How to grow white truffles at home?

Food production is an activity, the results of which are always in demand. And this is not surprising, because people are ready to pay constantly for the opportunity to eat delicious and natural food.

Those who are ready to devote themselves to the production of farm products should probably pay attention to such a rare idea of ​​an agricultural business in our country as the cultivation of truffles. How to grow a truffle in Russian natural conditions and how profitable can the production of this delicacy be?

"Golden mushroom". Is a truffle expensive?

They are not ready to pay as much for any mushroom that exists in the world as for a truffle: the price for 1 kg varies from 500 to 5000 dollars.

Moreover, it is not uncommon abroad to sell truffles as if they were works of art. Depending on the variety, quality, weight and other parameters, the price for one "golden mushroom" can reach an obscenely high mark of several thousand euros.

Of course, homemade truffles have little chance of being traded. And the price for them is significantly lower than for a mushroom that has grown in its natural environment. Restaurants, whose menus include dishes from the "golden mushroom", willingly buy up truffles grown on plantations. The price for 1 kg of the product does not scare them.

What truffle is in demand

In fact, there are many types of mushroom. But not everyone is good for food. In cooking, only two types are used. White, aka Piedmont, is the rarest and most valuable. It grows mainly in Italy, and specifically in the Piedmont region, which gave the name to the species. The mushroom has a delicate, delicate aroma and delicious taste. Unfortunately, these truffles cannot be grown at home.

Another type is black, or, as it is also called, the Perigord truffle. The homeland of the mushroom is the French region of the same name. Due to the fact that the black truffle is not as capricious as the white one, and lends itself to cultivation in a plantation, the Perigord truffle grows in many European countries, as well as in Russia and Ukraine.

Besides these two, there are other edible species. For example, Chinese or summer. But black is the most suitable for plantations. Therefore, when they talk about how to grow a truffle, they usually mean the Perigord view.

We grow truffles in Russia. Conditions for harvesting

Several centuries of observation and collection of truffles allowed to derive a formula for the necessary conditions for the successful growth of truffles on plantations. Truffle growing technology is a rather complicated, costly and, most importantly, a long process. It will take at least 5 years of careful farm maintenance to get the first crop. What you need to know about how to grow a truffle? First of all, in order for a capricious delicacy to take root and begin to grow, you need:

• suitable climate and landing terrain;
• favorable soil (ground);
• mycorrhiza.

Climatic and relief features

A moderate warm climate and a stable low rainfall are the main climatic requirements of a truffle. The delicate mushroom does not tolerate extreme heat or prolonged cold weather.

Where and how to grow a truffle in our country? The middle zone of Russia is well suited for production - sunny and not too hot summers, spring rains and warm autumn contribute to the excellent growth of a delicious mushroom.

If the lease of the land plot is not planned, it is quite possible to grow the truffle in the basement. In this case, the room should be sufficiently spacious, with moderate humidity and a stable temperature of about +22 degrees.

Soil for the truffle farm

The requirements for the soil in which the truffles will grow are no less high. A laboratory analysis will be required for the saturation of the soil with nutrients, nitrogen, carbon, lime, calcium. Also, the surface of the soil should not be subject to water erosion and be at an angle of no more than 15 degrees. The height of the fertile soil layer is required at least 30 cm.

Before planting, the acid-base balance of the truffle soil must be checked. This can be done with two simple tests. A little soil taken from the site of the proposed plantation should be added to a container of white vinegar. If the reaction is a faint hiss of the solution, this indicates too high a level of acidity. Another test is carried out with litmus paper, which simply needs to be immersed in the ground. The paper should turn blue. The absence of such a reaction also means that the alkali level is insufficient. In either case, the alkaline level of the site needs to be increased by gradually adding lime.

Mycorrhiza and planting seedlings

The symbiosis of the roots of the partner tree and the truffle is called mycorrhiza. The mushroom grows underground, on the roots of a tree, in families of 5-7 truffles. The tree feeds its "neighbors" with everything necessary for growth: carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and other set of substances that affect the taste properties of the mushroom. But the truffle does not parasitize either - the symbiosis helps the tree to be saturated with minerals and phosphorus.

Planting the mycelium, the seed material of the fungus, takes place in several stages.

