Is it possible to grow truffles at home at home?

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 - oak, walnut, beech is preferable;
• 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 geographic location, must contain soil, the water balance of which is on 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.

Growing truffles - mushrooms that the vast majority of people saw only in pictures, is this business really generating fabulous income? And is it so easy to implement such a project for a novice entrepreneur in Russia, where truffles are extremely rare? Read today's article and you will find out how to grow a truffle in Russia - in an ordinary greenhouse.

Business brief analysis: Costs of organizing a business: from 200 thousand rubles Relevant for cities with a population: for rural areas Situation in the industry: an emerging market Complexity of organizing a business: 3/5 Payback: from 1 season

Probably every man in the street dreams of making a lot of money quickly and, most importantly, a lot. And only those people who have ever tried to create their own business understand that this can only be in “Hollywood fairy tales” or in books. In life every million is worth months and years of hard work, deprivation and denial of everything that the same man in the street is often unable to refuse. The question of time in creating their own successful business is of great concern to many. However, nevertheless, someone chooses projects with a payback period of 5-6 years or more, others - in 2-3 years, and still others - want to recoup the costs in a few months. Which category do you belong to?

It should be noted right away that even the cultivation of porcini mushrooms - the "elite" of the mushroom kingdom, and even more so the cultivation of oyster mushrooms and honey agarics, or champignons - cannot be compared in terms of profitability with truffles. For example, how much does a mushroom truffle cost at the purchase price in elite restaurants? Up to 2 euros for 1 gram! And one mushroom weighs from 100 to 200 grams, and can even reach 700 g in weight! Agree, a very tempting prospect ?!

The only negative is that the indicated price is paid for a black truffle harvested in the south of France. The Russian truffle mushroom, which grows in its native forests, is of somewhat inferior quality and taste, and therefore much cheaper. The most expensive truffle is a white Italian truffle grown in the province of Tuscany. Its price is from 1500 euros per 1 kilo. Truffles are artificially grown in China in literally tens of tons, but, unfortunately, like many Chinese goods, the quality of such mushrooms leaves much to be desired.

Truffles in nature

Before you start considering a truffle growing business idea, you need to get acquainted with its natural habitat in our country. Many readers probably know that truffles grow underground. But few other details are known to few:

• only one type of truffle grows naturally in Russia - summer truffle. Most often found in the central part of Russia on the Black Sea coast;
• truffles "prefer" deciduous forests (beech, hornbeam, oak groves), forming a kind of symbiosis with tree roots, which is one of the most important factors for the life and growth of mushrooms. In other words, without a tree nearby, the truffle simply cannot survive. Moreover, in Italy, the mushroom grows next to birch, mountain ash, poplar, and linden - i.e. all those trees that are most often found in our country. In other words, the prerequisites for growing truffles in Russia are created by nature itself. The only obstacle to its full maturation is the short summer and a slightly different type of soil.

This is interesting: truffle has been known as a delicacy for a very long time. Moreover, from time immemorial, it was harvested with the help of pigs, which smelled "delicacy" for several tens of meters. But very soon the man gave up the "pigs" in search of truffles, as they encroached on the prey, which they rightly considered their own, and began to use specially trained dogs.

Growing truffles at home

In order to grow truffles at home, several methods are used. We will consider only two - the most optimal, the most suitable for Russia, and successfully tested by domestic mushroom growers:

1. how to grow a truffle in a greenhouse;
2. and how to grow a truffle in its natural environment - in the forest.

Growing truffles in a greenhouse

For a long time it was believed that from the "capriciousness" of these mushrooms, it is almost impossible to recreate the conditions for growing them at home. But, as it turned out, when certain conditions are created, the truffle can be grown even in a greenhouse in the country... About what kind of business you can still do with your own six hundred square meters, read this link -

What is needed for this? First of all, prepare the necessary seed - mushroom mycelium and nutrients for planting:

• land taken from the topsoil in a deciduous or mixed forest along with tree leaves;
• a nutrient solution containing npk-fertilizers (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium);
• freshly cut wood of those tree species (in the form of sawdust or shavings) that are more suitable for those types of truffles that are supposed to be cultivated. The best tree for this is oak.

Growing mushrooms in a greenhouse step by step is as follows:

1. prepare the soil in the greenhouse by sifting it before backfilling in order to saturate with oxygen and remove stones, carefully controlling its acidity, which should not exceed 7.5 units;
2. pour a layer of sawdust or shavings on the beds with prepared soil;
3. mix the mycelium with a small amount of soil treated with npk fertilizers;
4. pour the resulting mixture onto a layer of sawdust or shavings;

Now you can “forget” about truffles for a month, occasionally watering the plantings in moderation (these mushrooms do not like high humidity) and weeding out weeds, which truffles “do not like” very much.

