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How do you grow truffles?
Wait a minute, you mean you (and anyone else) can grow truffles?
This is a question most everyone inevitably asks when they start getting involved in the world of truffles. With a naturally-growing crop like truffles that can bring in so much money potentially, a lot of people find themselves asking, “How do I grow truffles and how much can I make on them?”
This is a very valid question! Lots of people imagine that growing truffles should be pretty easy since they’re a type of fungus that grows much like mushrooms. But there are many other factors to consider when thinking about how to grow truffle mushrooms. You can’t just go out to the nearest tree and start digging, expecting to find truffles! If they were this common, they wouldn’t be nearly as valuable.
However, it’s not impossible to grow truffles yourself. Many people wonder, “Do truffles grow in the USA?” The short answer is yes, but it’s important to remember that truffles grown in Europe are the ones that fetch the highest prices in markets around the world. Although truffles can be grown in the US, they are hard to cultivate and aren’t worth nearly as much.
But this is no reason why you can’t try growing truffles for yourself! If you’re very interested in it, this article is here to help you. By reading through the information listed below, you’ll learn where to find truffle mushrooms, how to recognize them when they’re growing wild in nature, what you’ll need to get started, and how truffles grow and flourish. You’ll even be given instructions for how to go out and start working on your truffle crop as soon as you’re ready.
Now, it’s time to get started learning! Remember that truffle growing is an art, and that isn’t not for everyone. When you read through this information, you’ll be better suited to decide whether or not you’re ready to take on this exciting and rewarding new hobby!
Where Do Truffles Come From?
Many people who are interested in growing truffles outside of Europe wonder, “Do truffles grow in the United States?” While they do grow there now, the truffle didn’t always flourish in this part of the world. It’s taken a long time to reach the US, and only in recent years has it become a crop that US-based farmers are interested in.
Originally, the truffle came from Egypt, where it was covered in goose fat and fed to the nobility in the hopes of increasing their lifespan. The theory that truffles had some mystical healing power carried over into the Greek and Roman societies of ancient times, where they were once again considered a delicacy and incorporated into meals to help improve vitality and health.
Eventually, other parts of Europe discovered the truffle, and although it was temporarily considered to be an evil, pagan ingredient during the Middle Ages, it came back into favor during the Renaissance and has been a well-known part of culinary culture ever since.
The truffle has come a long way from its original uses and discovery, but it nevertheless remains a very popular ingredient that is well known for being valuable and delicious. It’s no wonder that more and more people have developed an interest in truffle growing! However, since the truffle was such a vital part of European culture for so long, it’s obvious that it tends to grow more successfully in that part of the world.
What Do Truffles Look Like in the Wild?
Truffles have a very distinct look when they grow in the wild. You might even be able to tell a tree that has truffles growing on its roots simply by looking at the tree itself. Keep these tips in mind to help find truffles more easily the next time you go in search of them in the wild.
Truffles have a unique appearance. Here are some things to remember:
Black truffles are usually more or less round and covered in a thick, black skin that has little bumps all over it. It’s pretty common to see a few small holes or indentations in black truffles, as well.
White truffles are usually larger than black truffles, but still somewhat rounded in shape. They don’t have little bumps all over, but they can look knobby anyhow.
- Trees that have truffles growing successfully on their roots sometimes show white puff balls on the bark or around the base of the tree. This is a good sign that truffles are nearby, but it only works for black truffles.
- Both types of truffle tend to cause moss to grow on the trees and the ground surrounding them, so if you see moss suddenly forming, you should check for truffles.
- Finally, while truffles are maturing, they let off fumes that are toxic to plants. A tree with nothing growing around it may well have truffles growing on its roots.
Remember that truffles growing in the wild will usually look more or less the same as those that are cultivated on purpose. There isn’t a huge difference between the two, although purposefully cultivated truffles might actually be able to grow larger in some instances than those in the wild, simply because their trees have been better taken care of.
What Do I Need To Grow Truffles?
You will need a few things to get started growing truffles. You can’t just walk into your backyard and hope for the best, after all! However, although the items you need may be expensive, you don’t need as much for truffle growing as you might for other types of crops. Check out this list to find out more about what you need to begin your new hobby.
- Land. You need at least a couple of acres to get started, but the more the better. The more land you have, the more trees you can plant. With more trees, you greatly increase your chance of getting truffles. However, more land will also cost more money to set up and maintain, so keep this in mind.