It is important to know that seedlings with mycorrhiza of the fungus are planted in open ground. Ready-made seedlings infected with truffle mycelium can simply be bought. And to create mycorrhiza on your own, you will need seedlings of partner trees and soil from the natural habitat of the truffle, infected with mycelium. Having infected the rhizome with truffle mycelium, the seedling must be kept in absolutely sterile conditions for at least two weeks. And only after quarantine, the seedling can be planted in open soil. This is done like this:

• A small amount of water is poured into the prepared holes about 70 cm deep, after which a tree with mycorrhiza is planted and sprinkled with earth.
• It is required to create a protective layer around the hole in a radius of 40 cm. This can be a layer of garden film, forest foliage and branches, straw.
• Important: it is unacceptable to plant trees too close to each other. The optimal planting is 5 by 4 m, so no more than 500 mycorrhizal seedlings will be needed per 1 hectare.
• Before planting, you do not need to additionally use fertilizers so as not to harm the mycelium.

After planting a seedling, mycorrhiza takes a whole year to gain a foothold. After that, the truffle will firmly and finally take root on the root.

Further care takes place in this way: it is required to remove the weeds around the planting, do not forget to loosen in the spring and regularly water the trees with a drip method. Cracks that may form in the soil must be covered with sand.

The entire growth period of seedlings must be protected from rodents, rabbits and pests. In addition, along with allied trees, there may be plants on the site, next to which a capricious delicacy cannot grow. Such trees need to be removed.

What trees are required to grow truffles

The ideal partner for mycorrhiza is oak. But trees such as olive, hazel, sequoia, beech, hornbeam, or any kind of citrus may also work.

Important: the truffle absolutely does not tolerate willow, poplar, spruce, chestnut, fir! These trees should not be on the territory of the plantation.

How do I find a crop?

Cultivated truffles at home ripen from early to late autumn, and the amount of mushrooms that can be harvested in one such period is roughly 10 or 15 kg per hectare.

Truffle differs from other fruits of the earth in that it is not enough to plant and grow it. This mushroom still has to be found - the crop can hide at a depth of about 30 cm underground. Better, of course, while waiting for the first truffles to purchase a specially trained animal (dog or pig) that can smell the delicacy. But if there is no such assistant in the household, there are several signs by which you can find a family of truffles:

• The smell of a ripe truffle family invariably attracts insects. For this reason, a large number of midges always hover over the place where the mushrooms have "lurked".
• The grass growing over the truffle dies and dries up by the time the mushroom ripens.
• The ground above the truffle is slightly raised.

How to store harvested mushrooms correctly

Undoubtedly, the best product is freshly cut, that is, one that is harvested no more than a day ago. However, if the realization of a truffle or the preparation of a dish from these delicacies is possible a little later, in order to preserve all the taste and nutritional properties of the mushroom, the following storage rules must be observed:

• truffles should always be stored without clearing from the ground, because it, like a natural container, will save the cut mushroom from the destructive action of microorganisms and the loss of its natural delicate taste;
• cool storage temperature (refrigerator);
• professional chefs advise this method of preserving the natural moisture of the truffle: wrap the unpeeled mushroom in parchment paper and place it in a container with dry rice.

So, having understood in more detail how truffle mushrooms grow and what conditions need to be created for this, we can conclude that the process of their production is incredibly long and costly. Nevertheless, plantations for the cultivation of this delicacy are not only common in European countries, but are also gradually gaining momentum in Russia. The explanation is simple: this business is profitable, no matter what. A truffle, once planted, bears fruit for a very long time, up to 30 years. And given the prices and high demand, we can expect that all investments will pay off already in the first harvest years.

Truffles are a renowned delicacy that is admired by gourmets around the world. The unusual taste and complexity of cultivation make these mushrooms a rare and valuable product, the cultivation of which promises a decent profit. If you are thinking of a new business, we suggest you consider growing truffles at home.

Choosing a landing site

The natural habitat for truffles is the southern regions of Europe, where the climate is not too hot and at the same time not too humid. Since these mushrooms are extremely demanding on the environment, only residents of the southern regions can afford to cultivate truffles in the open field in Russia or Ukraine.