After a month, you can try to harvest the first crop, however, you should not immediately hope for stunning results - in order for the mycelium to fully take root, it takes at least a year. Therefore, the first truffle harvest can be a little disappointing for a beginner mushroom grower.

The main "peak" of yield is observed in 3-4 years from the moment of planting, every year the number of mushrooms will increase.

Creation of a "truffle forest"

This is not an exaggeration at all. People who are seriously involved in growing truffles plant entire forests to obtain a valuable product in conditions that are as close to natural as possible. For this purpose, the seedlings of the necessary trees are specially infected with mushroom mycelium, and in the spring they are planted in open ground.

Why is a tree needed? Can't a truffle grow on its own? No. We have already mentioned the symbiosis that the fungus forms with the tree, receiving from it all the substances useful and necessary for its growth - carbohydrates, amino acids, trace elements. But symbiosis is a mutually beneficial "partnership", and the truffle, in turn, gives phosphorus and various minerals to the tree. If the tree for growing truffles is chosen correctly, then both plants feel "comfortable" and grow quickly and fully. The ideal "partner" for truffles in this respect is oak. This is what most experienced mushroom growers use.

Seedlings infected with mycelium are planted in the soil at a distance of 5 meters from each other and 4 meters between rows. It should be borne in mind that it is impractical to plant more than half a thousand trees on an area of ​​1 hectare.

Fertilize the soil, in order to avoid the death of the mycelium before planting, in this case it is impossible. The maximum "chemical treatment" is the introduction of ammonium glufosinate, a herbicide that inhibits the growth of weeds, into the soil.

The depth of the pit for planting a truffle is up to 75 cm. This is necessary to protect the truffle from wind, soil freezing, and pests. Before planting the seedling, you need to pour a small amount of water into the dug hole, another watering - after filling the young shoot with soil.

Around each planted tree with a radius of 40-50 cm is laid a layer of mulch up to 10 cm deep, consisting of ordinary forest land with the remains of the leaves of the same trees or oak. You can also cover this surface near the seedling with plastic wrap.

However, not every terrain is suitable for planting such a "truffle forest". First of all, you need to pay attention to the location of the landing region above sea level. Above 1000 and below 100 meters can be ignored. The best option is within 500 (plus or minus 100) meters above sea level.

It is also necessary to conduct an examination of the soil for:

• resistance to water erosion. In other words, does the washing away or destruction of the upper fertile layer occur in this region under the influence of temporary water flows (rain, melt water, etc.) and wind.
• the thickness of the fertile soil layer, which should be at least 10-15 cm.
• the level of alkali contained in it. This can be done with a simple experiment: dip a litmus paper into the ground. If the indicator turns blue, it is an indicator of ideal soil for truffles.

This is interesting: you can find out that the truffles have grown and are ready to harvest by looking at the small bumps on the ground around the tree.

By the way, experienced mushroom growers prune the branches and trunk of a tree "infected" with mycelium. The “correct” height of such a tree should be no more than 1 meter, and its shape should look like an inverted cone.

If you plant saplings with mycelium in the spring, then the appearance of ripe truffles can be expected by autumn - early September. However, it is better to give the mushrooms as much time as possible - from 4 to 6 weeks before full maturation.

Ripe mushroom is black in color with a characteristic earthy smell with a nutty tinge. Unripe truffles are reddish in appearance. Truffles are dug up after discovery in much the same way as potatoes, only with greater care so as not to damage the mycelium.

Sales of products

The only thing you can be absolutely sure of is that there will always be a truffle distribution channel. It can also be elite restaurants in megacities in the country that can pay big money for elite delicacies, and, if you're lucky, the quality will meet all the conditions, foreign centers of gourmet cuisine. As a result, there will be only one problem - how not to get too cheap with the sale.

This mushroom is recognized as a world delicacy. The price for 1 kg ranges from several thousand dollars. Many people have never been able to taste truffle mushrooms in their entire lives.

As you know, everything that grows in the earth under natural conditions can be grown independently if favorable conditions are created. Growing king mushrooms is not easy, you need not only start-up capital, but also enough space to grow truffles. If the process improves, then in 1-2 years you can develop your own business, which brings good income. Since the price of a truffle is very high, you can quickly recoup your investment.

About the secret of the truffle

This mushroom has many secrets. First, even those people who collect truffles cannot observe their growth. The fact is that the "life" of the fungus takes place under a layer of earth (depth of about 20 cm) and depends on shrubs and trees. It feeds on the roots of these plants, giving them some of the nutrients. The misconception of many that the truffle is a parasite, on the contrary, the fungus envelops the root system of the tree with its mycelium. Thus, thanks to fungi, plant roots receive more moisture and will be under reliable protection from harmful microorganisms. This coexistence of two plants is called symbiosis.