- Young trees. You’ll want to pick up enough young trees to get your crop started. It’s a good idea to plant trees that are a little bit older than saplings, but that haven’t fully matured yet. Choose nut trees or oak trees for the best possible outcome. In the United States, filbert trees have proven to grow truffles in some instances. Beech, hazelnut, and poplar trees have also been used throughout the US and Europe to grow truffles successfully.
- Spore injections. These injections can be ordered and shipped from overseas, and they usually come from France. They are used to inject your trees once they’ve reached maturity, and encourage them to grow truffles in their roots. Without these injections, you’re left at the mercy of nature when it comes to growing truffles. You’ll have much better luck when you use spore injections.
- Lime. In the United States especially, soil is usually not alkaline enough to grow truffles naturally. You’ll need to spread agricultural grade lime over your soil to be sure it gets to the right pH numbers to get the job done.
- Money. Finally, you’ll need plenty of money to get started. This can be a very costly endeavor, and many truffle growers start out spending tens of thousands of dollars just to set up a relatively small amount of land for their trees. Don’t go into this thinking you can get away with it for a lower cost by cutting corners!
Now that you know the items you need to get started growing truffles, you can read on to learn more about choosing the right place to do your planting. Check out the information below on the type of weather and the location you need to consider for your truffles to thrive successfully.
What Kind of Weather is Best for Truffles?
We’ve already discussed a little bit about the answer to the question “Do truffles grow in the US,” but there’s more to it than just that. While they can be grown in the United States, they are very temperamental, and they won’t do well just anywhere. You couldn’t throw together a truffle crop in Florida, for example! Below, you can find a list of a few tips to help you make the right decision when it comes to placing your truffle crop.
- Keep your truffles away from extreme conditions. Truffles can’t withstand very frigid cold temperatures and frequent, lengthy freezes or snows. They also can’t deal with heat very well at all, and especially can’t handle humidity and long, hot, dry summers. Places where the weather is calm are the best choice for truffle crops.
- Plant truffle trees in a place that experiences all four seasons. While truffles don’t do well in extreme hot or cold temperatures, they do need a little bit of everything when it comes to weather. They have to go through their cycle throughout all four seasons, so if you choose a place that doesn’t have much in the way of spring or fall—or that doesn’t experience cold winters—you won’t have a successful crop.
- Don’t plant truffles in a place where winter comes on fast. Even if winters aren’t very long or intense where you plant your trees, you might not be able to harvest your crop if the winter comes on too quickly. The soil will get too frozen, and you’ll be unable to dig up your truffles in time.
- Don’t plant trees in a place that gets a lot of storm damage. Trees that cost you a lot of money to plant in the first place could become easily damaged, uprooted, or otherwise destroyed if you plant them in a place that’s prone to high winds, tornados, hurricanes, or other types of storms.
Now that you know the type of weather you’re looking for, you can figure out the perfect location for your truffles. Remember that weather is the most important component, since you can always alter your soil to be correct when the time comes to start planting.
What Location is Best for Truffles?
After you figure out the right type of weather for your truffles, you should move on to finding the perfect location. So where do truffle mushrooms grow?
White truffles are usually found in Italy. The most prized white truffles are found in Alba, while others can be found in Piedmont, Istria, and Croatia. White truffles from Alba are the most expensive truffles in the world, coming in at around one hundred thousand dollars per pound for perfect specimens.
Black truffles are usually found in Perigord in France, which is why they’re also called Perigord truffles. These are the most valuable type of black truffle, but other varieties can be found elsewhere. Croatia and Piedmont are home to summer black truffles as well as Chinese truffles, both of which have their merit but aren’t nearly as expensive on the market.
Finally, the United States has slowly become home to certain types of truffles. The Oregon truffle grows best in the Pacific Northwest, but truffles have also been successfully cultivated in North Carolina. Slowly, truffle farmers in the US have begun to learn how to work with United States climates and soils to improve their chances of growing good truffle crops.
Of course, Europe is still the best place for truffle growth, but do truffles grow in England specifically? Surprisingly, they aren’t often found in this part of Europe. They tend to keep to France and Italy almost exclusively, with a handful of other locations scattered throughout the area. A few can sometimes be found in the northern part of England, but it’s much less common to find them there.
Now that you know the type of location that works best for truffles, you can find out more about how to grow them. Read on to learn about the skills you’ll need to get started.
What Skills Do I Need to Grow Truffles?
Growing truffles takes a lot of skill. It’s a good idea to understand what you’ll need to be capable of before you get started on your new project. When you’re sure you’ve got the skills you need, you can take the first step toward actually setting up your truffle trees.
