Ecological Requirements

It is extremely important to note that each of the mycorrhizal mushrooms along with their host trees require a unique set of conditions to grow and fruit. If you help build these ecological conditions and requirements then you have just raised the chance of not only producing truffles or mushrooms successfully but giving them a chance to have a much larger harvest.

The bianchetto truffle will fruit on more than a dozen host trees. Examples include the stone pine, hazel and English oak. It also needs a high pH, lime-rich soil and areas with warm summers and cool winters. In New Zealand it has been cultivated in Te Puke, Waipukurau and West Melton, near Christchurch, whilst in Europe it fruits from just north of Edinburgh to as far south as Sicily.

The Painted bolete only grows on Douglas fir and in relatively low pH, free-draining soils, and in sheltered areas between 300 m and 800 m in the North Island, such as on the volcanic plateau, and up to 700 m in the South Island.

The saffron milk cap only grows on acidic soils such as those suited to radiata pine. In New Zealand it has fruited from just north of Dunedin to Nelson in the South Island and as far north as Gisborne and the Waikato in the North Island. Because it grows widely in Scotland we are confident it will also grow in Southland.

The Burgundy truffle is widespread throughout Europe and fruits well from as far north as the island of Gotland off the east coast of Sweden to the warmest parts of Europe. In New Zealand a few Burgundy truffles have been found south of Oamaru.

Almost all of the edible mycorrhizal mushrooms fruit in autumn (e.g. saffron milk cap, Painted bolete, porcini, Burgundy truffle) or winter (bianchetto truffle and Périgord black truffle) while a few can occasionally be found fruiting in spring (e.g. porcini).

Check out some photos!

Painted bolete fruiting in a natural site Some sites meet the fruits requirements much easier as displayed by this shot of Painted bolete fruiting naturally in a NZ Douglas fir plantation.

After a few changes this plantation south of Oamaru successfully fruited this year This picture shows a Saffron Milkcap plantation south of Oamaru fruiting after a new irrigation plan was put into action. This demonstrates that sometimes it may be the simple things that lead to success!