Good places to plant truffles include the following:

• open ground. As mentioned above, this option is only suitable for regions with a constantly warm climate, since during the cold season there is a high risk of culture death. For cultivation, a forest belt with deciduous trees is preferable - oak, walnut, beech;
• greenhouse. A mushroom greenhouse can provide ideal micro and macroflora all year round. However, setting up a greenhouse will require a significant financial investment, which can only be justified if you plan to grow truffles as a business.Otherwise, spending on a heating, ventilation, air humidification system and expensive soil will not pay off;
• in the basement. The most frequently suggested option for the query “how to grow a truffle at home”. The basement is good because you do not need to spend money on its construction, and it does not depend on the influence of natural phenomena - wind, hail, snow. However, his equipment will also cost a pretty penny. Moreover, the basement will require additional disinfection and treatment with antibacterial substances.

The planting site, regardless of geographical location, must contain soil, the water balance of which is at the border of neutral and alkaline. In addition, the soil should be saturated with air, humus and calcium. The substrate should not contain stones, large irregularities. It must be treated for parasites and diseases.

As well as simpler representatives of the species - oyster mushrooms and champignons - truffles do not like strong winds, active sun and cold weather. The optimum temperature for breeding is + 20-22 degrees. Animals should not be allowed near the site, other flowers, trees and shrubs should not grow there.

Landing features

Modern mushroom pickers cultivate three main varieties of gourmet mushrooms: white, black and Chinese. Each of them can be found in natural conditions and try to grow planting material from the mycelium on their own.

Truffles grow on oaks and beeches. You can grow a crop on the sawdust of trees or on their root system. The first method is easier because it is easier to work with at home.

Shredded trees are infected with mycelium and placed in a sterile, warm place until mycorrhiza forms - the union of the spores of the fungus and the tree. When the mycorrhiza has taken root, it can be used for planting. However, this will not happen earlier than in a year.

An easier option would be to buy ready-made planting material from a trusted supplier. Such material is often sold already in a substrate, which is planted in the soil in small handfuls. For this, holes are dug 25–75 cm deep at a distance of 2 square meters. m apart. Before planting, water is poured into the hole, a layer of humus is laid, and a layer of hay or sawdust (up to 200 mm thick) is placed on top of the mycelium.

It is better to plant the future mushroom in open ground in late spring or early summer, when there will be no frost guaranteed. You can plant mycelium in the basement and greenhouse at any time of the year.

Care and growing rules

Indoor truffles can benefit from supplements containing copper, boron, zinc, calcium and iron. Nitrogen, phosphate and potassium fertilizers will not be superfluous. In a forest area, top dressing is best done not in the place of planting of the mushroom, but in the ground near the tree on which the truffle grows.

This culture does not tolerate weeds, fallen and dry foliage, other plants, except for those useful to it, on the site. Poplar, spruce and chestnut are especially negative for it. Also, the culture does not tolerate interaction with animals, in particular pigs, which are considered "hunters" for truffles.

In winter, plants in open ground are mulched to protect the planting site from freezing as much as possible. In the spring, the land should be treated against parasites and pests.

Harvesting

It takes about 5 years to form the crop, during which a fruit with a dense, embossed rounded shell is formed underground at a depth of 20–45 cm. It is the fruit part that is eaten.

During harvesting, the mushrooms are carefully dug up. Any damage to the fruit negatively affects not only the appearance (the mushroom can rot), but also the taste. To avoid crop losses, dig up the truffles carefully and place them on a flat surface with a layer of soft straw.

The average weight of a mature mushroom is 500–1200 g, and the total weight of the crop can exceed 9 kg.

Is it possible to do a truffle business

Since growing a truffle at home is an energy-intensive process, farmers want reimbursement as soon as possible. However, the duration of the ripening of the culture and certain difficulties in growing do not make it possible to get a quick profit.

Nevertheless, income can be almost 300% of the deposit amount. Truffles have been in constant demand on the Russian market for the last 20 years. Currently, the average price for 1 kg of mushroom is 56 thousand rubles. The average price in a Moscow restaurant for a truffle dish varies in the range of 500-1000 rubles.

In addition to restaurants, you can offer your products to manufacturers of spices. The strong aroma of this mushroom is also felt in truffle oil, for the manufacture of which manufacturers buy fruits in bulk.

Taking into account the development trends of modern restaurant cuisine, truffle growing can become not only profitable, but also a fashionable business.

Video "How to grow a truffle"

Learn how to grow a truffle yourself in this video.

