Chanterelle mushrooms: growing at home

Growing chanterelles at home is a great way to provide your family with a tasty and healthy product for a long time. This can be done if you have patience and attention. First you need to find out what are the features of the growth and development of these mushrooms, which include the rules for planting and care. The main difficulty lies in the fact that chanterelles belong to a variety of mycorrhizal fungi and for proper development they need an ally tree. Therefore, growing chanterelles in a box will be fruitless.

How chanterelle mushrooms reproduce

In nature, reproduction of fungi occurs by spores – microscopic seeds, up to several microns in size. In chanterelles, as in other higher fungi, spore maturation occurs in a special spore-bearing layer located in the lower part of the cap – hymenium.

The fungus contains a huge amount of spores. Their full maturation in the hat occurs in chanterelles in about 9 days. As they mature, they fall to the ground and are carried by wind, rain streams or forest animals. Spores that have fallen on fertile soil germinate, releasing hyphae – long intertwining threads that look like mold. As the mycelium grows, branching increases, it more and more penetrates the upper, fertile layer of the earth. Carefully lifting the forest moss, it can be seen with the naked eye.

The threads of the mycelium diverge radially. It is located in the ground along the perimeter of a large circle, and the inner part gradually dies off. The growth rate of mycelium can be from 10 to 30 cm per year.

Chanterelles love acidic, well-moistened soil. Their colonies can be found in small clearings surrounded by coniferous trees, in blueberries and birch groves. The main condition for their successful growth and development is the presence of a number of trees suitable for the formation of mycorrhiza or fungal root. Mushrooms need a symbiotic relationship with the roots to obtain nutrients from them – carbohydrates, amino acids, phytohormones. For their part, they help the partner tree absorb moisture and minerals from the soil. Thanks to mycorrhiza, tree roots acquire a large absorption surface, which facilitates their development on soil poor in microelements.

Is it possible to grow chanterelles at home

Long-term experiments of scientists have shown that it is not possible to grow chanterelles at home, but in closed ground, since they cannot develop without contact with the root system of trees. In addition, mushrooms need heat, high humidity, acidic soil with a sufficient amount of humus. Growing chanterelles in a garden plot surrounded by coniferous, oak or birch trees, subject to the technology, will be effective. Fruit trees are not suitable for cultivation.

Growing chanterelles at home for beginners may seem disadvantageous. By recreating conditions as close to natural as possible, it is possible to achieve the development of mycelium. In this case, the family will be provided with delicious mushrooms for the whole season. But you should not hope for large yields, such as those obtained when growing champignons or oyster mushrooms.

Features of growing chanterelles in the garden

The main condition necessary for growing chanterelles in the country is the presence of at least one coniferous or deciduous tree. It can be forest or ornamental species. If they are not on the site, you can buy seedlings. A chanterelle plantation is set up in close proximity to partner trees. You should choose a fairly shady and humid place, at the same time, having access to the sun’s rays. The accustomed mycelium will grow in breadth, so it is necessary to organize free space for it.

After the place for growing chanterelles is chosen, you should prepare everything you need for further work:

• planting material;
• surface turf;
• covering material (moss, fallen leaves, needles);
• shovel;
• water for irrigation.

Growing chanterelle mushrooms at home is a laborious and lengthy process. You need to know that the first harvest can be harvested no earlier than a year later.

How to choose planting material

After selecting a tree suitable for growing chanterelles, it is necessary to choose the right planting material. This is done while in the forest. They are looking for a healthy tree around which a family of chanterelles grows: this means that its root system is intertwined with fungal mycelium and forms mycorrhiza. Planting material is collected from such a tree. It is necessary to observe the obligatory condition for growing chanterelles at home: the forest tree must be of the same type as the tree on the site. Next to the “acquaintance” the mycelium will be much easier to take root.

There are two ways to propagate chanterelles for growing at home:

1. Disputes (use caps of ripe chanterelles or spore infusion).
2. Mushroom (buy a ready-made mycelium or use parts of the surface soil containing mycelium threads).

The method of introducing parts of the surface soil containing mycelium into the soil has a long preparatory period (from 12 to 15 months). But for growing chanterelles at home, it is the most reliable. Its efficiency is almost 100%. Such a soil is rich in humus, containing all the nutrients and elements of tree roots that contribute to the formation of a mushroom root. With proper preparation, it will be a kind of forest island – a familiar environment for mushrooms, suitable for growing at home.

How to plant chanterelles in the country

Planting begins at the beginning of summer, immediately after the establishment of warm weather. Preparations are carried out in a few days: they abundantly moisten the soil in the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbfuture plantings by adding a strong infusion of oak bark to the water for irrigation. It disinfects the earth, creates a good microclimate for growing mycelium.

