planting guide
Planting a truffle tree: essential steps to know
Have you just purchased a truffle tree and now want to plant it in your garden? Congratulations! This video will guide you step by step through the planting process, as it is important to follow certain rules to ensure the growth and survival of your truffle tree. Watch the video carefully and follow the tips to successfully plant your tree and enjoy fresh truffles in a few years.
1. planting location and soil preparation
Planting location
A plot of land with a south, southwest or southeast orientation with a slight slope is preferable.
Favorable soil
Your soil must be chalky with a clay content of less than 30% and not rich in organic matter to promote truffle fruiting. Simple tests can confirm these parameters on a small scale, without resorting to a full soil analysis.
limestone rate
To confirm the limescale level, pour a small amount of pure vinegar onto bare, unsown soil. If the soil becomes fizzy upon contact with the vinegar, it probably contains limescale.
quantity
To assess the amount of clay in the soil, shape a cylinder out of wet soil and then try to bend it. If the cylinder bends without breaking, the soil contains too much clay to allow the truffle to fruit.
soil color
Soil is likely to contain too much organic matter if it is dark and resembles compost or black earth.
2. planting
Plant your trees on a cloudy day when temperatures are between 10 and 20 degrees and winds are light.
- Water the substrate and the roots of the truffle plant.
- Dig a hole 20 to 30 cm in diameter and 20 to 30 cm deep. Be careful not to plant the tree too deep.
- Make sure you have the right depth by keeping the tree in its box and placing it at the bottom of the hole. The base of the tree (the root collar) should be at the same height as the ground. The trunk should never be covered with soil, and the roots, which are in the box, should never be above ground.
- Carefully remove the tree from the box by holding the tree upside down with one hand, the trunk inserted between your fingers, and pulling on the box with the other hand. As the substrate is wet, feel free to gently pinch the box to free the tree from it.
- Place the tree in the hole, keeping the root ball intact. The tree should be planted as straight as possible (perpendicular to the ground).
- Fill the planting hole with the soil that was initially removed. You can also add low-organic potting soil if you have some. This type of potting soil is available at garden centers.
- Lightly compact the soil with your hands so that the soil around the tree is a little deeper to prevent runoff.
- Water the plant with 2 to 4 liters of water.
- Check that the root collar of the plant is approximately 2 cm below the surface of the added soil.
- Install your stake and protective tube. It is important that these are securely in place to avoid damaging the tree during high winds.
spacing
The recommended spacing is 2 to 4 m depending on the species. Small trees such as shrubby willows and hazelnuts can be planted 2 to 3 m apart. For larger trees, 4 m or more is suggested. The spacing between trees inoculated with different truffle species is at least 5 to 10 m to prevent one truffle species from dominating the others.
irrigation
If it has not rained within the first three days after planting, water each tree with an additional 2 to 4 liters of water.
If the tree is planted in the fall, it should receive sufficient water thereafter. If the tree is planted in spring or summer, make sure the tree receives 2 to 4 liters of water every 14 to 20 days, taking into account natural rainfall.
protection
After planting hardwood trees and for the next two to three years, strongly consider adding a stake and a protective tube to protect your trees from potential pests, while creating a microclimate around the tree that is favorable to its development.
3. maintenance (0-2 years)
Truffle plant establishment phase (0 to 2 years after planting)
It is during this phase that the plant produces many fine roots on which the symbiosis develops. The objective of the implantation phase is to ensure rapid recovery of the truffle plants as well as good root and vegetative growth, in order to be able to remove the protective materials the third spring after implantation.
Soil work
In spring, use a garden spade or hoe to loosen the soil to a depth of 20 to 30 cm and a radius of one meter around the trunk.
Irrigation
If it does not rain, provide 2 to 4 liters of water every 15 to 20 days.
Weeding
If there is no mulch around the tree, remove the vegetation near and around the trunk to a total diameter of one meter. Take the opportunity to visually inspect the tree to check its health.
Fertilization
Year 1
- Use organic water-soluble fertilizer such as fish hydrolysate to fertilize truffle plants at the same time as irrigation.
- Add half the dose recommended on the label or package to the irrigation water each time you irrigate.
- Stop fertilizing after July 1st.
- IMPORTANT: The truffle tree does not require the addition of mycorrhizae which could harm the growth of the truffle mycelium.
Example of fish hydrolyzate (2-4-0.5)
- Brand: Acadie
- Dosage on packaging: 10 ml per liter of water
- Recommended dose (half dose from the package): 5ml per liter of water
Year 2 and 3
- If the trees are frail, continue with fish hydrolysate
- If the trees are vigorous, replace the fish hydrolysate with Actisol-type granulated chicken manure (or its equivalent) at 50g/m2 around the tree once a year.
Tree pruning
- Year 1: no pruning required.
- Year 2 and 3: pruning to have a single dominant stem (single trunk).
- No pruning of hazel trees for year 1-2-3.
4. maintenance (3-8 years)
Truffle mycelium installation phase (3 to 8 years after planting)
We now observe a burn, an area at the foot of the trees where the grass is shorter and less abundant.
The aim is to promote the development of the burnt, trees and truffles.
Soil work
In spring, use a garden hoe to loosen the soil to a depth of 20 to 30 cm.
Irrigation
In drought conditions, water only when the soil is dry at a depth of 20 cm.
Weeding
Continue removing weeds within a 50cm radius of the tree.
Size
Simply remove the side branches to allow access to the tree.
