Lakotis said:

So I learned and decided to own a new word today. mycorrhizal.

Primary interest being in cultivating edibles. This word comes up alot while searching on how to grow various mushrooms.

Puffballs, Morels, Chanterelles and various others.

mycorrhiza is defined by being symbiotic or weakly pathogenic.

People say that Morels are mycorrhizal. I am not so sure.

Ive harvested wild morel close to 30 years. And by and large most of the Morels I find are closely associated with decaying/dead Elm(Esculenta). Or decaying Aspen/Popul(Elata). These trees are clearly dead. The mushrooms never extend out beyond where the Drip line would have been had the tree been alive. So I assume Morels are after the root structure.

I find that rather fresh dead to be the best harvest. Usually within 5 years of death. And I almost never find Morels under Alive trees of this type.

It doesnt seem to me to be either Symbiotic or "weakly" Pathogenic, considering these trees are dead.

So what am I missing?

Are the Morels present (just not fruiting) in Alive elm roots?

Perhaps while the tree is dead the roots are alive? I know that Popul reproduce primarily as clones/shoots. We call a grove of Aspens an "Aspen Clone" Though Ive never heard of other Morel bearing trees such as Elm/Apple reproducing like this.

or are Morels perhaps not mycorrhizal? and are actually digesting decaying ELm/popul roots?

Hope you can help me understand this.

---