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There is not a mushroom picker who would not like to pick up a whole basket of good-quality porcini mushrooms. Without knowing the exact verified places of their growth, you can focus on its preferences and fruiting period. Porcini mushrooms grow in a variety of places.
Where do porcini mushrooms grow?
If you go into science, then the porcini mushroom is not just one type, there are about 18 varieties, and everyone has different preferences. Each one creates a symbiosis (mycorrhiza) with specific types of trees, and of a strictly defined age. However, the discovery of a symbiont tree does not at all mean that a boletus is certainly lurking underneath it. The composition of the soil, humidity level and ambient temperature also matter.
As befits noble representatives, boletus mushrooms are very picky about conditions and do not grow just anywhere. That is why avid mushroom pickers who know the area well are in no hurry to share their mushroom places, where porcini mushrooms bear fruit abundantly and annually.
In which forests do porcini mushrooms grow?
The temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere is dominated by coniferous forests. This is the most typical landscape for boletus. The pine white mushroom (Boletus pinophilus) usually lives in pine forests. It is distinguished by a red-brown or chocolate cap and a thick puffy leg with a characteristic mesh pattern of brownish color. The mushroom loves sandy soils and loams, and never settles in lowlands and swamps. In mountainous areas it prefers higher places.
Characteristic places of growth:
- sphagnum or lichen glades;
- edges of clearings and clearings;
- verges of forest roads.
In spruce forests you can find a similar species – the spruce porcini mushroom (Boletus edulis). It is a typical representative of the genus and is often called common. The color of the cap varies from light to dark brown. Its growing conditions are identical to the previous species: favorite places are well-lit, dry areas with a thick litter of lichens and mosses. Spruce boletus also grows in old fir and spruce-fir forests.
Porcini mushrooms also grow in deciduous forests, which also occupy a considerable area, especially in the southern regions. The most unpretentious and widespread is the birch porcini mushroom (Boletus betulicola), which is popularly called the spikelet. The first boletus mushrooms appear in the forest when the rye begins to spike. They can be found in almost any birch forest, especially along the edges of open areas and on the edges.
To increase the likelihood of finding a spikelet, you need to know two signs:
- Porcini mushrooms grow in a birch forest, where there are tussocks of white grass.
- The neighboring mushrooms of the birch boletus are chanterelles and red fly agarics.
Porcini mushrooms called bronze boletus (Boletus aereus) are collected in oak forests. They have a dark, in some cases almost black, cap color with a whitish coating reminiscent of mold. Mushrooms grow in warm climates and are rare in mountainous areas. They are most widespread in southwestern Europe, as well as in North America.
Many mycologists note the greatest accumulation of porcini mushrooms in mixed forests. This is explained by the presence of several symbionts at once, which allows different species to grow in the same territory. The undergrowth plays an important role. The massive growth of boletus is associated with the presence of birch, because the variety that creates mycorrhiza with it is the most common of all.
Where porcini mushrooms grow in Russia
The growing area of the porcini mushroom on the world map covers all continents, excluding Australia and the polar regions of Antarctica. In Russia, it is distributed from the Murmansk region to the Caucasus Mountains, from the western borders to the Chukotka Peninsula. However, boletus does not grow everywhere. For example, it is extremely rare in the tundra and forest-tundra, but bears fruit abundantly in the northern taiga. From the western regions to Eastern Siberia, the population of porcini mushrooms is gradually decreasing; in the Far East, boletus mushrooms are not uncommon. In forest-steppe conditions they are rare; they do not grow in the steppe zone.
Under what trees do porcini mushrooms grow?
Boletuses create mycorrhizae with such trees as:
- spruce;
- pine;
- fir;
- oak;
- birch.
Some experts claim that porcini mushrooms grow in elm and elm forests. There are known cases of detection of birch, pine and spruce varieties there.But many mycologists talk about the difficulties of forming a symbiotic relationship with elm due to the specific biological processes in the tree.
When talking about the preferences of boletus mushrooms, one cannot fail to take into account the age of the forest. The older and more virgin the area, the greater the likelihood of finding them. They grow under trees 20-50 years old and older, because the formation and development of the mycelium in these representatives of the genus Boletus takes more than a dozen years.
In what area do porcini mushrooms grow?
In lowland areas, boletus mushrooms are more common than in mountainous areas. They prefer well-drained, not waterlogged soils:
- sandstones;
- sandy loam;
- loams.
