# Pulling a morel up vs cutting it at the base



## smguffer

I've heard there is a better chance of finding morels in the same area the following year if you cut it about 1" above the base rather than pulling it out of the ground which sometimes takes the "root" system.

Does anyone know if there is any truth to this or evidence to back it up?

I've walked on the side of caution so far and have just made a clean cut above the base, just in case


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## darryl

Not sure if there is scientific evidence but it makes sense to me. I usually pinch them off as it is quicker than pulling a knife out all the time.


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## smguffer

that makes sense.. but i've even heard that pinching them off isnt good because of the germs and bacteria on our hands that can transfer to the base of the morel.. 

who knows, maybe we're just a bunch of paranoid shroomers lol


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## darryl

You are probably correct. Maybe we should just admire them, take a photo and leave them undisturbed. Ha Ha!


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## smguffer

whoa whoa whoa.. lets just all calm down and take a deep breath for a second :lol:


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## the twisted ones___

I think its a preference. if you have ever picked up a branch or limb of the ground in the woods and have seen the white mycelium growing and exteding like roots of a tree, this mycelium is the life line of a fungus that in time will find a mate and produce a fruit which we call mushrooms.. what we do is hunt for the type of mycelium that produces morel.. once found you can find more around the area hopefully. This is based on the size amount of the mycelium mat that lies beaneath the forest matter along the routes of root system from trees that are close, you can say that they piggy back along this underground highway...when you have two trees that carry the mycelium and the roots from both trees connect the mycelium will find its mate and start to produce a morel fruit, this fruit will live its cycle to where it will sporulate and millions of new spores will take to the air in hopes to keep its strain alive in this area...Not all spores will take foothold as many other micro organisms are also doing the same, And the stongest are the ones who will survive as there is a constant combat going on under the soils as well, One thing is that when you hear many people say that they couldnt find any morel even when all the conditions are right. the reason for this is that there are no morel spores in the area that will start the mycelium paths and networks to grow morel. This is also why pickers keep their spots to themselves.. pick your fruit as you please IMO as long as you not digging holes 4x4" around the morel to get to it. Happy Huning...
TTO


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## vibrantenergies

I think the mycelium is resilient enough to withstand either method to an extent, but it seems obvious that just ripping them from the ground, dirty mycelial threads and all, must be damaging to the underlying mycelium. Like you though Daryl, I feel like a knife is unnecessary and too slow. I think pinching them off at ground level works great as long as it is done carefully and consciously. After some practice, it gets pretty routine and you can get a clean break pretty consistently. I have read a lot of books about fungi in general and a few authors said there is evidence that disturbing the mycelium of some species can damage it. Are our precious morels one of those species? On the other hand, some fungi thrive when the ground has been disturbed! I don't know, but I think it's a good idea to respect the underground part of the fungus. If we do so, we'll be rewarded above ground! 

End of rant...


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## shroomcrafter

Darryl, You may be right. Just admire them, take photos, and leave them undisturbed. Oh, BTW, on your next motherlode, could I please have those GPS coordinates, so I can go admire them, too? :wink:


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## darryl

Ha Ha at Shroomcrafter!!!! :lol: I'll keep you in mind.


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## kb

Try using scissors to cut them, I learned that one from a friend last spring. Makes for beautiful clean morels. A big buyer paid me and and him 25% more for our's, she said they where the best she had seen all year. I know, you are thinking it would take forever to cut them with scissors. Well, we cut over #80 that day,no problem. The problem was getting them out of the timber and home in good shape. Take lots of bags also and limit the amount in each to no more than #5-6, depending on the firmness of the morels. Hope someone can use the info. Really I am just bored, everything is packed, loaded, sprayed, and ready to role. Next 6-8 weeks is what I live for.


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## smguffer

ive just been using a knife so far. i dont mind taking the extra time personally, but understand why some people want to get in the woods, get as many mushrooms as possible and get out. 

im right there with ya.. all i think about is morels morels morels. i can hardly wait


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## kb

Knifes are nice too, just don't slip. With the scissors its snip,snip,. Dang, now KM is going to be mad at me for giving away his super-secret signature "S-Cubed" harvesting method. I have got to leave these boards alone. Did take a 4 mile hike in the MO.River bluffs today. Not much stirring. Tagged a couple of dozen spots with good ash and some rock elm. Still about 10 or more days out here. Hope it keeps raining.


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## morelmaniac96

Thanks for all the good advice KB. I am now going to buy another cotton laundry sack that I use. I have found that these do not tear into the Morels like an onion sack are anything made with synthetic material. I am also locked, stocked, and ready to go(besides the extra bag). Are you in the St. Louis area KB ?


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## raskew29

I always pinch them off and I go back to the same spot every year and find them


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## __BrYaN__

smguffer said:


> I've heard there is a better chance of finding morels in the same area the following year if you cut it about 1" above the base rather than pulling it out of the ground which sometimes takes the "root" system.
> 
> Does anyone know if there is any truth to this or evidence to back it up?
> 
> I've walked on the side of caution so far and have just made a clean cut above the base, just in case


*Mushrooms dont have "roots". They are the fruit, or flower of the mycelium growing underground. So no, it has no effect on the next year. Still a good idea to cut or pinch though to keep dirt from getting in the cracks and crevices wherebuts hard to wash out. *


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