There she be boys & girls! First sighting of the 2013 season in Southwest Wisconsin (Grant County)!
Now don’t go grab your stick and bag and run off into the woods. These little farts are no bigger than your average thumbnail. Going to take some help from ma-nature over the course of the next 7 to 10 days before they make a bite coming out of a frying pan. Next few days, with forcasted highs in the 30’s and 40’s will NOT help.
As for moisture content. Soil is in EXCELLENT shape right now. But these are morchella we are talking about. There is NEVER enough “water” unless you’re flat out under-water in the beginning of the season. This will change as the season is drawing to a conclusion in which rain will actually accelerate deteriation condition of an aged morel. A good shot of rain every 3 days is perfect with day time highs in the mid 60’s and overnight lows in the low 50’s.
Last but not least…….morels DO IN FACT grow over the course of time (weeks). Almost all morels in Southwest Wisconsin start off as little grays. (As a matter of fact, in the first few hours of life above ground they are as white as a ghost.) Some, pending genotypic variation coupled with available nutrients in localized areas will blossom into yellows. Others will reach maturity, gray in color at an inch tall.
Good luck & happy shrooming!
