Growing mushrooms yourself is an art. It’s a tedious and costly business. It is necessary to make large investments and wait a long time for the harvest.
Growing Black Truffles Mushroom, you need to allocate a large plantation (if you plan to grow mushrooms in the open air in a natural way) or a spacious basement. Mushrooms do not tolerate temperature fluctuations, therefore, in order to get a crop, the optimum air temperature should be +22 o C.
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Requirments to grow black truffles Mushroom
It is difficult to grow black truffle mushrooms in the same way as other mushrooms. It is enough for simple representatives of eukaryotes to parasitize on the root system of any vegetation, and truffles must necessarily enter into symbiosis with a specific tree.
This is a process of mutual return: the fungus draws the necessary organic matter from the roots, and the tree feeds on truffle moisture.
But with a great desire and the creation of suitable conditions, it is possible to obtain a valuable product on your own. The rules for breeding the mushroom artificially are described below.
Location selection for Growing Black Truffle
The growing area should resemble the natural environment as much as possible. Landing requirements:
- the absence of weeds and a number of other varieties of mushrooms grown;
- surface slope – no more than 13 °;
- soil mixture height – 30–50 cm;
- the presence of trees – pine, oak, etc., depending on the type of black truffle;
- distance between trees – 5–7 m;
- a plot with a level above the sea – at least 100 m.
Soil mix preparation for Black Truffle
Truffles are planted in greenhouses, basements, and open ground, but in all cases, it is necessary to properly prepare the ground. Mushrooms do not tolerate high acidity – the best option is from 7 to 8 pH. Most often, they take the land at the foot of the trees, where the soil consists of humus of fallen leaves.
The composition of the soil mixture:
- Soil from a garden or forest. From the total mass of the soil mixture – about 60%. Be careful – the absence of extraneous mycelium is mandatory. Disinfect the ground. Since you need a lot of soil, use not the usual methods for gardeners (oven, etc.), but a steam generator.
- Sawdust, sand. The shavings must belong to the symbiote tree. Sand is needed to create looseness. Invest 15% of each component.
- Fallen leaves. Use a rotted component. Foliage is enough 10% of the total amount of composite soil.
Be sure to add fertilizers containing iron, sulfur, nitrogen and calcium. The number of top dressings depends on the degree of depletion or saturation of the soil with one or another element.
planting medium for Black Truffles Mushroom
The mycelium acts as a seed. It is available for purchase in specialized stores, via the Internet, or from mushroom farmers.
Planting material is of 2 types:
- dry – shelf life is not limited;
- live – the shelf life is 5-6 months.
The cost of the material is calculated in the ratio: 100 g of dry raw material is equal to 150 g of live. For such weight you will have to pay from 500 to 1500 rubles (depending on the variety and seller).
On sale, there is mycelium already embedded in wood, but its cost is 2 times higher. This is the best option if you need to get a crop in the near future, since it takes from 11 to 13 months to plant a mother culture for the formation of mycorrhizal.
If you buy mushroom spores and tree seedlings at the same time, keep them for 15 days in a room where there is no infection (disinfect in advance). The height of the tree is at least 30 cm.
Growing Black Truffles Mushroom
The optimal planting time is from the beginning of May to the end of August when warm weather stabilizes on the street. The air temperature during the planting and the growing season is from +22 to +25°C. Depending on the place where mycorrhiza will be grown, special conditions must be created.
Growing Black Truffle in greenhouse
Since truffles are grown at home throughout the year, build a greenhouse from polycarbonate, equip it with heating and a ventilation system.
Consider the following features:
- exclude the penetration of sunlight – it will destroy the mycelium (make a canopy over the greenhouse, hang curtains or just cover with a dark cloth);
- avoid drafts, especially in winter – seal all cracks;
- the minimum temperature at night in the room is + 15 ° С.
Growing Black Truffle in garden
Black truffles are grown in the garden in the southern regions (mushrooms die in cold climates). In this case, it is important to plant trees if there are none. The scheme is 4 x 5 m (about 500 seedlings will be obtained per 1 hectare).
