temperature ranges between 68 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit for one month.

Check on the jar. White strand-like growth should appear evenly distributed throughout the growing substrate; if it is concentrated in one location, shake the jar again and allow it to sit for another two weeks, periodically monitoring mycelium distribution. You may shake the jar as many times as it takes for the mycelium to evenly permeate the substrate.

Pour the substrate into sterile trays with drainage holes.

Mix the soil to a ratio of 20 percent sand, 30 percent potting soil and 50 percent organic material (wood chips, rice hulls, soybean meal and calcium carbonate) in a large bowl; this mixture will be referred to as the casing. Measure the pH; it should be slightly alkaline-=7.1 to 7.3. Mix enough to allow for a two-inch cover over the substrate.

Place enough rye seed to form a one-inch layer in the sterile tray without drainage holes in a large bowl and soak overnight.

Saturate the substrate with water and allow it to drain. Fill the other sterile tray without the drainage holes with the soaked rye seed to a depth of one inch. Place the tray with the substrate on top of the tray with the rye.

Add more morel mycelium using a sterile spoon. Mix well. Add a one- to two-inch layer of casing atop the substrate. Cover with an oven cooking bag and allow it to sit undisturbed in a dark place for a month. Humidity should be at least 90 percent.

Remove rye seed tray, re-bag and refrigerate for two weeks. Remove bag and trickle water for twelve hours. Be sure that the soil drains properly, that the temperature of the air is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity is 90 percent, the soil is moist and the tray is stored in a dark room. The soil is now ready to sprout morels.