If you grow truffles, you can earn large amounts of money. One kilogram of these delicious fruiting bodies is estimated at about 500-1000 thousand dollars. If you want to grow truffles at home, you will have to stock up on time and money. This is due to the fact that even in nature, mushrooms are extremely rare.

Where does truffle grow in nature

All varieties of truffles, there are about 30 of them, grow deep underground (at a depth of 20-30 cm). Mushroom mycorrhiza comes into symbiosis with the roots of ordinary trees. That's just to find delicious mushrooms under all types of wood is impossible. Mushrooms develop next to oaks or nuts.

If you look at the fresh truffle, it resembles the fruit of a potato and has a round shape. The surface of the fungus can be smooth or convex (depending on the variety). The average weight of a fruiting body is 200 g. Some varieties can reach 1 kg. Large fruiting bodies are often put up for auction, where they are bought for millions of dollars. Truffle colors are different, depending on the variety. Truffle pulp of all kinds is characterized by a marble structure.

Did you know? Every year, in November, in San Miniato, a festival is held in honor of a delicious mushroom. Here was found the largest fruiting body, whose weight was 2.5 kg.

Most often, truffles grow in the forests of France, Great Britain and Italy. On the territory of Russia, only summer species of mushrooms are found. He prefers to grow in southern mixed forests. One of the most expensive varieties is white and black perigorsk. They need to be bred in greenhouses or infect trees with mycelium.

Only pigs and specially trained dogs can hear the specific aroma of these mushrooms. These animals are often used to search for mushroom delicacy. It is difficult for a person to find fruiting bodies, given the depth of distribution.

Is it possible to grow truffle in the country

Cultivation of truffles in the country is carried out in specially prepared places:

• basement;
• greenhouse;
• on the trees.

Did you know? In 2007, a white truffle weighing 500 g was sold to businessman S. Ho for 300 thousand.

First you need to prepare a plot or greenhouse. After this, mycelium is purchased and tree seedlings are infected. For 3 years, before the appearance of the first fruiting bodies, it is necessary to adhere to optimal growing conditions.

For seedlings of fungal mycelium, only seedlings should be used. On young plants, he does not take root well. Try to buy ready-made symbiosis of mushrooms and trees in specialized stores. If you carry out this troublesome process yourself, it can drag on for 10-12 months.

Infected seedlings must be placed in nutrient soil. To do it, you must perform the following steps:

1. In the deciduous forest, remove the topsoil along with the fallen leaves.
2. Add soil from the garden to speed adaptation.
3. Add sand and sawdust to the tree. These components will help to make compost loose with good aeration, which is the key to the successful cultivation of delicious mushrooms.

When the sprouts reach a size of 20 cm, they can be planted in a permanent place. You need to plant the mushroom in April, when the risk of spring frost returning passes. Planting pits should be 25 cm deep. Keep a distance of 100 cm between them. Place mycorrhiza in the wells and pour 2 l of warm water. After that, cover it with hay and sawdust.

Important! The optimum temperature for planting is + 23 ° C. This will allow mycorrhiza to develop faster.

Care Features

Truffles do not require supernatural care. However, compliance with simple rules will significantly increase yield indicators.

Care technology is as follows:

1. Watering is carried out as the soil dries.
2. Every year, in the summer, it is necessary to fertilize planting with a complex of mineral fertilizers. To do this, mix 100 g of potassium, 50 g of phosphorus, 50 g of calcium, 20 g of boron and 40 g of zinc. Dilute all substances in 10 liters of warm water and pour the entire volume under each mycorrhiza.
3. Do not plant other types of mushrooms on the site, otherwise there will be competition, as a result of which the truffles may not take root.
4. Keep pets away from the landing site, as they will quickly destroy the entire crop.
5. For the winter, you need to cover the mushrooms with a dense layer of mulch (10-15 cm) to protect it from frost.

Harvesting is possible 3 years after planting, in early September. The maturity of the fruit bodies is indicated by a bright hat and a rich aroma. To harvest, use small shoulder blades. From under one tree it is quite possible to dig at least 7 mature fruiting bodies.

How to grow truffles in forest areas

The technology with which truffles can be grown in forest areas was developed by French agronomists in the 19th century.

Modern mushroom pickers also use this method, the step-by-step procedure of which is as follows:

1. The fungus is infected with a truffle fly larva.
2. Buried next to a nut or oak.
3. Eating fruiting bodies, the larva infects the roots of the tree with fungal spores.
4. They (spores) are attached to the root system of the plant and enter into symbiosis with them.

Video: Truffle Growing

To expand the plantation of truffles to the size of the farm, you can use oak acorns. Plant them close to the mother plant, deepening by 30 cm. This will allow fungal spores to fall on young roots and develop as the tree grows.

Important! To increase the area of ​​mushroom growth, divide the infected tree into several cuttings. After that, plant them on nutritious soil to accelerate development.

So, now you know that you can grow delicious mushrooms that cost incredible money at home. To do this, you need to choose a suitable place, buy mycelium and properly care for the plantings. Although the ripening time of truffles is much higher compared to other types of mushrooms, but such a business is very cost-effective.