Growing white mushrooms with mycelium

White mushroom or boletus is considered the king in the forest. A strong man found in a clearing is always happy. But as a rule, to collect a basket of mushrooms, you have to go a long distance. Many of our readers are interested in the question of whether it is possible to create a mushroom clearing on your site. The answer is unequivocal. Moreover, not only white, but other varieties of forest mushrooms are grown, including champignons.

The selection of porcini mycelium and how to grow it will be discussed in the article. But we must remember that for the success of the business, it is necessary to create conditions similar to those in the forest. First of all, trees should grow on the site, because it is with their root system that mushrooms form a symbiosis, receiving the necessary nutrients. In return, these unique creations of nature protect and protect trees from pests and diseases.

What are mushrooms

Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. This is a special realm of nature. They need dead organic matter for food. The cells contain chitin, exactly the same as that of insects.

The cells of the body of the fungus are combined into threads. Moreover, they do not grow randomly, but in a certain order. As a result, certain forms of stems and hats with different colors and structures are obtained.

Animals that feed on edible mushrooms carry the spores far from the place of growth, where myceliums later form.

Description of white mushrooms

White mushrooms or mushrooms, representatives of the family of bolets. These are tubular representatives of nature. The stem of the mushroom is barrel-shaped, very dense. Its height reaches 24 cm, and its thickness is about 10 cm.

The color of the cap can be white or red-brown with white streaks. It all depends on how much light the mushroom receives during growth. In addition, the color changes with age. The hat is often convex, in an old porcini mushroom up to 50 cm. For cutting for food, it is better to take mushrooms with a diameter of no more than 10 cm. The hat is matte, after rain, mucus forms on it.

The flesh of mushrooms is juicy, its color on the cut remains whitish-yellow. It contains nutrients and beneficial trace elements. Fresh porcini mushrooms are marinated, fried, dried, and tasty and fragrant mushroom soups are prepared. Some peoples do not subject mushrooms to heat treatment, but consume them raw.

Industrial cultivation of mushrooms is not carried out in any country, despite the popularity of the fungus. It is believed that such production is unprofitable. But amateurs can open a quiet hunt right on their site if they populate a certain area with mycelium.

What conditions do porcini mushrooms need

Before you start growing porcini mycelium, you need to take care of certain conditions, bringing them as close as possible to their natural environment. We present to your attention the table.

As you can see from the table, mushrooms are not so whimsical mushrooms, and you can always create suitable conditions for growing them. Especially if there are old pines, birches, oaks on the site. Pick a place that is lit but not too damp. Under the trees there should be a pillow of fallen leaves or needles. Indeed, for the nutrition of future mushrooms, rotted organic matter is needed: mushrooms themselves do not have the opportunity to process it. If ferns or hoof grow on the site, then they need to be pulled out.

Well, now about planting material and growing mycelium.

Mycelium of white fungus, how to prepare

As a rule, for the artificial cultivation of any mushrooms, high-quality viable mycelium is required. It is he who is an excellent planting material.

But here’s how to grow mycelium of porcini mushrooms on your own and get a mushroom clearing on your site?

Consider all possible ways:

1. First way. Mushroom lovers know clearings in the forest, on which many mushrooms grow. You will have to go into the forest with a shovel to dig up fruit bodies with a lot of soil and carefully place the planting material in a basket. The soil is cut into an area of ​​​​15×25 cm, so as not to damage the mycelium. You need to choose mushrooms that have large hats, as they have already ripened, ready to reproduce their own kind, spores. It does not matter if the fruiting body is wormy or dry.

   

   This method of harvesting mycelium is convenient in that the soil with mycelium and natural growing conditions are transferred to a new place. Immediately upon arrival from the forest, plant the mycelium in a permanent place, after removing part of the garden soil. Although there is one danger: along with the soil in your garden, there may be pests. There is no certainty that only porcini mushrooms will grow in you, because in the soil taken from the forest there may be spores of other representatives of the mushroom kingdom.

2. The second way. To grow mycelium, choose a well-ripened cap of a large mushroom in the forest. It should show signs of decomposition.
3. The third way. Buying ready-made mycelium. It is laid out on a prepared place and waiting for the harvest. That method allows you to get a pure culture, therefore, by buying the mycelium of porcini mushrooms, you will get them. Although it all depends on the integrity of the manufacturers.

   

We prepare the planting material

There are different options for growing mycelium. Let’s consider them in more detail.

First option

Having cut off the boletus cap with ripe spores, we need to grow mycelium:

1. Dissolve potassium permanganate (1 gram) in a bucket of rainwater.
2. Add refined sugar (15 pieces). We will get a nutrient medium for growing mycelium.
3. Fruit bodies, namely caps, must be thoroughly kneaded to obtain a homogeneous mass.
4. Dip the gruel in the nutrient solution and leave to infuse.
5. After 6-7 hours, when the mass in the bucket resembles a suspension, the solution must be filtered through gauze.
6. Using a watering can, spray the spores in the intended places between the growing trees. After that, shed the area with clean water so that the spores settled on the blades of grass fall to the ground. From time to time, if there is no rain, the “landings” need to be moistened so that the mycelium and the resulting mycelium do not dry out.

The second option

If you decide to use store mycelium for breeding mushrooms, then planting should be done in May. At this time, we make the first “sowing” and, under proper conditions, we get the harvest in the fall. You can plant mycelium until September.

Schedule:

1. Choose a good place under the trees, where there is enough light and moisture. Remove the soil to a depth of 30 cm per three square meters. It is for such an area that one package of dry mycelium is enough, intended for growing fruiting bodies.
2. At the bottom we add bark, foliage and needles taken from the forest. The layer must be at least ten centimeters.
3. Humus or fertile land is poured upstairs.
4. Powder with mycelium must be mixed with one liter of sand and sown on the prepared area. So that the mycelium is not blown out by the wind and washed away during watering or rain, sprinkle compost on top with a layer of 4 cm.
5. For watering use a watering can with a small nozzle. But it is best to carry out drip irrigation.

Further actions for growing mycelium are timely watering so that the soil does not dry out. Over time, a mycelium forms, and the first mushrooms appear. This method of growing mycelium allows you to collect mushrooms in one place for at least 5 years.

Conclusion

As you can see, it is realistic to grow mycelium of porcini mushrooms at home if there are coniferous or deciduous trees in the garden. To make the mushroom plantation look natural, make paths that imitate forest paths. Growing mushroom bodies on the site, you can go on a “quiet” hunt at any convenient time.