It is unlikely that you have met a man who has never heard of a truffle. But few of us have been able to at least once try this exquisite expensive delicacy. It is so rare that with any hints that you can try to collect it from your summer cottage, people shrug their shoulders in bewilderment. After reading this article, you will learn how to grow truffle at home.
Where does this unique mushroom grow?
Despite the fact that today it is grown in almost all corners of the planet, truffle is still considered a national treasure of France. Residents of this state call this unusual delicacy nothing more than a “capricious prince” or “black diamond”.
The most surprising thing is that even today no one can say with absolute certainty how the truffle grows. This is not even known to specialists who have devoted most of their lives to the study of mushrooms. The fact is that underground, where truffles grow, too much depends on plants whose root system serves as their main source of carbohydrates. Truffles, in turn, provide tree rhizomes with reliable protection against microbial diseases. The micellar threads of this fungus envelop the roots of shrubs and trees, saturating them with additional moisture. In science, such coexistence is known as symbiosis.
How is truffle propagated?
It is the mycelium that is the main and most important part of any fungus. Therefore, in those places where truffles grow, any earthwork should be especially carefully carried out. From a healthy mycelium, the fruiting body begins to actively develop, the spores of which will participate in subsequent reproduction. Unlike all other mushrooms, truffle breeding directly depends on the animals living in the forest. Animals find it and eat it. Subsequently, digested truffle spores fall to the ground, giving life to a new mycelium. To attract the attention of forest animals, the mushroom exudes a certain aroma. True, it can not be called pleasant for human smell. The stench emanating from most truffles is more like the smell of rotting onions or spoiled herring. And only a few species of this fungus stimulate the active secretion of gastric juice in humans. One of these varieties is the black perigord truffle.
What does a truffle look like?
A description of this fungus can be found in any specialized directory. This underground marsupial mushroom of yellow, gray, white or black shade has a fleshy tuber-like body, covered with rough skin. Inside the mushroom there is a flesh that looks like a maze of veins. The size of the delicacy, the cut of which looks like polished marble, can vary from a quail egg to a large apple. Truffle mycelium consists of the finest fibers that penetrate into the inner layers of the cells of the root cortex and actively interact with them.
Under what conditions can this underground fungus grow?
Before growing truffles, you need to ask in what area they can grow. The main condition for the cultivation of this delicious mushroom is considered a warm climate. The wooded areas of Portugal, Spain, southern Germany, Italy, France and Croatia meet these criteria in the best possible way. It grows on the Pacific coast of America, in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Truffles are very rarely found in the suburbs.
Is it possible to grow this delicacy at home?
Today, an increasing number of people are interested in how to grow truffles and whether this can be done independently. We must say right away that this is a very real task. The main thing is to approach its implementation with all responsibility. It is important to choose the right seedlings, find the right site and prepare the soil well.
Those who are interested in how to grow truffle at home should understand that this is a very difficult task, requiring a responsible approach.
The main stages of mushroom cultivation
It should be understood that truffle cultivation is carried out in three stages. At the initial stage, the mycelium is transplanted to the most favorable place. At the second stage, planting material is grown from fruiting bodies. And only after that you can start planting young truffle embryos. As a rule, mushrooms are bred by planting young trees with developed truffle mycelium.
How to choose and prepare a place for landing?
It should be understood that these mushrooms are quite capricious. They need a warm, temperate climate. Therefore, those who live in areas with unstable climate, with too hot summers and frosty winters, it is better to abandon this idea. If you live in a region where the conditions allow you to grow this delicacy, then you can safely proceed to the realization of your plan.
Before growing truffles, you need to find a suitable plot of land. The soil should be rich in calcium and humus, its pH should be at least 7.5. In the soil on which it is planned to plant truffles, there should not be other mushrooms that can compete with them. It should be remembered that too embossed territory can significantly complicate the mechanical processing of the soil.
In general, the site should have a favorable location relative to the sun and wind. In addition, it must be resistant to water erosion and have a slope not exceeding 15 degrees.
Landing process
Having created the optimal conditions for growing truffles, you can proceed directly to planting. The best time for planting seedlings grafted with mycelium of the fungus is considered spring, when frost is no longer predicted. Young trees are planted in the soil, completely freed from weeds. To do this, holes are dug in the ground, the depth of which reaches 75 cm. It is recommended to pour a layer of mulch from last year's fallen oak leaves in a radius of 40 centimeters from each planted tree . Seedlings must be covered with a plastic greenhouse film.
There is another method of growing these mushrooms - on sawdust. However, this technology involves thorough preliminary preparation of the soil. The substrate needs to be saturated with calcium and humus, and on top cover with fresh oak or beech sawdust. After this, the soil must be shed with complex fertilizers and only then can you start planting mushrooms. Truffle mycelium is mixed with soil and spread on sawdust.
How to take care of landings?
Having figured out how to grow truffles, you should not relax, thinking that after planting seedlings you can just sit and wait for the harvest. In fact, they need some care. Periodically, trees need to be fed with complex fertilizers, which can be easily found in any specialized store. In addition, a little micronutrient fertilizers (boron, zinc, magnesium and iron) are recommended to be applied to the soil. This scheme is suitable for growing hazel inoculated with truffle mycelium.
Also, do not forget about the main pests of the royal mushroom, which include pigs and rabbits. It is strictly forbidden to let these animals into the territory where truffles grow. No less dangerous for this fungus are black cockroaches and weevils. Truffle host trees also need special care. They need to be periodically trimmed, which consists in removing the main part of the powerful branches and in reducing the height of the trunk. This allows to increase the patency of rainwater and sunlight into the soil.
Harvest
The truffle fruit body that appeared in the summer should grow within a few months. As a rule, by autumn it reaches the necessary condition. Black ripe truffle, the taste of which is beyond praise, exudes a rather strong pleasant smell. An unripe mushroom can be recognized by the presence of a reddish shell. As a rule, black truffle crops can be harvested from November to March. Ripening of white and burgundy varieties is a little faster.
Harvesting these mushrooms is very similar to harvesting potatoes. However, there are several subtleties. Otherwise, mycelium can be accidentally damaged, as a result of which the truffle plantation will quickly dry out. You need to act with extreme caution, carefully removing the fruiting bodies of mushrooms from the soil. In this case, it is necessary not to violate the integrity of the soil structure and not to damage the mycorrhiza system. Only ripened mushrooms should be collected.
To accelerate the harvest of ripened truffles, specially trained animals can be involved in this process. They will smell fruit bodies hidden under the ground. For these purposes, you can use not only dogs but also pigs. From a plot of one hectare you can collect from 50 to 100 kilograms of mushrooms.
Most of the crop is perfectly preserved throughout the year. Truffles can be frozen and dried by lyophilization.
Useful tips for beginner mushroom pickers
Immediately before planting young trees, soil cannot be fertilized. Such actions can cause the death of the mycelium. In the process of planting, it is necessary to protect the root system of seedlings. In the pits in which young oaks will be planted, you should add a little water, sprinkle with earth and pour again.
In the future, it is necessary to ensure that no cracks appear on the surface of the soil. In the event of their formation, this place must be sprinkled with sand. In addition to oaks, you can use other trees, including olive, citrus and sequoia. For the successful cultivation of truffles, the planting depth should be 75 cm. Only in this way can reliable protection of underground mushrooms from frost, winds and pests be ensured. It is strictly forbidden to grow truffles near spruce, poplar, willow and chestnut.