Well, I never thought so even though I've been told they do. I found a couple of morel mushrooms three weeks back that were about pecan size. I just left them. I checked them and they both appeared to grow a little. Last weekend son and I were hunting and found enough for a small mess so I decided to take up the test samples. Son picked one so I didn't get a chance to see it as it was mixed in with others he'd found. But the other had definitely grown. I didn't take measurements before or after but I'd say it at least doubled in height and quadrupled in weight.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10034/wsmushroom201304b.jpg)
Before
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10034/wsmushroom201304a.jpg)
After. Note the acorn cup lower and left. I took sticks and laid them around the mushroom and put liefs over it to hide it from poachers.
bibby pretty sure they grow in size, years ago I learned a lesson from an ole turkey hunter, his method was to cut them off at the stem leaving the roots, this was for morrels and hickory chicks both, now for the stranger types I have witnessed what we call the bearded tooth, a real pretty edible room, they grow around here mostly on the sides of oaks, watched one for the entire season grow to over the size of a softball, david
I remember pulling up to a stop sign years ago and a fellow had mowed his grass and the were four yellow morels sticking above the grass around the base of a dead elm tree two inches or so with the tops cut off from the lawn mower so yes they do grow ;D
A puzzling question "Do wild mushrooms grow?".
How else would they get to be the size they are when found?
Maybe something I'm missing here. ::)
I HAVE HEARD IF YOU GATHER THEM IN AN ONION SACK,oops, they will spread spores as you walk and you will always have morels.
Quote from: beenthere on May 09, 2013, 05:20:58 PM
A puzzling question "Do wild mushrooms grow?".
How else would they get to be the size they are when found?
Maybe something I'm missing here. ::)
I didn't think it was that complicated that I'd have to diagram the sentence. Maybe if I'd said "continues to grow", that would be more concise a wording.
I always thought they formed and then popped up in a short time span and that was it.
I have let others stand to grow but was never convinced they actually did. Some got smaller as they dried up.
I think the continues to grow condition is contingent on if they have the right temperature range and moisture. I bet a couple of hours in the hot sun and they're toast.
Quote from: ely on May 09, 2013, 05:39:53 PM
I HAVE HEARD IF YOU GATHER THEM IN AN ONION SACK,oops, they will spread spores as you walk and you will always have morels.
Yes this is correct, the spore will fall out as you walk, (micro sized pollen I'm guessing) but the books tell ya that is how to do it other wise you will remove the life cycle and have much less chances of finding them in your woods. at one point they could be found in all woods but now they are rather scares due to the old way was use bread/grocery bags to collect them.
Mark