Boletus mushrooms practically do not grow in peat bogs and marshy areas. They love illuminated areas where trees are sparsely located, but it happens that they bear fruit abundantly in the shade under the dense crowns of conifers. It is interesting that in a harvest year, light does not play a significant role, but in rainy and cold summers, boletus mushrooms appear only at the borders of the forest, where it is drier and the soil warms up better. In hot weather, fruiting bodies grow in the grass under bushes, in the shade of trees. You need to look for porcini mushrooms in the forest in places where there is a litter of moss (cuckoo flax, sphagnum, reindeer moss) and lichens.
When to pick porcini mushrooms
The fruiting time of boletus depends on the climate. In the northern temperate zone, porcini mushrooms are harvested from mid-June to the end of September. There are cases when they were found at the end of spring, but this is rather an exception to the rule. In warm regions, the time for collecting porcini mushrooms extends until October.
In what month are porcini mushrooms collected?
The most massive growth is observed in the second half of August.Boletuses grow singly and in groups, sometimes forming circles, popularly called “witch’s rings.”
At what temperature do porcini mushrooms grow?
Optimal temperature for development and growth of the fruiting body:
- in July-August – 15-18°C;
- in September – 8-10°C.
When the temperature rises to 20°C, the growth of mycelium and the formation of fruiting bodies slows down. Sudden changes in temperature at night and excessive humidity are not good for boletus. The most favorable weather conditions for it are considered to be moderately warm weather with short thunderstorms and night fogs.
Other species are unique indicators of the appearance of this representative:
- spruce and pine boletus appears simultaneously with greenfinch (Tricholoma equestre);
- the birch form begins to grow with the appearance of common chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius);
- It makes sense to look in oak forests when the first green russula (Russula aeruginea) emerge.
How long does a porcini mushroom grow?
The growth rate of porcini mushrooms directly depends on weather conditions. Air humidity should be within 60%. If drought suddenly occurs after prolonged inclement weather, the species stops growing, even if the soil is sufficiently well moistened. At low humidity, the fruiting body dries out quickly because it is not protected from evaporation.
Porcini mushrooms grow most intensively after rain. This is especially clearly noticeable in young specimens in the first three hours after heavy but short-term precipitation. Already on the 4-5th day, the weight of the fruiting body can reach 180 g. On average, it takes a boletus a week to reach adulthood.
Pest larvae also affect growth. If they crawl upward from the bottom of the stem, development does not stop; if the cap is damaged, the boletus stops growing. According to the observations of mycologists, a mushroom growing nearby that is not affected by insects begins to develop much faster than its diseased counterpart. In some cases, egg layings are destroyed by squirrels or slugs, then the fruit can grow to a very impressive size.
The life of the porcini mushroom is short - only 12-14 days. First, the stem stops growing, and after 2-3 days the cap stops growing. Rapid aging begins as soon as the spores mature.
How to find a porcini mushroom in the forest
Summarizing the above, we can reduce the nuances of white growth to the following points:
- Birches, fir trees, pines, fir, and oaks should grow in the forest.
- The age of the trees is at least 20-50 years.
- The area is quite dry, not swampy.
- The soil is loamy, sandy or sandy loam.
- The forest litter is represented by mosses and lichens, and there are grass tussocks.
- Porcini mushrooms are photophilous, grow along the edges and in open forests, preferring hills.
How to properly collect porcini mushrooms
Collection is safe only in environmentally friendly places, away from roadways and industrial facilities. It is better to leave suspicious specimens in the forest, because one single fruit can cause poisoning or damage to the entire batch of preparations.
The fruiting bodies are carefully cut off at the base with a knife, inspected for worms and placed in baskets. You can also collect them in plastic bags; the white ones don’t wrinkle as much as russulas.
Most mushroom pickers have heard since childhood that fruits cannot be uprooted or twisted.According to many, such an attitude towards forest gifts can damage the mycelium. In fact, the fruiting body is nothing more than a kind of “stand” for the maturation of spores; the main part is located underground. If a small number of mycelium threads break in the place where the fruiting body was picked, the mycelium does not suffer much. The threads number in the billions, and the wounds heal quickly.
Conclusion
Once you know when and where porcini mushrooms grow, you can safely go to the forest. If you take into account all the nuances and preferences of these capricious forest inhabitants, there is no doubt that the basket will not remain empty. And even if the harvest is modest, a walk through the forest is a pleasure in itself.