- Farming. This is a high-impact farming project, so you’ll need to understand how to work your land, treat your soil, plant your trees, and potentially even irrigate. This isn’t for the beginning backyard gardener!
- Machine operation. You may need to operate your own machinery to till your land, plant your trees, and water your crops. If not, you’ll need to hire someone who does it for you, but even then, you will want to know enough about it to be sure they’re doing the job right.
- A good idea for detail. When it comes time to find out if your trees have grown any truffles, you can’t just start digging in the roots without reason. This can disrupt the potential for growth if it hasn’t started yet. You’ll need to have a good eye for detail to learn what signs might tell you truffles are growing beneath the soil.
- Sales. If you want to make any profit on your truffle crop, you’ll need to have some sales skills. After harvesting, you’ll want to sell your truffle crop to the highest bidder. You’ll need to be able to look up potential clients and negotiate with them on the possibilities of selling your truffles for a good price.
So, how do you feel about your skills? If you’re ready, you can move on to learning about the actual truffle growing method, and see how it sounds to you.
Truffle Growing Method
This is the most difficult part of the process: actually setting up your truffle growing location. It takes a while, and it will also require plenty of funds to help back up your project. If you feel like you’re ready to begin, these are the steps you’ll need to take to grow truffles on your own:
- Choose a large plot of land to get started. You’ll need a good amount of land to plant plenty of trees and increase your chance for a good truffle yield.
- Clear the land of any existing trees, stumps, and other types of roots. These can severely detriment your truffle growing, particularly if the existing roots take over and choke out anything else that might end up growing underground. They might also affect the ways the trees grow, and thus keep truffles from ever appearing.
- Get your soil tested. In the United States, you’ll probably need to add agricultural quality lime to your soil before it will be at the right pH level for truffle growth. Truffles are very particular and require a pH of between 8 and 8.3 If you’re even a little bit off, you won’t see truffles.
- Leave a buffer zone between your land and any other naturally growing trees or woods surrounding it. You should leave about thirty feet to be sure that other types of fungi from the woods don’t take over the trees you’re planting and hoping to cultivate into truffle bearers.
- Leave plenty of room between your trees as well. Plant as many trees as you can afford on your land, but be sure to give them room to grow their root systems as large as possible. Leave at least 8 feet between each tree for the best results.
- Keep your trees well watered after planting. Trees should be kept in about an inch of water every week, and this can be very costly and difficult to keep up. You might want to install an irrigation system, especially if you don’t find yourself with enough time to manually water your trees on a weekly basis.
- While there’s always a slight chance that truffles will grow on their own, modern-day truffle enthusiasts encourage their growth by injecting their trees with truffle spores. These injections generally come from French laboratories, and they significantly increase the chances of getting truffles in your trees.
- Give it time before you start looking for signs that your trees may have truffles. It usually takes anywhere from three to five years before you can expect to see truffle growth on your trees. The trees themselves need to become established where you plant them, and the truffles must then be encouraged to grow.
All in all, the method for growing truffles isn’t too complicated, but it is a long process that can cost a lot of money to accomplish successfully. It’s best to get started as early as possible since very young trees won’t be able to grow truffles, and even older trees may take a while before they can become established enough for truffle growth.
Tips and Tricks for Maximum Yield
When it comes to truffle growing, there are a few tips and tricks you can keep in mind to help make your experience a little easier and encourage even more growth overall. Remember that truffles are very temperamental, and that sometimes, even the slightest imbalance in the soil or in the weather could lead to a lack of growth. Sometimes, it’s just out of your control, but in other cases, you can make a few changes to improve your truffle experiences.
- If possible, choose oak trees. They’re a little more durable and hardy than most nut trees. The downside to this choice, however, is that you won’t have a nut crop to sell in place of truffles if the truffles themselves don’t work out.
- Do what you can to keep out pests. Skunks and raccoons are likely to dig around the roots of younger trees, and deer frequently try to eat the leaves. Insects can also be pests, depending on where you live, and keeping bird houses nearby can be a good way to encourage natural insect predators. Put up a fence to keep deer and skunks at bay.
- Send your soil away to be tested. Home testing kits aren’t thorough enough to get the job done when it comes to something as picky as truffles. A&L Laboratories, located in Tennessee, is a good option for anyone in the United States looking to get some soil samples tested for the specific purpose of growing truffles.
- Be prepared to spend at least twenty thousand dollars per acre of land to get your truffles set up. This may be a little bit high when it comes to budgeting, depending on how much work you need to do to get your land in shape for growing, but it’s a good estimate to help you get started. Truffle growing isn’t cheap!
