How find morels.

After answering the question "when searching for morels?" comes naturally the question "how to find morels?".

The establishment of a certain strategy can increase your chances of nice discoveries.

An old fire place in a cleared area.

Good morels areas can be 2 types: perennial areas where the morel appears every year, and pioneering areas where the morel appears only one or two years, sometimes abundant before disappearing later.

If you have never found morels, you will easily find general informations that can identify habitats that may be suitable to morels.

If you have already found morels, you can look similar places or with some variations, it will help deepen your knowledge and to better target your research.

A grove with hawthorn.

I will not speak here of plants associated with morels. This is a vast subject, and most importantly, with time and a lot of exploration in different parts, I realized that these associations could vary widely. This will be further investigated.

When find morels ?

If you know one or more morel collectors, your task will be simplified: as soon as these people will find you can begin your research.

Snowdrop

If you do not know anyone, your task will be a little more complicated but I can give you some ideas.

In general, I observe the progress of vegetation: the bursting of the first buds, end flowerings of certain plants like snowdrops or snowflake flowers (Galanthus nivalis or vernum Leucojum), early flowering of the wood anemones (Anemone nemorosa) and daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) are good indicators.

First find.

It was during one of these walks that I had the pleasure of finding these Tubaria. It is difficult to identify the species without a microscopic study, probably Tubaria hiemalis or romagnesiana.

This small fungus can occur in the fall, grows in winter at least thaws and still growing in early spring. It typically grows on woody debris. In addition to its aesthetic appearence, it is interesting for the morels collector that I am.

And when comes the season for morels ...

Late winter.

Winter is still here, but something indefinable makes rouse us. Perhaps is it the warmer weather, birds singing more... The fact is that any morels collector wakes up, feeling like vegetation spring, with this in mind: to visit his favorite spots.

This rule applies also to me. A kind of instinct tells me to go and see my stations. Needless to say I already know in advance that I have no luck finding morels so early in the season.

Look at the terrain and climate of your prospecting area. Part 2.

From these observations, we can already establish an early prospecting strategy.

A nice soil for morel.

The morel likes wetlands, but not too cool and relatively well exposed.










We therefore eliminate the land too heavy and poorly exposed.
To recognize a light or heavy ground , just take a little land and do like gardeners , tighten in your hand.

Look at the terrain and climate of your prospecting area. Part 1

The first puzzle to be solved before rushing headlong in search of morels is to know the terrain and climate of the prospecting area.

If you live in an area where the climate is fairly constant and the terrain has the same nature everywhere, your task will be easy.
Unfortunately this is not my case.

And here is my current hunting ground.

Panorama.

A mountainous area at the south of the Vosges Mountains, the Vosges Saônoises, whose highlights are the Ballon de Servance (1216m) and La Planche des Belles Filles (1148m). Ronchamp Champagney lie at the foothills at an altitude of about 300 meters in the Natural Park of Ballons Comtois.

The morel, an apart mushroom for collectors.

Welcome on my blog !

The morel has a special place among mushroom collectors.

Indeed, this fungus is particularly difficult to find, it happens quite early in the season and is especially delicious.

I had the opportunity to find some in many regions according to my successive removals.

When I arrived in this region, thanks to my experience