Truffle plants are very popular in European countries and are considered a delicacy among the richest countries.
Now, when we refer to truffles we are not talking about those that are made of chocolate and that are made in a pastry shop, but rather it refers to a mushroom that grows in the forest and is highly appreciated by all those who are looking for its excellent taste.
What is a truffle?
As mentioned above, truffles are a fungus that grows at the base of trees.
They actually form a relationship with the roots of certain trees where the truffles give the trees what they need, and in turn, tree roots help truffles to grow.
At one point, these truffles could only be grown in certain areas, but thanks to some research, farmers have learned to produce truffles even in the United States.
Therefore, if you want to invest time, money, and effort, then you can consider truffle farming.
The following trees can produce truffles:
- Haya
- Abedul
- Hazelnut color
- Carp
- Roble
- Pine
- Poplar
They can produce white truffles or black truffles, although black truffles are not as special as white truffles.
How are they grown?
Now that you know how truffles originated, the ideal is to know how they are produced. This is how you can try grow your own truffle crop:
Find the correct location
To produce a good harvest of truffles, you will need a lot of land to be able to plant the amount of trees necessary. It should be taken into account basically, that a garden is being planted, only the fruits are grown underground. Also, you need to consider safety.
Depending on the area in which you must invest in this type of garden, the number of trees you can plant will be decided.
In Europe some farmers plant around 100 trees per four thousand square meters to prevent disease from spreading. Then there are other farmers who plant up to 1.000 trees per acre to encourage the spread of fungi that ultimately produce truffles.
Prepare the soil
Truffles require a Soil pH 7.5 to 8.3. There are certain companies that you can find on the internet that will actually test the soil, specifically around growing truffles, therefore you can submit a soil sample or you can test the soil itself with this kit.
However, if the soil has a low pH balance, you will need to add a lot of lime to the field in a matter of years. This will ensure that the pH is constant.
Plan the irrigation system
Next it will be necessary to plan an irrigation system. Growing truffles is not easy, it takes a lot of time and effort to make them produce.
According to the time of year, they will need a certain amount of waterTherefore, you will need an irrigation system that makes this task easier, more efficient and effective.
Plant and care for trees
The plantation part requires effort and work. TOmake sure your trees are watered properly, apply lime on the ground for maintenance, trim your trees, remove the grass that grows between the trees, supply them with compost and fertilization.
Necessary remove weeds from the trees during the first two years so so. Once it has reached the age of three or five, you can start cutting.
Finally and after five or eight years, it will be time to harvest the truffles. When you decide to grow truffles, you need to make sure you live in an area where it has four solid seasons, the reason being that truffles need the change in temperature to thrive.
In Spain it is very difficult to grow them, since a series of favorable factors have to be given for its cultivation. That is why it is such an expensive and special product.