Birch cep mycelium on grain is a true rarity on the market. Thanks to this product rare, aromatic and delicious birch ceps with light, fleshy caps would grow on your allotment. If you take into consideration the enivornmental requirements of the mushrooms you will be able to pick large, delicious fruit bodies for the next 3 - 4 years.

Birch cep (Boletus betulicola) is closely related with the cep, or porcini. You may find it in birch coppices and mixed forests where birches dominate. Broad, flat or slightly convex cap covered with smooth, grey or yellow-brown skin and yellow underside of small pores belong the main characteristics of this mushroom. Cylindrical, white or pale yellowish stem covered with intricate netting, squat in young specimens, is also typical for this species. Mature fruit bodies grow 7 - 15 cm tall on average and their caps 10 - 15 cm broad, although some giants may develop 30-cm-broad caps. Mushroom lovers will definitely take interest in the exceptional gustatory value of the white flesh of the birch cep. It has a compact, firm texture, distinct, yet delicate fungal aroma and tender taste, similar to the taste of penny bun (porcini). The fruit bodies may be fried, stewed, boiled, roasted or stir-fried and smell and taste deliciously dried, too.

Time to answer the question, how to grow those excellent mushrooms in your own garden' You may start with planting spawn in the period starting mid-April until beginning of October. Place the offered biological birch cep mycelium in a hole dug 0.5 - 5 m away from the birch trunk. One package contains spawn that would fill three holes 15 cm deep and 30 cm wide. Spread the mycelium onto permeable soil mixed with peat and cover with some of the permeable soil. Tamp the soil down, water abundantly and cover with leaves, moss, peat or any other natural mulch. Birch cep starts to develop fruit bodies in June and ends in October in the second year of cultivation.

The package contains ground biological spawn (mycelium) on grain. Detailed growing instructions have been included in the package information. The producer estimates the probability of successful birch cep development for 85 - 87%. The emergence of mushrooms depends on the environmental conditions and proper site preparation: birch cep grows in mycorrhiza with birch trees and needs light and moderate humidity to grow well.