# Will they Grow?



## mattyp17

Hey guys so I know that we've all at some point come across a real tiny real fresh shroom and we've had that internal conflict of whether we should pick it or leave it to grow. 
Most of the time when I leave them I come back and the shroom hasn't seemed to have grown at all but sometimes I'll come back and think that they thickened up. 
I was wondering what some of y'all do with the baby shrooms and if you have any experiences with the getting bigger?

Happy Shroomin!
Matty


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## inthewoods

yes they will get bigger but a fine line between bigger and dried out. i always leave small blacks and greys and come back a few days later and they are bigger


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## oldshroomer

hey matty, that is a toss up! Because shrooms come in all sizes you don't know nor can you tell if it's done growing!! The only way is to leave it for a day or two and see what happens! A lot of the time that's just all bigger they're going to get, but doesn't hurt to leave them either, unless they're drying out, of course.


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## bryan

Good points all of you!. I have had them at my house before and left them for over a week to watch them get bigger, and they did. If the shroom looks "tight" not expanded much i will leave them to expand.


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## hugh

Tiny black and yellow morels (Morchella augusticeps and Morchella esculenta) will definitely grow unless it's very dry and they just don't have enough moisture. Whenever I find tiny ones I cover them with leaves and mark the spot with a stick. They will grow for up to 2 weeks if conditions are right. If it's a "tulip morel" (Morchella deliciosa), however, they are always pretty small and generally don't get much bigger than a couple of inches or so. Letting the blacks and yellows grow is important not just for eating but also so they can get mature enough to spore and reproduce.


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## morelmaster_01

the large yellow as my profile pic started out as
a small tight gray (with small holes not expanded
too large holes) my brother and i where always tould 
that they"pop" and dont grow. so we tested it and it 
grew and grew as every day went by and would have kept
growing but it fell over.. with that said every one has there
opinon.


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## hugh

there are many good sites that have morel and other mushroom growth studies. see Chris Matherly's annual growth studies and various youtube clips:

http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/newsletter_january_2007.htm
http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/morel_growth_study_2013.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFfKpnGKwlY

in my opinion the best reason to let a morel grow is to allow it to mature, spore and reproduce, making more mushrooms for future years
in my opinion the b


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## shrooner

If you Really want to Learn about Morel and Other Mushrooms go to This site (Morel Progression Sightings Map 2013) Chris is a Friend of mine He He in my opinion is the Formost Mushroom King He a Ruler at 3 diff places with the 2013 Morel Groth study and has 6" or 12" Rulers at each the Most any grew from day 1 was 3/4" He also Found and Does Find the 1st Morels of the Year He also Has Many Books on all Types of Mushrooms, I Love this site Because we are all in Ohio or Most are Bus Chris Matherly Know Mushrooms inside and Out some of the Guys here made know alittle But Most are Just Mushrooms Hunters Chris Lives and Makes his Living From Mousrooms and Other Wild Plants and the WILD


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## shrooner

This goes with the 1st part of the site
You do not have to be a member to use these helpful tools:





























It is because of my love and enjoyment in hunting mushrooms that I am bringing you this site. I have hunted mushrooms since I was 5 years old, (at that time, stepped on a lot), and been doing it ever since. Mushroom hunting seems to get in your blood, once you do it a few times, you are addicted. I enjoy just traipsing through the woods, and the excitement of finding the mushrooms, and, of course, EATING them! It is like adult Easter-Egg Hunting, so exciting and fulfilling and truly a "Green" activity. This site is directed to help you enjoy your 'Shroomin' also! Enjoy! 

