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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 the characteristics of the growth and development of these mushrooms are, what the rules of planting and care include. The main difficulty is that chanterelles are a type of mycorrhizal fungi and for proper development they need an ally tree. Therefore, growing chanterelles in a box will be unsuccessful.
How do chanterelle mushrooms reproduce?
In nature, fungal reproduction occurs through spores - microscopic seeds up to several microns in size. In chanterelles, as in other higher mushrooms, spores mature in a special spore-bearing layer located in the lower part of the cap - the hymenium.
The mushroom contains a huge number of spores. Their complete maturation in the cap occurs in chanterelles in about 9 days.As they ripen, they fall to the ground and are carried by the wind, rain streams or forest animals. Spores that fall on fertile soil germinate, releasing hyphae - long intertwining threads similar to mold. As the mycelium grows, branching increases, it increasingly penetrates the upper, fertile layer of the earth. By 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 rate of mycelium development can range 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 blueberry fields and birch groves. The main condition for their successful growth and development is the presence of nearby trees suitable for the formation of mycorrhiza or fungal roots. Fungi need a symbiotic relationship with roots to receive 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, the roots of the tree acquire a large absorption surface, which facilitates their development in soil poor in microelements.
Is it possible to grow chanterelles at home?
Many years of experiments by scientists have shown that it is not possible to grow chanterelles at home, but indoors, since they cannot develop without contact with the root system of trees.In addition, mushrooms need warmth, high humidity, acidic soil with a sufficient amount of humus. Growing chanterelles in a garden plot surrounded by coniferous, oak or birch trees will be effective if the technology is followed. Fruit trees are not suitable for growing.
Growing chanterelles at home may seem unprofitable for beginners. By recreating conditions as close as possible to natural ones, 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 shouldn’t hope for large yields like 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. These can be forest or ornamental species. If there are none on the site, you can purchase seedlings. The chanterelle plantation is established in close proximity to partner trees. You should choose a place that is sufficiently shady and humid, but also has access to sunlight. An established mycelium will grow in width, so it is necessary to organize free space for it.
Once the place for growing chanterelles has been chosen, you should prepare everything necessary for further work:
- planting material;
- surface turf;
- covering material (moss, fallen leaves, pine needles);
- shovel;
- water for irrigation.
Growing chanterelle mushrooms at home is a labor-intensive and lengthy process. You need to know that the first harvest will not be harvested earlier than in a year.
How to choose planting material
After selecting a tree suitable for growing chanterelles, you need 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 mushroom mycelium and forms mycorrhiza. Planting material is collected from such a tree. A mandatory condition for growing chanterelles at home must be observed: the forest tree must be of the same type as the tree on the site. Next to the “familiar” it will be much easier for the mycelium to take root.
Chanterelles can be propagated for growing at home in two ways:
- Disputes (use the caps of ripe chanterelles or spore infusion).
- Mushroom picker (buy ready-made mycelium or use parts of surface soil containing mycelium threads).
The method of introducing parts of 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 effectiveness is almost 100%. Such soil is rich in humus, containing all the nutrients and elements of tree roots that contribute to the formation of fungal roots. With proper preparation, it will represent a kind of island of forest - 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 warm weather sets in.Preparations are carried out several days in advance: they moisten the soil in the area of future plantings abundantly, adding a strong infusion of oak bark to the water for irrigation. It disinfects the soil and creates a good microclimate for growing mycelium.
Before you start selecting planting material, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each method:
Chanterelle spores for planting
In order to achieve the development of the mycelium, chanterelle spores infect the roots of a tree growing on the site - the future symbiont. To do this, prepare an aqueous infusion of spores. First, a tree is selected in the forest, around which there are already colonies of chanterelles. Caps are cut off from overripe specimens. Then proceed as follows:
- The collected caps are soaked for a day in slightly sweetened water (50 g of granulated sugar per 10 liters of water).
- The soaked mushrooms are crushed and the resulting solution is carefully filtered through cheesecloth.
- In the area where the chanterelles will be planted, remove the top layer of soil.
