Truffle Cultivation

Plant trees in well-drained soil where sunlight will penetrate the canopy. Situate the trees at least 15 feet away from each other and keep them from non-mycorrhizal trees.

Apply some mulch in a circle around the tree, 2 inches thick and 6 to 8 feet from the trunk. Mulches can be purchased bark or manure, or you can use chopped up leaf litter or grass clippings. Mulch will protect the fungus from freezes and keep it from drying out.

Water the tree deeply until the water sits on the surface of the soil. Let it drain in and water like that in the summer every two weeks. Do not water in winter if there is any rainfall. In areas with no rainfall, water every four weeks. Truffles need plenty of summer moisture, but can rot if there is too much in winter.

Grow and care for the trees for four to seven years. The truffle grows 2 to 12 inches underground and will mound up the soil a bit when they are ready. Truffles can be harvested for at least 15 years and sometimes 30 years as they will re-spore and come up in the same area. There will be an aroma of truffles when they are ripe and the area around the tree will be devoid of any other vegetation. Dig up the truffles and use them immediately. Truffles do not keep.