I also strongly encourage members to give as much of their own personal input as possible. I would like everyone to really get involved. We all can learn a lot. There are a great deal of "Free" activities and information on this page, and even several things that you can get involved with without actually joining the club. However, I certainly would encourage you to join and become a part of a growing and fun-filled club. We have a lot going on all year long, even during the off season for mushrooms. I also really get into all edibles, not just Morels, so many other great tasting and medicinal mushrooms growing out in the woods! Hen-Of-The-Woods for example can shrink tumors, lower blood pressure, and build your immune system, plus it is very delicious! Lion's Mane, Chanterelles, Lobster Mushrooms, King Boletes (Porcini), Oyster Mushrooms, Puffballs, Chicken-Of-The-Woods, and Cauliflower Mushrooms are just a handful that we discuss on the site and have recipes for! If you ever have any questions, just email me. [email protected]

You do not have to be a member to use these helpful tools:
















Sincerely, Chris Matherly


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## harleydve21

Just ask me I've been finding them for almost 2weeks now


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## harleydve21

Morels do not grow once they're up &amp; formed that's as big as it gets there not plants pick everything you see or it will just turn brown trust me


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## morelseeker

I've tried to see if they get bigger and usually what happens is they either dry up, get moldy and rot or another bigger one comes up beside the one that has dried or rotted, making me think that when they fruit they are as big as they get. I've pinched them off and went back a few days later to find a bigger one came off the same stump from the one I pinched the other morel from. But as to the fact of them growing and producing spores as soon as they fruit the spores they have are released; in my opinion. But everyone thinks differently and I'm not trying to argue, just speaking from experience.


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## imfubar

@Harley, sorry bro you are so wrong. Every morel starts out the same size. Some grow slower, some faster, some shorter, some longer but they all keep growing till they die. I have tended morels for up to 33 days (that's from the day found which it was prolly 2-6 days old at the time). It all matters when you find them the first time. Early season morels have the best chance at long growth cycles due to having cooler temps and usually more rain than in mid to late season. Late season is almost always rapid growth and death. Season length is determined by average temp + rainfall. Lower temps more rain = 6 weeks or more. Higher average temps means the lack of cold air for thunderstorms which means Higher temp + less rain= 2-4 weeks depending on how warm and how little rain. You remember last year? 2 week season on average.


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## imfubar

To be sure. Are you finding tulip morels? They grow very little. Average height 2 inches give or take a little. But still grow a week to 10 days to get there.


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## ohiobuck23

Let the tiny ones be, many people are over harvesting the tiny ones which will damage the overall life span of the existence of morels in that part of the woods. Let tiny morels die off so they can give back to the ground, release their spores so that bigger ones can produce and let the legacy of the morels in those set of woods continue on for decades to come. Be patient, the big ones will pop. After seeing over half of the pictures posted on here it drives me crazy that most people are picking pointless tiny ones. They don't realize they are hurting their future crops.


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## hugh

ohiobuck23: I agree 100%. I think there should be a size minimum for morel picking, like fish. All the photos of little ones I've posted were morels I covered and left to grow


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## morelseeker

If they grow or not is totally irrelevant. They been here for hundreds of years before we were born and will be here hundreds of years after we are gone. The indians collected them in woven baskets. You might use a mesh bag or plastic bag it's up to you it won't change a thing. I hunt them in three different woods. First day first woods; pinch off morel hide stump with leaves. Second day second woods,same. Third day third woods, same. Fourth day back to the same spots in first woods there they are again sometimes right off one of the stumps I left earlier under leaves I hid them with. The earlier ones are smaller and the later ones are bigger. Just go out and have fun finding them, like you are on a treasure hunt and don't worry about the small stuff. Having fun is the main thing. No matter how you do it.


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## harleydve21

I've tried to let them grow many times all they do is turn brown I've found millions of morels never seen one grow yet so you'll never convince me because I know they don't grow I've already ate em 4 times this year


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## bigcatriverrunner

They will grow.
We found 20 tiny grays in a buddies front yard and we put glass jars over them yesterday morning. They doubled in size while the sun was out on the same day, overnight they didnt change much but in the sun today they grew a considerable amount again.


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## imfubar

@Harley, so your theory is they just pop out of the ground just the way you find them huh? Well do this test for me, Take a morel and try to push it back into the ground and see if that works, or into a pot of very loose soil. Saying or thinking they don't grow is just crazy and it only proves you have never let them grow or you have only tried it with one shroom.


