Thanks MycoRob. Wow. How do I get them to multiply?! I am attaching 2 more photos which show the location in more detail. I know very little about fungi and would love to know how the volunteer arrived. The path mulch is made of some cedar which we cut down last year and the flower bed has had no attention for the past 2 years. The soil is very sandy and is sadly lacking in organic matter. The garden faces south west and as we are so near to the ocean in an area identified as rain forest we get a lot of rain although during the summer months the area becomes quite dry. Needless to say I am not going to dig in the area and will keep you posted if any more arrive. Do you have any advice about improving the environment in the hope that this is not only a one off? I know that this is an area where edible fungi are foraged for in large numbers. Thanks again Margaret Apologies for the second photo being on its side. It appeared to download normally but when I previewed the post it was on its side.
Landscape morels appear fairly often in the spring following an application of bark or wood chip mulch the previous year. Something called Beauty Bark seems to work particularly well. Did you apply any mulch last year? If so, apply some more of the same this year; and you might get another crop next year. Morels are particularly difficult to cultivate. People have been trying for decades, with limited success. Take a look at Michael Kuo's MushroomExpert.com Website for more information.
Many thanks Vitog. The only mulch that was applied was the cedar on the path. Some homemade compost was put on the garden the year before last and that may have contained some bits of wood from the wood pile. I love seeing the various volunteers which arrive and this is the most interesting so far. Thanks again. Margaret