Once your truffles have finally started to grow,
it’s time to harvest them. Read on to learn how:
How to Harvest Truffles
There are a couple of ways you can harvest your truffles. In the end, the method you choose depends completely on your budget and how much time and effort you are willing to put into your truffle harvest.
Pigs have historically been used to dig up truffles. This is because the smell of a truffle is very similar to that of the pheromones male pigs put off when they are looking to mate. However, pigs have caused some problems in truffle hunting, particularly because they like to eat the truffles when they find them! They are also harder to chauffeur around, and may be tough to come by or even illegal to keep as pets in some areas.
Dogs, on the other hand, have proven to be great truffle hunters in more recent years. Dogs can be trained to sniff out the smell of truffles, and they won’t eat them when they find them. When the dog points out a truffle location, simply gently rake away the topsoil and look for the truffles that should be growing in the area.
Whichever way you choose, harvesting your truffles is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of the hobby!
How to Package and Store Truffles
Unfortunately, fresh truffles don’t stay fresh very long. You’ll need to find a way to preserve them if you plan to sell them. Try these tips to help preserve the flavor and life of your truffles.
- Don’t wash the dirt from your truffles or peel them ahead of time. Your clients can do this themselves, and removing the dirt and skin takes away from a lot of the truffle’s flavor. Only do this if you plan to cut your truffles before preserving them.
- Put truffles in airtight containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks if you plan to sell them soon.
- If you need your truffles to last up to a month, bury them in fine, clean sand in an airtight container and store them away from light. This will mimic their natural habitat, and will keep them flavorful and moist for as long as possible.
- You can freeze truffles, but it does take away from the flavor. Clean the truffles before you freeze them, then wrap each truffle individually in tin foil, place in a vacuum sealed container and put in the freezer. Truffles can be frozen for up to six months.
Storing your truffles can make or break your potential sales in the future, so take care to keep them as flavorful and moist as possible for as long as you can.
Potential Clients
When it’s time to sell your truffles, you should be concerned with potential clients. Check out this list to help guide you in the right direction when you’re looking for someone to buy your crop.
- Local chefs. Start by asking chefs at your local restaurants if they’re interested in buying truffles from you for use in their recipes. The more upscale the restaurant, the better luck you’ll have.
- Farmer’s markets. If you have a small truffle crop, you can probably do well selling it at local farmer’s markets. However, larger crops may not sell completely in time for the truffles to stay fresh.
- Well-known restaurants. It never hurts to reach out to more prominent chefs and restaurants who might want to use your products. While chain restaurants probably won’t agree to buy from you, other chefs might, so why not check with them?
- Skin care companies. A lot of upscale skin care products have been incorporating truffles into their mixtures in recent years. Local companies may be interested in purchasing your products to use in new and exciting ways.
There are other options out there, and you shouldn’t feel limited to these clients alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask people if they’re interested in purchasing your truffles!
Conclusion
So, is it possible to grow truffles? Yes!
It might sound like a lot of work to grow truffles, and in actuality, it is. You should expect to put forth a lot of effort over many years before you really start to notice your crop beginning to thrive. Truffle growing can be a lengthy and complicated matter, and it’s not always going to give you a big reward right away. It takes patience, funding, and plenty of willingness to try and fail before you get it right.
Truffle growing also takes a little creativity. Growing truffles in the US is an especially difficult undertaking, and it might take a lot more effort and work to get the temperature, climate and more just right so that you can see a healthy, thriving crop in a few years’ time.
Remember that truffles grown in United States climates are less likely to be as highly prized as those that can be found in Europe, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them a try! United States truffles have become more and more popular in recent years, particularly with chefs looking to incorporate unique ingredients into their cooking. If you’re willing to take a few risks, you might yet see a pretty big reward when it comes to growing truffles anywhere outside of Europe.
It’s also a good idea to keep in mind that truffle growing isn’t really a one-person job. You might be able to get started on your own, but by the end of the process, you’re likely to need a lot of assistance in order to get your truffles growing and keep them flourishing. You likely won’t be able to grow a truffle on a couple of small trees in your back yard, unless you’re very lucky. Eventually, you’ll be working on a very large scale, and you’ll need all the help you can get!
If truffle growing sounds like something you’re interested in, don’t hesitate to get started right away. Since it can take a while to see truffles start to form on your trees, you’ll need to get moving on your new, exciting project. Who knows? In a few years, you might be selling truffles to some of the best chefs in the country!