The second secret is reproduction. If we compare this process with ordinary mushrooms, then everything is clear: spores are carried through the air or through water. But the spores of royal mushrooms spread through the stomachs of animals. It turns out that after passing through the body of a wild boar, spores acquire the ability to germinate, but only in a convenient place for it - next to some trees. In order for a wild animal to find a mushroom, nature has provided for this moment too - the truffle has a delicate aroma. By the way, not every mushroom smells good. Most mushrooms thin out a rather unpleasant odor, similar to the "aroma" of spoiled fish or rotten onions. And only some varieties of truffles, including the royal (Perigorsk), thin out the pleasant aroma.

Of all the known types of truffles, only black ones have been artificially grown. They are also called French, because France is the leader in truffle cultivation.A favorable place - specially planted oak groves or plantings. Truffle sizes can range from a small, walnut-sized to a medium-sized apple. Larger specimens, about 1 kg, were also found in nature.

Truffle photo:

What is the use

Incredibly, culinary experts from many countries of the world are ready to pay several thousand dollars for 1 kg! Why is truffle so overwhelmingly popular?

There are about 10 types of mushrooms suitable for human consumption. The most valuable are the black truffle (Perigord or Italian), winter and Piedmont.

Outwardly, the truffle is somewhat similar to a potato, the pulp of the mushroom has a reddish tint. When it reaches maturity, the flesh will turn black and white streaks will be visible in the cut. It is because of its subtle aroma that the black truffle is considered the most valuable among culinary specialists. Hundreds of different gourmet dishes can be prepared from the mushroom. It is very important to preserve the delicate flavor of the truffle, so in most cases, chefs add a small portion of the raw mushroom to the finished dish. If you do everything according to the rules, then you can appreciate the unique properties of the truffle.

The calorie content of the royal mushroom is low, there are only 24 kcal per 100 g. The mushroom goes well with cheese, fruit and meat. It can also be served as an independent dish with a white creamy sauce. It tastes like roasted seeds or walnuts.

You can talk about the benefits of a truffle for hours - it is a source of vitamins of group B, PP and C. Truffle is of particular value for adolescents, pregnant and lactating women. In addition, regular consumption of Perigord truffle will prolong youth, preserve beauty and increase sexual activity.

How to grow a truffle

They have been trying to breed the royal mushroom for a long time in artificial conditions. Back in the 60s of the 19th century, active work was carried out in this direction. The breeders have been waiting for the first results for more than 10 years! Nobody gave any guarantees.

In those places that were not rich in black soil, they had to go to the trick and breed truffles indoors. For these purposes, spacious basement rooms were allocated, suitable trees were taken, crushed to the state of sawdust, moistened with a special solution with nutrients, and soil with mycelium was added. Such artificial breeding did not always give a positive result.

A little later, in France, scientists managed to conduct another experiment on breeding black truffles. In the laboratory, young oak trees were grown with an artificially bred truffle. As soon as the mushrooms took root with the trees, the "couple" were moved into the ground and the yield was monitored. Thanks to this technology, at the beginning of the 20th century, the French managed to collect almost 1000 tons of mushrooms a year.

At present, the technology developed by scientists from Australia is considered effective, about 100 kg of crop can be obtained from 1 hectare.

Growing truffles at home

Growing mushrooms on your own is a whole art. It is troublesome and costly business. It is necessary to make large investments and wait a long time for the harvest.

To grow truffles at home, 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 harvest, the optimal air temperature should be + 22 ° C.

Consider 2 options for growing royal mushrooms.

Soil contamination with mycelium

For these purposes, you will need the following:

1. Purchase truffle mycelium (on a pad or substrate).
2. Prepare branches, leaves (fallen) from oak, walnut or beech, moss.
3. Shovel.
4. Water.
5. Soil for truffles or peat substrate for growing indoor plants.
6. Planting is best done in the warm season - at the end of May or June.Not far from the selected tree (the age of the trees is 5-10 years), you need to make several holes (3-4 will be enough), the depth of the hole is 20 cm, the diameter is 10 cm.
7. Put the prepared soil in half of each hole, and on top of it - the required amount of mycelium. Then the holes are filled to the brim with the remaining soil. It needs to be tamped very tightly.
8. Now, very carefully, 10 liters must be poured into each well. settled water. Rainwater can also be used for irrigation.
9. On top, you need to lay the prepared foliage, moss and branches and water again abundantly with water, but already around each hole.

