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In summer, mushroom harvesting begins. On the edges of mixed forests you can find boletus mushrooms. These are mushrooms that are in second place after the porcini mushroom in terms of taste. Anyone can grow boletus mushrooms in their country house if they do the preparatory work in advance.
Is it possible to grow boletus mushrooms in the country?
Boletus mushrooms are found throughout the European part of Russia, as well as in Canada and European countries. The peculiarity of the existence of this species is the presence of a birch forest near the growth zone: thanks to the ability to form mycorrhiza with the root system of these trees, the variety of mushrooms received its name.
This symbiotic relationship allows the fruiting bodies to receive many nutrients from the roots of the tree. Mushrooms, in turn, help birch trees absorb sufficient moisture from the soil. This union is ultimately beneficial for the two cultures.
Growing boletus mushrooms in the country becomes possible if certain rules are followed:
- creating open ground conditions close to natural;
- use of spores or grain mycelium;
- maintaining moisture in the garden bed.
For growing in the country, it is recommended to choose places near birch trees or fruit trees in the garden.
Boletus growing technology
Boletus mushrooms are grown in open ground in the country. The mycelium grows if all requirements are met. For cultivation, select a sunny area and prepare a hole, the depth of which should not be more than 30 cm.
Any planting method is suitable for growing in the country: in separate holes with a diameter of 30 cm or by creating a common depression of 20 cm, 2 m long and 2 m wide.
The bottom of the hole is covered with birch sawdust or leaves. The thickness of the first layer should be at least 10 cm. For the second layer, humus is taken, optimally from the surface of the mycelium of boletus mushrooms growing on the territory of forest edges. It is collected in plastic containers or canvas bags and transported for later use in the garden. The peculiarity of this layer is the presence of elements characteristic of the natural habitat of boletus mushrooms. An alternative option for growing mushrooms in a summer cottage is pre-prepared and mature compost.
The humus layer is covered with grain mycelium of the fungus. Then they are covered again with leaves and sawdust. The final stage is the creation of a top layer of country soil with a thickness of 3 to 5 cm. The resulting planting structure is watered with warm rainwater.
The main difficulty in cultivating this type of mushroom in the countryside lies in creating mycelium and determining its correct quantity. Boletus planting material is bought ready-made in specialized stores or made independently.
Mycelium is necessary for mycelium to appear above the top layer of the substrate. Such material is prepared from fungal spores by placing them in a nutrient medium.
Options for creating a nutrient medium in a summer cottage:
- Agar based on carrot extract. To prepare, take 600 ml of water, 400 ml of carrot extract, 15 g of agar.
- Based on oatmeal. You will need 1 liter of water, 300 g of flour, 15 g of agar.
The spores are soaked in the prepared nutrient mixture and removed for germination for 10 - 14 days. The place should be warm and dark without possible penetration of sunlight.
Growing boletus in open ground
There are features of growing boletus mushrooms in open ground.
At the selected site of the dacha, debris is first cleared, then a planting hole is dug under the tree crowns.
The prepared planting holes are filled with soil layers, then the sprouted mycelium is scattered onto the prepared compost. It is covered with country soil and watered with settled water.
To grow boletus mushrooms in the countryside in open ground, you need to use special fertilizers that can be purchased in the store. To do this, dilute 5 g of the product with 10 liters of water and water the mycelium, thus replacing soil moisture with liquid fertilizer.
The main condition for growing boletus mushrooms in the country with successful propagation of the mycelium is maintaining the humidity of the plantings. For this purpose, the planted mycelium of the fungus is covered with a 30-centimeter layer of straw, which is also constantly additionally moistened. A layer of mulch retains increased humidity, preventing water from quickly evaporating from the surface of the earth.
Before the onset of frost, the mushroom area is additionally protected with spruce branches or fallen leaves. The covering material is removed only with the onset of warm weather.
Growing boletus at home
The cultivation of boletus is carried out not only in the country, but also at home in a large pot. The condition for such cultivation is the ability to ensure that mushrooms create a strong connection with other indoor crops. The best option is the home lily, the roots of which are most suitable for the mycelium of the fungus.
For home cultivation, mushrooms are collected in the forest. Select whole, undamaged specimens with a large, developed cap, inside of which there is an increased number of spores necessary for further reproduction.
The collected planting material is washed and then crushed. The stem is not used for these purposes; only the cap is taken, since it contains the spore powder.
A nutrient mixture is created from 50 g of yeast and 4 liters of water for further propagation of spores. 2 - 3 chopped mushrooms are soaked in water, yeast is added, and mixed. The container with the prepared mixture is removed for 10 - 14 days in a warm place. After 10 - 14 days, the mixture is stirred from bottom to top and the mycelium is separated.
The next stage of growing boletus mushrooms is preparing the planting container. To do this, use thick plastic containers or shallow buckets.The compost prepared in advance is laid out in containers, then the resulting grain mycelium is distributed. On top is again compost, 5 cm thick. The boxes with plantings are covered with a dense, air-tight fabric.
For watering, the fabric is detached; in the first week, a spray bottle is used. The temperature inside the structure must not be lower than +24 °C. Only when the temperature is maintained is the mycelium able to germinate in the prepared substrate. After 14 days, the crops are opened, and the temperature drops to + 18°C.
Boxes with plantings are left on glazed balconies or verandas with mandatory ventilation. The main requirement for growing boletus mushrooms at home is maintaining optimal temperature conditions and constantly moistening the substrate.
Harvesting
In order to stimulate the development of mycelium when growing boletus in the country, follow the basic rules:
- It is recommended to remove the fruiting body from the soil by loosening and twisting the stem. This is necessary so that its part, combined with the root, remains in the ground.
- After removing the boletus from the substrate, the resulting hole is sprinkled with country soil or a rotted leaf of a tree.
- When harvesting, only single fruiting bodies are twisted out. If boletus mushrooms accumulate in groups, pressing on each other, they are cut with a knife at an acute angle above the surface of the ground. The resulting stump is immediately sprinkled with garden soil.
After such collection, the myceliums are not damaged, but begin to recover. Then a new stage of the harvest is formed.
After collection, the fruiting bodies are inspected, impurities are removed, and a few millimeters of the stem are additionally cut off.Then the boletus mushrooms are soaked for 20 - 30 minutes. and begin further preparation.
Conclusion
It is quite possible to grow boletus mushrooms in the country. The most suitable place for cultivation will be the area next to the tree of the same name. For successful cultivation, high-quality collection and rooting of the mycelium is necessary. If this condition is met, you can get a good harvest of boletus.