Truffle has always been recognized as a gourmet delicacy mushroom. It is considered quite expensive to taste this mushroom. White truffles grow mainly in Northern Italy - in Piedmont, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna. The appearance of this exotic mushroom resembles potato tubers, large in size from 500 grams or more, color from whitish to light brown with yellowness. White truffle ripens from early October to late December. Has a pleasant scent. It is quite difficult to find this mushroom, since it grows deep underground and rarely appears on the surface of the earth. Some animals spread truffle spores.

Getting a white truffle is quite problematic. For example, in France, a rather unusual way of hunting for truffles with the help of special truffle flies has become widespread. And in the United Arab Emirates, myceologists recently made an attempt to create a mushroom plantation, despite the fact that artificial cultivation of truffles is practically not practiced. Let's look at a way to grow a white truffle at home and please family and friends with this delicious fungus.

Preparing to plant a white truffle

So, first you need to buy mycelium for growing and breeding truffles. In any specialty store, you can easily buy seedlings for about $ 10 per seedling. This rare mushroom must be grown on the basis of a walnut tree grafted in advance with white truffle spores.

Try to create favorable conditions for growing your truffle. Determine a location in your home that is not exposed to sunlight and wind. Limit access to pets and other plants.

Soil for truffle

The soil must be prepared in advance and checked for alkalinity. It is very important that the required alkaline level is maintained in the soil. If the alkali is not enough, it is better to find another suitable planting site or try to increase the alkalinity by adding lime fertilizer to the soil. You can easily check whether there is enough alkali in the soil or not. To do this, you need to dilute a little soil in water and lower the acidity indicator from litmus paper into the solution. If acid is present, the paper will turn blue. These will be fairly rough readings, but usually enough.

Planting a white truffle

After the soil is prepared, you can plant and care for walnut trees with grafted truffle spores. This process is long, so be patient. And when bulges appear at the seedling planting site, consider that your wait is over! Be prepared for the fact that when the mushrooms appear for the first time, they will grow again and again, over the years. Continue tending the mushrooms, weeding the soil constantly.

Now you know how to grow a white truffle at home. And it turned out that this is not at all difficult, as well as cooking dishes from these mushrooms. Experiment by adding white truffle to meat, fish dishes, salads, sauces, kulebyaki. After all, its exquisite aroma can make the most ordinary dish unusually tasty.

Anyone whose garden is rich in all sorts of cultures always strives to grow something new. If you are an experienced summer resident, and you are no longer interested in experimenting with varieties of tomatoes and strawberries, try to breed a truffle in your area. This mushroom costs a lot of money and has a lot of useful properties. But growing it will require compliance with many conditions and remarkable patience. This is a big challenge for the hobby gardener. Let's try?

Why truffle is valuable

Truffle is a rare and valuable mushroom with unique taste and aroma properties. For a long time, truffle has cost much more than black caviar and is served exclusively in restaurants. The cost of the delicacy is calculated from $ 5 per gram. They rush to find it with specially trained dogs and pigs, because it is not so easy to find a mushroom in the wild. The fact is that the truffle grows underground, at a depth of 20-30 cm. With a large number of varieties, the white Italian and black Perigon truffles have acquired special value and popularity among gourmets.

The optimal climate for truffles is Mediterranean and Australian, but it takes root in our country as well. And yet, in regions where the climate is unstable and subject to sharp fluctuations, it makes no sense to take up truffle cultivation. But the residents of Crimea and central Russia can easily take on a daring experiment. A black French truffle is grown at home. It is believed that the white truffle takes root only in the Mediterranean latitudes.

Interesting: the most expensive truffle in the world was sold for 330 thousand dollars. This is how a mushroom weighing 1.5 kg was estimated at one of the auctions in 2007.

The high cost of the truffle makes breeding especially attractive. Therefore, people strive to put truffle production on stream and make it the backbone of the business. It seems that the truffle can turn an ordinary site into a gold mine. Perhaps this is true, but truffle farming requires a lot of attention and strict adherence to technology.

Black truffle has marble flesh

In addition to the fact that the truffle smells incredible and gives dishes an unusual, incomparable aroma and taste, it also has useful properties. For example, it is rich in vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, antioxidants, and masks and creams with the addition of truffle help to rejuvenate and tighten the skin.