After 3, or even 5 years, the first harvest should be expected. It will depend on weather conditions. By the way, you need to ensure that the soil is always moist and in no case should it dry out. With the onset of cold weather, the planting sites need to be insulated with an additional layer of leaves.

A few years later, at the end of August, you can count on the first truffle harvest. It will reach sizes from 40 to 70 g and acquire a delicate aroma. Every year, 5-7 mushrooms can be collected from each hole.

Planting spore-infested seedlings

This method of growing truffles is considered more efficient, although it requires costs: both material and time.

First, sprouts of oak or hazel are taken, which are infected with the mycelium of the black fungus. They are kept in "quarantine" for several weeks in order to prevent the death of the mycelium. Seedlings must be kept in sterile conditions. If all the requirements are met, then the mycelium takes root and after that the seedlings can be planted in the nursery.

For the first few months, they must be kept in "quarantine" conditions. Even the maintenance personnel are obliged to observe hygiene rules so as not to infect young oak trees with harmful microorganisms.

After 12 months, we can talk about the complete survival of the seedlings. During this period, they should grow up to 20 cm. When breeding black truffles, it is very important to use sprouts, not young oaks, in which case good results can be achieved. By the way, on some farms, the replanting method is practiced, when a truffle is planted to oak sprouts, next to an adult tree.

How to choose a suitable place, professional advice:

• monitor the acidity of the soil, ideally so that the pH does not exceed 7.9 and does not fall below 7.5;
• choose an aerated soil with sufficient calcium and humus. Also, foreign inclusions and stones should not be present in it. Before planting seedlings, you need to thoroughly mechanically process the soil;
• pay attention to a very important detail: no other microorganisms (fungal spores) should be present in your soil;
• after planting within 2 years, you need to get rid of weeds;
• the average daily temperature in the warm season is from 16.5 to 22 ° C;
• to make it easier to carry out tillage, choose a non-embossed area.

How to land

Planting oak seedlings infected with black truffle mycelium is carried out in the spring, when the threat of frost has passed. The soil must be well prepared and all weeds removed. It is impossible to use chemicals to kill weeds, since even a small part of them in the soil can lead to the death of the mycelium.

The use of herbicides with ammonium gluphosphate is allowed, but only in small quantities and in case of urgent need. This substance decomposes quickly in the soil.

Planting is carried out according to a certain scheme, taking into account the fact that no more than 500 oak trees per 1 hectare. Immediately before planting, the soil cannot be fertilized, this can lead to the death of the mycelium of the royal mushroom.

It should also be borne in mind that when transplanting, there is a high risk of damage to the root system, therefore, oaks are first planted in the prepared hole, a small amount of water is poured, the seedling is densely covered with soil and again abundantly watered.Planting depth - 75 cm to protect mushrooms from frost and other adverse weather conditions. In addition, mulching is done near the tree (from a layer of leaves, moss and branches). If the plants are young, it is better to protect them with plastic wrap.

Since the truffle is an ectomycorrhizal fungus (the formation of mycorrhiza on the root system), the area of ​​the tree for development should be at least 20 m2. Along with the oak, it is allowed to grow other companion trees: citrus, olive trees. You cannot plant poplar, chestnut, pine, spruce and fir next to oak trees.

About pest control and harvesting

Since pigs and rabbits are the main danger for truffles, the area where the Perigord mushroom is grown must be fenced off. Cockroaches and weevils also pose a serious threat to the future harvest.

The appearance of fungi (after a few years) can be recognized by the small tubercles that appear on the soil. The body of the mushroom is in the ground, the depth is about 20 cm. The weight of one specimen is from 0.5 to 1 kg. The black truffle has a round or oblong shape. The color of the mushroom is black and the "skin" is hard.

Most of the crop can be located practically on the soil surface. In order not to disrupt the ripening process, it is important to sprinkle such places with sifted sand. By the way, the fact that the mushroom is close to the surface can be judged by the flies and midges - if there are a lot of them in this place, then it's time to harvest.

To search for royal mushrooms, specially trained dogs are used (they are watered with milk with the addition of mushroom broth, and later they are trained with a stick grated with truffle) and pigs. You need to dig out the truffle exclusively by hand with small spatulas.

Growing royal truffles is troublesome, but due to the high cost of mushrooms, it is very profitable. There are many valuable mushroom farms in the world. You can find lands even in places where these mushrooms have never grown. So it is quite possible to grow truffles in artificial conditions, especially since the yield on such farms will be several times higher than in nature.

For the intricacies of growing truffles, see this video:

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, abroad it is not uncommon for auctions 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 the 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 eponymous French region. 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 elevated.

How to store harvested mushrooms correctly

Undoubtedly, the best product is freshly cut, that is, one that was 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 fruitful years.