1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

GARDENING CHALLENGE | Growing truffles
White truffles
Fresh Australian truffles reach the lucrative European markets
when local produce is unavailable, which makes our truffles
highly desirable.
As well as being slow to produce, truffles need many months
to develop and ripen. The part that’s eaten begins to grow in
spring, developing from a tiny hollow cup into a dark warty
lump, which becomes black with white veins. They grow in the
soil, usually at a depth of about 15cm but sometimes more than
30cm deep.
Truffles have a rich, earthy fungus smell, which helps in
locating them beneath the soil surface when they are ready to
harvest. Pigs traditionally feasted on truffles growing wild in
forests and were used to find wild truffles. Today, specially trained
dogs are used to find truffles in commercial truffle farms.
Backyard truffles
Truffle growing ranges from large plantings on farms to smaller
plantings on hobby farms. And, yes, even home growers are starting
to give it a go. Trees inoculated with truffle spore are available
occasionally at garden centres and in the plant section of large
hardware outlets.
Fred Hardin from the Australian Truffle Growers Association
says that right now truffles aren’t likely to be a successful part of
a productive suburban backyard but adds that things may change.
“Truffles have very particular growing needs, including needing the
right soil pH, which means adding lots of lime to most Australian soils
and pruning the tree to encourage root growth, and they take time,” Fred
explains. “But that doesn’t mean things won’t change in the future.”
Things are also changing for both commercial producers and hobbyists
considering truffle growing as there is now the possibility of buying and
planting certified trees, making production less of a hit-and-miss affair.
“There is a certification system operating in Australia
to certify that trees inoculated with truffle spores
are going to produce truffles,” Fred says. “There are
two Australian growers offering certified trees to
commercial growers and we hope others will follow.”
Marcos Morcillo, a truffle grower in Spain,
has just published Truffle Farming Today,
a comprehensive guide to truffle growing
with examples and experiences from
around the world. In his book, Marcos is
positive about the future of truffle farming
as more plantations are planted, more scientific
research is carried out and more is known about
these curious edible fungi. He even suggests that
one day there may be the possibility of a bonsai truffle
tree for the backyard. Truffle lovers stand by!
Is truffle growing for you?
Still keen, despite the difficulties? If you live in a suitable climate with
cold winters and mild summers, have good rich, well-drained soil
and are up for the challenge of raising truffles in your own backyard
trufferie, look for inoculated trees that are certified, or purchase from a
local commercial grower who retails to the public.
When preparing the ground for planting it’s important to
amend your planting soil to raise the pH to around 8 by adding
lime. Give the trees plenty of space to grow as well as extra care to
encourage each tree to form a strong and vigorous root system.
This care includes regular watering, especially if summers
are dry. Then be patient, as truffles take many years to form.
If all else fails, you’ll have grown some shady trees in your
garden and made the world a better place!
English oak
More
information
For further information on truffle
growing, contact the Australian
Truffle Growers Association at
trufflegrowers.com.au. For more
on Marcos Morcillo’s trufflegrowing
advice or to buy his
book, see his website micofora.
com or follow his blog at
trufflefarming.wordpress.com.
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