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## imfubar

Oh and millions of morels is a exaggeration or an out right lie. Just a million would be 25000 a year for 50 years which you not knowing that they grow tells me you have maybe found hundreds at most in the few years you've been hunting.


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## imfubar

well 20000 a year for 50 years. It's early and my calculator is still asleep.


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## pbwv

:mrgreen: boom the shroom fairy droped by and waived its wand. From a puff of smoke comes a 2 liter size yellow.
Whew i only wish it worked that way hahahaaaa!!!! they do grow how much depends on the weather and area.


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## morelseeker

Actually it's a myth started my people that hunt on public lands. They think if they can convince enough people that eventually they will find the ones others "left to grow" and find new spots.


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## morelseeker

HA HA


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## morelseeker

Grow yes, but for weeks.....don't think so.


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## hugh

Here are a couple of well-known studies tracking morel growth for 2 weeks or more. The first one is Pamela Kaminski's 2000 study of a black morel growing for about 3 weeks:

http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/morel_growth_study_2000.htm

The second is one of Chris Matherly's many mushroom growth sites; scroll down a bit to see the yellow (M. esculenta) growing for 2 weeks, and clearly changing from the "grey" to the "yellow" form:

http://www.morelmushroomhunting.com/newsletter_january_2007.htm


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## fowlwispereryates

they grow. look at it this way. they progress. wether it be in size or age or a combo of the two.


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## miked4482

Yes they grow, ive got a couple dozen that come up in my back yard every year and i leave them just to keep an eye on how much they are growing. I check them and mark them with sticks to keep an eye on their progress. THEY GROW(get larger)


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## morelseeker

The pictures of the black morel growing could have been faked but even so look how the morel is getting thinner and frailer it isn\'t growing thicker and getting heavier in fact it should have been picked when it was fresh and meatier. The last pick May 1st is what it grows into nothing,just thin walled dried up no weight. When I find them when they look like the april 27th or 28th pic I pinch them off crumble them up and throw them away.


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## morelseeker

A more correct terminology would be morels expand. And just like a balloon expands they get thinner as they do so. Then they lose moisture and get crumbly. When I think of the word grow, it leads me to believe something gets thicker, bigger and gains weight.


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## harleydve21

I don't care what you morons say once the head is formed its done i left some a week ago &amp; went back today .they were the same size &amp; brown you must be eating the other kind of shrooms because ur seein things


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## thunter

I've been leaving smaller ones for years, after forever being taught "they pop overnight". I've picked and still do some that I should leave for later. It depends on how secluded they are to traffic. You can argue that half-free's / tulips are as big as they're gonna get after a few days, but there's no argument when it comes to blacks / yellows. From start to finish, they'll keep going for a few weeks. Lack of moisture and or heat will cause them to mature early, but in good conditions they should be left alone as long as possible for optimum poundage.


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## shrooner

Harleydve21 That is a Old Wifes and Young Mushroom or Maybe Not Young just unexpence story about Morels not growing what Happen is some Hunters will get into a Patch and its Happen to Me 100s of times You will Look and Look and find maybe 20-30 smalls and all of a sudden you will look Back over the same spot 10 mins Later and you will find 10-20 Big Ones that you think theres No way in Hell I could have Missed thoses Big Shrooms so you Just Think the only think it could be is they POPed Up in the last 10 mins, Now just waite and see there will be a Bunch of Old Time Mushroom Hunter on here that will agree with What I just said atleast I hope so so I willn't look and sound like a Dumby. JIM


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## imfubar

@Harley, why the name calling? But since you started it, there is only one moron here and it's the person that calls others a moron for knowing something they don't have the experience to understand. Maybe when you get a few more years under your belt you'll get it. But I believe I know why you think such things, it's because someone you believe told you about morels and you just get imagine finding out they were/are wrong. And here is another clue for you, don't recall anyone saying that every morel grows after you find them because it matters what time of their life cycle you find them at. I also understand that you are never going to admit that you are wrong but you will call others moron even though they are right.