Fertilization
Continue the same fertilization as the previous phase.
5. maintenance (9 years +)
Production phase (9 years and more after planting)
The trees are beginning to bear fruit and the truffles are being harvested.
The aim is to maintain the work of recent years and maintain good humidity conditions.
Truffles may appear earlier, depending on growing conditions!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are my truffle trees guaranteed?
Yes, your trees are guaranteed against loss/mortality for a period of 30 days following possession under the following terms:
Trees must be planted within 48 hours of taking possession. They must be equipped with a protective tube that you can obtain from us or any retailer near you. It is understood that losses or deaths resulting indirectly from poor tree maintenance, use not in accordance with the instructions in the planting guide or any faults or damages made by the customer, bad weather or damage caused by animals or other pests are not covered.
When applicable, the warranty includes replacement of affected trees based on nursery availability and does not include shipping costs. In all cases, this purchase is non-refundable. The customer must keep the defective tree and provide photos attesting to the problem. Although each tree has been carefully inoculated, we cannot guarantee truffle production.
What type of soil should I use to plant my truffle trees?
When planting a truffle tree, it is important to use the right soil to ensure its growth and truffle production. It is recommended to use the soil that was removed to make the planting hole, without replacing the grass or turf that covered it. Before replacing this soil around the tree's root mass, it is advisable to loosen it by breaking up any clods of earth. If the soil is heavy, clayey, and does not drain well, adding compost, composted manure, or potting soil enriched with organic matter can be beneficial, up to a height of 10 to 15 cm. A nurseryman can advise you on the best compost, composted manure, or potting soil to lighten your soil for planting a truffle tree. However, it is important to note that potting soil or any other "mycorrhizal" planting product should not be used, as this can be detrimental to truffle production.
Why do you need soil with high pH and low organic matter?
Generally speaking, the pH of Quebec soils is rather acidic, whereas truffle cultivation seeks a basic pH, i.e., above 7. At a high pH above 7, truffle development and growth are favored to the detriment of other soil fungi. In Quebec, the majority of soils tend to be acidic. If you don't want to conduct a soil test to determine the precise pH, you can assume that it is probably acidic. To raise the pH of your soil, consider adding calcium or dolomitic (magnesian) lime by broadcasting. Lime is available in bags at all garden centers. It is the carbonates contained in lime that neutralize the acidity of the soil.
Good to know !
There is an inverse relationship between pH and the organic matter content of a soil. The higher the organic matter content, the more acidic (low) the soil pH becomes. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant a truffle tree in soil that contains a lot of organic matter, such as black soil or compost purchased from a garden center.
Why should I protect my truffle trees with a protective tube?
The truffle tube is a cylinder open on both sides that allows the truffle tree to receive the light and water necessary for its seedling growth while preventing animals from eating the top of the tree. Inside the protective tube, a warm and humid microclimate is created, conducive to the growth of the tree. This protection also acts against the cold and bad weather that can compromise growth and survival during the first years.
The protective tube significantly increases the tree's recovery rate and overall survival. If you don't protect your trees with protective tubes, the truffle tree recovery guarantee is no longer valid.
If you do not opt for a protective tube, a newly planted tree will benefit from partial protection against extreme temperatures and bad weather, whether it is a temporary installation with a trellis or cedar shingles, for example.
Should I mulch around my truffle trees?
Typically, you don't need mulch for a trio of truffle trees (INSERT LINK TO SHOP).
To reduce weed growth and maintain moisture around the tree, consider using jute or leaf mulch. These types of mulch do not pose any risk to truffle mycelium. However, cedar, BRF, and plastic mulches are not recommended for truffle trees because they interfere with the chemical and biological composition of the soil and can reduce or even prevent truffle fruiting. In other words, while these mulches are very effective at reducing weeding and watering, they create an environment that is unfavorable to truffle fruiting.
How do I know the hardiness zone of my land?
Hardiness is the ability of plants to withstand the harshness of winter. Canada is classified into hardiness zones ranging from 0 to 10. Higher numbers correspond to areas with milder winters. Each zone is further divided into two classes, " a " and " b ." Class "a" is slightly colder than "b." Microclimates often exist within a given hardiness zone. To find out your land's hardiness zone, click here .
Regarding the planting of truffle trees, you will find on the Our Trees page the hardiness zone for each tree species we sell. You will then be able to make a selection adapted to your land.
It is important to note that if you choose tree species that will be planted at the edge of their hardiness zone, you will need to provide a location sheltered from the wind in order to maximize their chances of growth and minimize the negative impacts that wind and frost can have on these trees.
How will I be able to harvest my truffles when the time comes?
At Truffes Québec, we work with trained dogs, which are more docile and less voracious than pigs. This activity is called digging, which consists of searching for truffles in the ground, as it is a mushroom that grows at the foot of a truffle tree, in symbiosis with its roots. Digging comes from the Latin word cavare , which means to dig.
There is no real age limit for training a dog, but the best results will be achieved between the ages of six and eighteen months. A good dog can be trained until maturity, which it reaches around three years of age.
There are training kits such as the one from Canitruf, from Europe, but the Appalachian Truffle flavored oil from Les Truffettes can also be used.
Trained dogs can usually detect several types of truffles, although their effectiveness can vary. Even if the scent of the Appalachian truffle (T. canaliculatum) differs from that of T. melanosporum (Périgord truffle), it is possible that the dog will still be able to find it. Furthermore, Appalachian truffle oil contains a compound common to all types of truffles.