Rev. Ryan Sasha-Shai Van K

Jack Edmondson wrote:A very timely post for me, as I spent most of the night researching ectomycorrhizal propagation and found truffles fall in this class of fungi.  Yes, there is a lot of missing and even bad information out there extrapolating arbuscular fungi to all fungi.  So this is a good start to a needed conversation for me.

Rev. Ryan Sasha-Shai Van Kush wrote:Ok, so I wanted to start a discussion that seems to be missing from the Internet. So this is about Truffles, but the Technique comes from Magic Mushrooms.

Why couldn't I make Oak Tree chips or Pine chips or buy Hazlenut chips, get a 30 Gallon tote and put the Truffle Inoculate (apparently you just blend it to a paste) in place of the PF Tek jars?

I believe (no expert here) that one needs active growing root for the EcM fungi to colonize.  The chips won't work as a host without a root system.  In my reading last night, I was informed growing truffles successfully has never occurred indoors.  Of course that information came from sites selling inoculated tree seedlings, so take that with a grain of salt.  

Thank you for the technique for propagation, I have not seen that before.   I have been researching inoculation techniques for EcM, but find most of the information out there is for propagating AM fungi and they are not the same, as EcM fungi spores come from the 'fruit' (truffle or mushroom) and not the hyphae.  You have given me new information to research.  Thank you.

Thanks. So the Tree is necessary. There are Oaks all over North America, so that shouldn't be too hard for anyone. Just find an Acorn, or a Baby Oak, or make a Clone.

There is also the question of Light still, it seems like they grow better outdoors like you said the Vendor eluded to, but that could maybe be matched by using lights and maybe letting the Substrate get fairly dry sometimes. Maybe there is something that can be figured out. It could maybe be that you grow it as if you are just growing the Tree and so maybe put the water in a plate under the Tree Pot that it is growing in. So that the substrate then would pull on the water like a sponge, like groundwater outdoors for the tree roots to reach for. Then occassionally top watering like rain.

Ok, so I wanted to start a discussion that seems to be missing from the Internet. So this is about Truffles, but the Technique comes from Magic Mushrooms.

So with Magic Mushrooms there is the PF Tek, it has been around since like the 70s and involves Mason Jars boiled in a Pressure Cooker, then substrate added, Vermiculite, and Inoculation.

So more recently people have discovered an easier way to grow more faster.

1 Brick of Coir
2 Quarts of Verm
5 Quarts of Spawn
A 5 gallon bucket with a lid  

They start with the PF Tek then get a Tote and fill it:

Vermiculite
^
Coco coir
^
Oat Straw
^
Brown Rice Flour and Spawn from PF Tek jars
^
Oat Straw
^
Coco

So it is layers and the Mushrooms are in the middle with the nutrients.

So I read this Truffle indoor grow guide and it suggests getting a little Hazlenut, Oak, or Pine tree and have the roots inoculated then grow it for a year and check the soil.
https://www.hunker.com/13427014/how-to-grow-truffles-indoors


Why couldn't I make Oak Tree chips or Pine chips or buy Hazlenut chips, get a 30 Gallon tote and put the Truffle Inoculate (apparently you just blend it to a paste) in place of the PF Tek jars?

Has anyone ever heard of this? Growing a Tote full of Truffles. It suggests Drainage, and a Tree in the guide, so maybe it should be altered a little, like adding a Tree maybe, or no lid on the Tote and keeps in a shady light or high light area. It probably needs to be altered from the PF Tek version of the Coco Tech, but is there not a way to grow Truffles in Totes with Coco and Nutrients? This seems like it just needs to start happening to start happening.

With Magic Mushrooms Mason Jars give like 1/4oz to 1oz each by weight. The Totes give a Lb or more, and once harvested they just get it wet again, flip it over, and let it grow out again.

I feel like this is just missing from the internet with Truffles and needs to get started.