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## fowlwispereryates

i would like to contribute to the moron croud. saturday i found a small black that had just poped over night. I checked it yesterday and it GREW to about 5 in. and got bigger in diameter. Last year i found three greys and left them to grow. I took pictures of the progress in six days. on day six they had turned to yellows. if i were computer savy i would show those pictures fo the progresion. @imfubar happy hunting! sorry for the "name calling".


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## imfubar

@morel, so an 3 inch morel has the same weight if it "expands" to 8 inches? Now getting grumbly, are you sure your not talking about blacks or half frees? Those are the only fragile morels I've seen. Because I've never seen any other morel get dry enough to grumble, they will rot and or die before they dry out completely (which getting dry isn't the reason blacks and halves grumble because if you squeeze them there is still moisture). I could be wrong because I pass up thousands of both every year cause they are too fragile even when fresh (although less fragile when fresh) and not worth my time. Your typical greys and yellows will get rubbery/tougher as they dry.


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## imfubar

@fowl, thanks and happy hunting to you as well. Sorry if I offended you in any way.


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## imfubar

@fowl, also if you click the F.A.Q tab at top of page it will explain how to post pics.


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## hugh

It's hard to believe this debate is still going on, but I guess it does every year. Here's a 2013 growth study from Chris Matherly's website. He does several of these every year:
http://morelmushroomhunting.com/morel_growth_study_2013.htm


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## blindin1i

Of course they grow! Now of course if hunting public land you will most likely pick it or you wont find it again! I own 9 acres and put glass jars and paper bags on them! Let them grow till you see the first signs of browning, and then pick them! I have seen them triple in size in 7-10 days! This seems to work best with the grays! Use only rain water also!


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## harleydve21

To imfubar I've gave away more than you've found they don't grow period .
I've been hunting for 30 years haven't seen one grow yet guess your morels are magic


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## imfubar

@Harley.. First, I believe 99% of everyone on these forums know they grow so if there are magic morels then they would be yours. You know, the ones that just pop up out of the ground. Second, I don't care how long you claim to have been hunting because you obviously have never left a morel to find out if they grow. Third, I also don't care how many morels you claim to have found because obviously you haven't found very many or again you would know that they grow. Lets just put it this way, you may have found a lot of morels in your days but just spouting off that you have found so many more than I have or anyone else for that matter proves that you will say some pretty dumb things. Bottom line is, the fact that you don't know that they grow is practically all the proof I need to know that you haven't found near as many as I have and probably not even as many as I have in a single season. I'm not claiming to have found more than any body but you because I know there are plenty of people out that are fortunate enough to live in the right part of the world and lucky enough to have prime area to hunt. I will claim that I can find morels as good as anyone and better than most because I find on average 2000 morels per season hunting public land where I know that dozens minimum to hundreds of other people hunt and that's not counting what I find on private land. I have done the research and my own studies for 25 years (hunting for 35) and for you to tell me they don't grow when it is something that I know to be "FACT" is only making yourself sound like a fool to me and everyone else in this forum that knows for a "FACT" that they grow. So just because someone told you that they just pop up does not make it reality. Example: Some people say they have seen bigfoot, does that mean there are sasquatch running around in the woods super camouflaged that nobody else but a select few people can see them? So until someone can show real proof that they exist then they will always sound just as dumb as you. I "CAN" prove that morels grow, everyone can prove it, even you. I will bet you 10 grand right now that I "CAN" prove they grow if you bet me 10 grand that you or anyone else CAN prove that they "DON'T" grow. By all means please try and prove they don't.


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## jim33

@ Hugh, I agree. I've had to cover and let so many grow this year that this debate boggles my mind.


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## sb

Growth studies are fun. I did this single in 2011. I'll paste a cluster next.
]//i.imgur.com/oQeDSUql.jpg[/img]


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## sb

Here's the cluster growth sequence. What actually happened after the 3/30 pic was taken is that I harvested the larger ones, recovered the cluster and the smaller ones had free space to continue to grow and I harvested around 16-17 as big as the largest 4 in the 3/30 pic. ]//i.imgur.com/iKJe79E.png[/img]


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