Before starting the selection of planting material, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each method:

Chanterelle spores for planting

Achieving the development of mycelium, spores of chanterelles infect the roots of a tree growing on the site – the future symbiont. To do this, prepare a water infusion of spores. Previously, a tree is selected in the forest, around which there are already colonies of chanterelles. Cut off the caps of overripe specimens. Then proceed as follows:

1. The collected hats are soaked for a day in slightly sweetened water (10 g of granulated sugar are taken for 50 liters of water).
2. Soaked mushrooms are crushed, the resulting solution is carefully filtered through cheesecloth.
3. In the area where the chanterelles will be planted, the topsoil is removed.
4. The soil is disinfected by carefully spilling a thick solution of oak bark, left for a day.
5. Evenly moisten the site with the resulting solution of fungal spores using a watering can.
6. The remaining pulp of mushrooms is distributed on top and sprinkled with previously removed earth.
7. For better development of the mycelium, the site is regularly watered. To avoid washing out the spores, apply watering along the tree trunk.

The first mushrooms on a home plantation can be expected next summer.

Chanterelle mycelium for planting

Another method is propagation by mushroom threads – mycelium. This planting material can be purchased in specialized stores in powder form. You can grow mushrooms in the country from mycelium, recruited independently. They do this next to the selected forest tree – a symbiont. They dig out parts of the top layer of the earth in a forest area, up to 15 cm thick. Further actions are as follows:

1. Plots of land are placed in individual containers and stored for about a year in a cool place, providing access to oxygen.
2. Mycorrhiza gradually develops, strengthens and becomes more viable.
3. A year later, at the beginning of summer, they begin planting and growing.
4. Holes up to 20 cm deep are dug around a tree growing on a plot. A fertile forest layer with a developed mycelium is placed in each and rammed.
5. Thoroughly water all wells and areas around them. From above they cover with fertile turf from under a coniferous tree.
6. It is necessary to ensure that the mycelium is protected from the cold in winter.
7. Water the plantation regularly, making sure that the earth is well moistened.

The first harvest can be expected the next year after laying the mycelium in the ground.

Fruit bodies of chanterelles for planting

You can grow chanterelles by propagating them with fruiting bodies or caps of old mushrooms with mature spores. To do this, take the largest mushrooms, collecting them together with a small amount of soil litter. Caps are cut off and placed in the sun, waiting to wither. In the planned place, the upper fertile part of the soil is removed so that the roots of the tree are partially exposed. Cooked hats are placed and covered with turf removed from above. Water thoroughly and leave to germinate, keeping the soil moist.

After 2 – 3 weeks after planting, you can see how the mycelium develops. To do this, raise the top layer of turf. Long greenish threads penetrating the soil indicate that the mycelium has taken root and develops normally. The mycelium should develop at rest, it is not necessary to dig up the soil. Forest grass that has grown over the mycelium is an additional protection.

How to grow chanterelles at home

Caring for homemade mycelium is to create optimal conditions for its development. This is timely watering, protection from diseases, proper harvesting.

Mycelium care begins in the preparatory period. It is important that planting is carried out in fertile soil. To do this, dig the site, adding organic fertilizer to it. In addition, for growing chanterelles at home, it is important to know the following:

1. When choosing a partner tree, you should pay attention to young specimens. Their root system is still undeveloped, which means that they consume only part of the nutrients from the soil, sharing with fungi.
2. The tree next to which planting material will be collected must be healthy. It is necessary to carefully examine whether there are growths on the trunk or plaque on the leaves. A diseased tree can infect fungi through the ground.

During the growing period, you need to monitor the correct watering. For mushrooms, drip irrigation is preferable. It provides a gradual and uniform moistening of the soil.

The optimal frequency of watering is as follows:

• during a drought – once a week;
• in rainy times – reduce the number of waterings or stop completely for a while.

A year after planting the mycelium, with proper care, you can expect the first harvest. For the winter, you should carefully cover it from the cold, and in the spring – free it, providing the maximum flow of fresh air.

The harvest period continues throughout the summer and ends in October. Summer chanterelles are highly valued, but the preference is given to mushrooms grown in early autumn. They break records for attractiveness and nutritional properties. They are carefully cut with a knife under the spine. Uprooting is prohibited – this can damage the mycelium.

Chanterelles grown in the garden have the same set of valuable elements as forest ones. They are very tasty and have a variety of medicinal properties.

Cultivation of chanterelles as a business

Chanterelles are not well suited for mass breeding. For their cultivation, an extensive development path is more preferable, since they can develop only in conditions close to natural. It is easier to grow chanterelles at home, in your backyard, but not in vast areas. There are several obstacles to growing chanterelles on an industrial scale:

• successful cultivation is impossible without the presence of forest trees on the site;
• the crop can be harvested only during the summer-autumn period;
• the yield depends on climatic conditions.

When deciding to grow chanterelles in a greenhouse, you need to keep in mind the following:

• it is necessary to prepare a large amount of compost saturated with sawdust;
• during the growing period, care should be taken for a high level of humidity (up to 90%) and sufficient shading for chanterelles;
• you need to organize a system of abundant watering.

For growing chanterelles, areas with a mild climate without sudden changes in temperature are favorable.

Conclusion

Growing chanterelles at home is not an easy process, but an interesting one. The main thing is to have a reserve of patience and carefully follow all the recommendations. Even if not immediately, but in a year, hard work will be crowned with success, and the homemade mycelium will please with a harvest, give the first bright chanterelles.