Pine bolete is a popular and tasty forest mushroom. It is consumed fresh, most commonly dried, pickled, salted, or frozen The fruiting bodies are massive and large. The cap grows up to 25 cm in diameter, rounded, elongated-rounded, reddish, reddish-brown, purplish-brown, sometimes with a violet hue. The stem is 5–15 cm long, occasionally even 6–9 cm thick, yellowish-brown, bulging in the middle.
Growing tips:
Planting should take place between mid-April and October. The ideal planting site for this mushroom should have coniferous trees, preferably pines. Young trees are preferable for optimal growth. It is recommended to use a multi-purpose substrate or compost with a high layer of peat for planting.
Cultivation and care:
- Dig three holes around the tree trunk, each measuring 30-40 cm in diameter and 15 cm in depth. Space the holes at a distance of 0.5-5 m (approximately 10 times the diameter of the trunk) from the tree trunk.
- Fill the holes with prepared soil halfway and then place one-third of the mushroom mycelium from each package into each hole. Fill the holes with soil up to ground level and compact it firmly.
- Carefully water the planting area (using approximately 1 bucket of water around each pit).
- Cover with a layer of leaves, pine needles, straw, or twigs (e.g.,from the forest).
- Promote the development of the mushrooms by applying a sugar solution (10 g of sugar in 10 litres of water).
- If there is insufficient rainfall during mushroom germination, it is recommended to regularly moisten the soil.
Germination:
Under favourable conditions, mushrooms can appear in the first or second year after planting. The mycelium is effective for 3-4 years.
Yield:
Several to several dozen mushrooms can be harvested per tree per year.
Biological spore powder for sowing – 10 g. Probability of fertility 85-87%.
Note. Amateur cultivation of mycorrhizal (mycorrhiza – symbiosis of tree roots with fungi) forest mushrooms does not guarantee results, as mushroom growth depends significantly on weather conditions and various other factors. To cultivate them, it is necessary to create conditions as close to natural as possible and use the mushroom mycelium according to the instructions. If weather conditions are suitable, one can relatively quickly enjoy positive results.