Growing conditions

Climate and terrain

Regions with a warm climate, short and not frosty winters, and a small amount of rainfall are suitable for truffle cultivation. The saturation of the soil with moisture should not exceed 70%. The fungus prefers a flat area, sheltered from the wind, with an altitude of 200-500 m above sea level. Truffles do not grow in highlands and lowlands.

Partner trees

In the wild, the mushroom grows in close proximity to the root system of trees. The mutually beneficial proximity of the fungus and the tree - mycorrhiza - provides the truffle and the companion tree with nutrition, growth, and enrichment with useful elements. With good interaction with the tree, the mushroom grows and develops quickly. The most popular partner for truffles is oak, but it also interacts with the root systems of chestnuts, linden, hazelnuts and some conifers (eg Lebanese cedar).

Important! Poplar, willow, fir and spruce are unfavorable neighbors for truffles.

The soil

For cultivation of truffles, soil resistant to water erosion with a fertile layer of at least 30 cm and an angle of inclination of no more than 15 ° are selected. Before planting, it is necessary to hand over soil samples for laboratory analysis.This will not be superfluous, since the laborious, painstaking and lengthy process of truffle breeding requires strict adherence to all the necessary conditions and regulations. The soil should be alkaline with a pH of about 8.0, therefore, in case of increased acidity, it is recommended to sprinkle the soil with lime. Saturation with calcium, nitrogen, carbon and minerals is required.

Specially trained dogs help you search for truffles

Landing

When you have chosen a suitable site, you can start landing. Keep in mind that you will not plant mushroom spores, but young trees. It is the young seedlings of trees, whose root systems are infected with fungal mycelium, that are used. In laboratory conditions, truffle mycorrhiza is grafted onto the seedling. A developed seedling with fortified mycorrhiza is sold in patented containers of various sizes. You choose a partner tree (oak, hazel, cedar, linden, etc.), the variety of grafted mycorrhiza, the age of the seedling, the volume of the container. The seedlings are sold in online stores. Please note that experienced and reputable manufacturers attach a certificate with a date and an individual number to the products. As a rule, deliveries are made from France and other European countries. The cost of a 1-2 year old seedling ranges from 10 to 25 €, a 3 year old seedling will cost 30 €.

Seedlings are planted in squares 4x5 m, taking into account 500 trees per 1 hectare. No pre-fertilization of the soil is required. On the contrary, the introduction of additional chemicals can cause the death of the mycelium. Seedlings are planted in spring in warm soil, previously cleared of weeds.

For planting, dig a hole 70–75 cm deep, carefully place the seedling there, protecting the root system, water it abundantly and cover it with earth. Mulch the top layer in a radius of 40 cm. Can be sprinkled with twigs, straw or covered with plastic wrap.

Care and harvest

Planting care consists in the regular removal of weeds (after 4 years all extraneous vegetation will finally die around the tree) and the annual light loosening of the soil in the spring. To prevent the soil from drying out, the ground under the trees is covered with branches. In a dry year, you can resort to drip irrigation so that the mycelium does not die from drought.

If cracks form in the soil, be sure to cover them with earth.

It is vital to monitor the health and growth of the partner tree. Control pests and prune branches to avoid overgrowth. A tree in the form of an inverted cone, about 1 meter high, is an ideal option for the development and nutrition of mycorrhiza.

Prevent animals from entering the plantation. The aroma of the truffle attracts pigs and rabbits.

Dig up the truffle carefully, protecting the roots and mycelium

Harvesting takes place from November to March. Mature mushrooms have a rich aroma and black color, unripe ones have a reddish tint. Collection is a laborious and painstaking process. As you remember, mushrooms grow deep underground and one can only guess about the presence of a crop. In addition, mushrooms are located not only under the tree, but also in the aisles on the root branches. Truffle is not a potato for you, it requires careful and gentle handling when digging up. Collect only fully ripe mushrooms, while being careful not to damage the mycelium and roots. In size, the fruiting body of a truffle reaches a large potato, but it can be as large as a pea, weighing on average 10–100 grams.

Video: everything about growing and harvesting black truffles

If you decide to experiment with growing a truffle, you need to be patient. Perhaps it is you who will be able to breed an outlandish mushroom right under your windows. And even if you do not become a millionaire mushroom planter at the same time, you can certainly enjoy aromatic and unique dishes with the addition of truffles.

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