Steps involve in Growing Black Truffles in garden:
- monitor soil moisture – it should be 70–75% (in open areas it is impossible to control this process, after watering the trees, make mulch with a layer of up to 5 cm);
- seedling planting depth – at least 70–80 cm;
- fertilize the soil with rotted manure every 2 months, especially in the root zone of the partner (seedling) – the tree absorbs nutrients, and then transfers them to mushrooms;
- the place where the mycelium will be laid, clear of debris and grass.
Growing Black Truffles in basement
When growing black truffles in the cellar, be careful not to let pests get inside. Periodically disinfect all components of the basement.
Steps involve in Growing Black Truffles in the basement :
- whitewash walls and ceilings with lime;
- initially divide the room into 2 parts – in one the mycelium will be cultivated, in the second – the truffle will be grown;
- to use the maximum space, install racks, up to the ceiling, but not from wood, but from metal-plastic (it will not rot);
- before sowing, fumigate the basement with sulfur, then air it;
- make ventilation;
- hang a small mosquito net on all the cracks and openings that you cannot do without, which will exclude the penetration of pests.
Additionally, you will need fluorescent lamps, thermometers, hydrometers, heating, and water pipes for irrigation. Do not forget to make boxes on the racks where the soil mixture will be poured and spores will be laid.
Planting Black Truffle mycelium
The mycelium planting technology for all places is almost the same. For greenhouse and basement:
- Fill artificial beds with sawdust first, then with a mixture of soil, leaves and sand.
- Take the mycelium, mix it in equal proportions with the soil mixture.
- Scatter on the surface of the “garden”.
- Sprinkle a small layer of sawdust on top.
How to plant mycelium in open ground:
- Dig holes with a depth of 20 to 60 cm (these parameters are indicated on the packaging with planting material for a particular species). Scheme – 2 x 2 m.
- Moisturize and let the moisture soak in.
- Lay out the seeds, sprinkle with soil, and sawdust on top.
- Be sure to keep the first month under plastic wrap to create a normal level of humidity.
Another option (simplified) is to make holes around each trunk at a distance from the tree and between each other at 10–15 cm. This is how it is customary to plant in a wooded area.
Black Truffle Mushroom Care
Caring for truffle mushrooms is easy. It is enough to maintain humidity and temperature, periodically loosen the ground, remove weeds and water. If the trees grow strongly and obscure the planted area, cut the branches.
To make the soil fertile, apply manure or preparations containing boron, zinc, magnesium and copper.
Black Truffle Pests and protection
The main enemies of truffles are weevils and cockroaches. For prevention, wild flowers and similar crops should not be planted nearby; gaps in the basement must be sealed. There are 2 ways to fight:
- chemicals (their range is huge), but in this case, harmful substances will enter the soil;
- folk remedies – mix boric acid with honey, roll up balls and spread over the mycelium.
The latter option does not harm mushrooms and is considered universal against cockroaches and weevils.
Black Truffle Harvesting and Processing
The first harvest after laying the mycelium will appear exactly one year later, but it will be scarce. But after 3-4 years, the black truffle will please with full germination – from 80-100 sq. m remove from 9 to 15 kg.
Harvest only fully ripe fruits. To determine maturity, look at the ground in the growing area – midges are circling over a ripe mushroom (in an open place), the soil rises, and the grass dries up.
How to assemble correctly:
- Dig up the soil near the mushroom with a spatula.
- Lift it up and, holding the truffle with one hand, cut it with a knife with the other so that the root remains in the ground.
Mushrooms intended for sale and long-term storage at home must not be washed. It is enough to wipe them with a soft cloth, but it is better to brush off the dirt with a soft brush.
Terms and conditions of storage
In the refrigerator, the black truffle is stored for no more than 5-6 days, under other conditions – 14 days. What is needed for this:
- wrap each mushroom in a napkin or cloth;
- put in a container;
- change the wrap every day.
It is possible to keep the product for 5-7 months. For such storage at home, mushrooms are dried:
- cut into thin slices;
- spread on a baking sheet in 1 layer;
- dry at a temperature of 45–50 ° C with the oven door ajar;
- readiness is defined as follows – the product becomes very fragile.
Growing a black truffle is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Much harder to wait for the result. For this reason, such a business in Russia is poorly developed, but there is little competition. Before starting cultivation, you should thoroughly study the features of production, evaluate your own strengths and financial capabilities.
