The producing area of Tricholoma matsutake in Yunnan is mainly located in the untouched and pollution-free primeval forest of Shangri-La.
Tricholoma matsutake has very strict requirements on the growth environment. It can only grow in the virgin forest without any pollution and human intervention. Spores must form a * * relationship with the root system of pine trees, and the age of * * * trees must be over 50 years to form hyphae and fungus ponds. At the same time, it needs to rely on broad-leaved forests such as cypress and oak to provide nutritional support to form healthy fruiting bodies.
Spores form hyphae, hyphae form mycorrhiza, mycorrhiza breeds fruiting bodies, and fruiting bodies spread spores. The whole process takes 5 to 6 years. When a Tricholoma matsutake grows old, it will spread 40 billion spores. These spores drift with the wind, and only those that fall under the roots of pine trees can survive, and sink into the shallow soil with the rain and dew, absorb nutrients near the roots and grow hyphae.
Mycelia will gradually increase and form mycorrhiza. After 5 to 6 years, a fruiting body will grow at the mycorrhiza, which is what we often say, Tricholoma matsutake. The fruiting body will grow up quickly and then age quickly and start a new cycle.
The life span of Tricholoma matsutake is extremely short, and it usually takes only 7 days for the fruiting body to mature. After the fruiting body matures for 48 hours, Tricholoma matsutake will rapidly age, feed the nutrients in the body back to the roots and soil of pine trees, and its own nutrients will not be preserved, and the surface will be cracked, peeled off and shed, which is called Tricholoma matsutake or old Tricholoma matsutake.
Tricholoma matsutake must get enough rain before it is unearthed, and get enough light immediately after it is born. In addition, factors such as temperature, insect damage, and damage to mycelium caused by human violence collection will also have a direct impact on the growth of Tricholoma matsutake. It can be said that the birth of each matsutake is a miracle of creation.