28-02-2003, 05:39 AM
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new green thumb
(jF) wrote in message . com...
[snip]
Third question: Does anyone know about growing mushrooms, and
particularly, truffles (without the tree roots, we're talking some
type of artificial system)
Since others in this thread have answered the other two questions, I
reply only to the third.
I have grown truffles in Oregon with Douglas-fir. Many truffles are
found only with specific species of host plants or trees. Thus it is
unlikely you will be able to grow the truffles I cultivate in Texas.
Having said that, there are truffles in Texas already. Tuber lyonii is
often found with pecan, Amican basswood, Shagbark hickory, hawthorne,
and several other trees. It apparently is often ignored, since it is
sometimes collected by mechanical harvesters in pecan plantations and
discarded.
There are likely other truffle species in Texas. But until someone
actually tries looking for them, it is unlikely they will be found.
Most truffle species grow either in the ground or are near the surface
of the ground. It may take 9 months for a truffle to mature.
Identification of the truffle is dependent on mature spores, which may
not develop until the last 2 months of the truffle's life. A truffle
is not considered mature until 80% of the spores present are mature,
which in my experience doesn't take place until the last month of a
truffle's lifespan.
It is often possible to find areas where squirrels, mice, or voles
have dug for truffles. Look for small animal pits with pieces of white
or off-colored material nearby. Usually larger truffles are too much
for a small animal to eat at one time, so it may return for several
days in a row to finish the truffle.
Truffles are common in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.
This is nearly the same range as the Northern Spotted owl and the
California Red-backed vole. The vole has to eat its weight in truffles
each day to stay alive. Chris Maser, a small-mammal specialist, has
suggested there may be 1,000 to 3,000 California Red-backed voles per
acre of forested land in the Pacific Northwest.
Daniel B. Wheeler
www.oregonwhitetruffles.com
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