Welcome back, travelers, to another episode of Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms! This week we’ll be going over the three basic ecological groups in which mushrooms are classified: mycorrhizal, parasitic, and saprophytic. I’ll be breaking down this chapter in multiple blog posts, since it’s a fairly large chapter packed with valuable information. Let’s first go over mycorrhizal gourmet mushrooms, which include matsutake, boletus, chanterelles, and truffles.
Mycorrhizal mushrooms form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of various plants. For you cannabis cultivators out there, you might be familiar with this type of fungi. Mycorrhizal mushrooms can form a ‘sheath’ covering the roots of plants or they can insert themselves inside the root cells as well. The mycorrhizal mycelia that attach to the plants extend the reach of the plant’s roots which help the host absorb nutrients and resist disease. It’s like having a few extra sections on your limbs – very useful for reaching the top cabinet and scaring the crap out of people.
One very popular species of mycorrhizal fungi is the revered truffle. There are truffle orchards in France, Spain, Italy, and also in the United States. There is, without a doubt, more truffle farms coming around the corner, and with them going around $350-500 per pound, plenty of people would love to jump at the opportunity to grow truffles in their backyard. You can actually grow hazelnuts and truffles at the same time. Cool stuff!
That’ll be all for today. I’ll be going through the rest of the chapter throughout the week so I can move on to chapter 3 next Saturday. Hope you all enjoyed this quick read, and check out the links for more information if you’re interested in growing truffles. Safe travels, everyone!