- The soil is disinfected by thoroughly pouring a thick solution of oak bark and left for a day.
- Evenly moisten the area with the resulting solution of mushroom spores using a watering can.
- The remaining mushroom pulp is distributed on top and sprinkled with previously removed soil.
- For better development of the mycelium, water the area regularly. To avoid washing out the spores, water the tree trunk.
The first mushrooms on your 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 collected yourself. They do this next to the selected forest tree - the symbiont.They dig out parts of the top layer of earth in a forest area, up to 15 cm thick. Further actions are as follows:
- Place plots of soil in individual containers and store for about a year in a cool place, providing access to oxygen.
- Mycorrhiza gradually develops, strengthens and becomes more viable.
- A year later, at the beginning of summer, they begin planting and growing.
- Holes up to 20 cm deep are dug around a tree growing on the site. A fertile forest layer with developed mycelium is placed in each and compacted.
- Thoroughly water all holes and areas around them. The top is covered with fertile turf from under a coniferous tree.
- It is necessary to ensure that the mycelium is protected from the cold in winter.
- Water the plantation regularly and make sure the soil is well moistened.
The first harvest can be expected next year after the mycelium is planted in the ground.
Chanterelle fruiting bodies for planting
You can grow chanterelles by propagating them from 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. The caps are cut off and placed in the sun, waiting for them to wither. In the planned location, the top fertile part of the soil is removed so that the roots of the tree are partially exposed. Place the prepared caps and cover the top with the removed turf. Water thoroughly and leave to germinate, making sure the soil is moist.
2 - 3 weeks after planting, you can see how the mycelium develops. To do this, you need to lift the top layer of turf. Long greenish threads penetrating the soil indicate that the mycelium has taken root and is developing normally. The mycelium should develop at rest; there is no need to dig up the soil.Forest grass grown above the mycelium provides additional protection.
How to grow chanterelles at home
Caring for your home mycelium involves creating optimal conditions for its development. This includes timely watering, protection from diseases, and proper harvesting.
Caring for the mycelium begins during the preparatory period. It is important that planting is carried out in fertile soil. To do this, dig up the area and add organic fertilizer to it. In addition, to grow chanterelles at home, it is important to know the following:
- When choosing a partner tree, you should pay attention to young specimens. Their root system is not yet developed, which means they consume only part of the nutrients from the soil, sharing with fungi.
- The tree next to which planting material will be collected must be healthy. You need to carefully examine whether there are growths on the trunk or plaque on the leaves. A sick tree can infect fungi through the soil.
During the growing period, you need to ensure proper watering. For mushrooms, drip irrigation is preferable. It provides gradual and uniform soil moisture
The optimal watering frequency is:
- during 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. In winter it should be carefully protected from the cold, and in spring it should be freed, ensuring maximum flow of fresh air.
The harvest period continues throughout the summer and ends in October.Summer chanterelles are highly prized, but preference is given to mushrooms grown in early autumn. They break records for attractiveness and nutritional properties. They are carefully cut off with a knife under the spine. It is forbidden to pull it up by the roots - 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 various medicinal properties.
Growing chanterelles as a business
Chanterelles are not suitable for mass breeding. For their cultivation, an extensive development path is more preferable, since they can only develop in conditions close to natural ones. It is easier to grow chanterelles at home, in your own plot, but not in large 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 harvest can only be harvested during the summer-autumn period;
- The size of the harvest depends on climatic conditions.
When deciding whether to grow chanterelles in a greenhouse, you need to keep the following in mind:
- it is necessary to prepare a large amount of compost saturated with sawdust;
- during the growing period, care should be taken to ensure a high level of humidity (up to 90%) and sufficient shading for chanterelles;
- you need to organize a system of abundant watering.
Areas with a mild climate without sudden temperature changes are favorable for growing chanterelles.
Conclusion
Growing chanterelles at home is not an easy process, but it is interesting. The main thing is to have a reserve of patience and carefully follow all recommendations. Even if not immediately, but after a year, hard work will be crowned with success, and the home mycelium will delight you with the harvest and give you the first bright chanterelles.
