Planning and planting a truffle tree orchard is no small feat. In an ideal world, the grower will start establishing the site of the truffle orchard the year prior to receiving their seedlings. After going through the process ourselves, here are the steps we would recommend focusing on for preparing and planting your orchard. (note: we use the word "orchard" loosely here. An orchard can have as few as 4 trees.)
Evaluate, Choose, and Prepare your Orchard Site
Choosing a proper site for your future truffle orchard is of utmost importance. Some things you will want to keep in the forefront of your mind when choosing and then preparing your site.
1. Space: Truffle tree seedlings are planted at a spacing of 8-12 feet (figure 1), depending on the tree and truffle variety. Choose a large enough space that can accommodate the number of trees being planted.
2. Soil Quality: Choose an area where the soil is rich in bacteria, but poor in fungal activity to prevent competition. This means placing your orchard as far away from a forested edge as possible and ideally finding an area of old agricultural land (which will be high in good bacteria). Also seek out well-draining soil as truffles do not like "wet feet".
3. Soil pH: We recommend sending a soil sample into a soil testing lab to find the pH of your soil. While the exact level depends on the truffle you are growing, aim for a minimum of 7, ideally 7.5+. If you need to alter the pH of your soil we recommend adding one pound of agricultural lime per square foot, adding lime yearly to eventually reach the final drip line of the tree in coming years (figure 2).
4. Prepare the Soil: Truffle seedlings prefer well-aerated soil. This requires discing or tilling prior to planting to loosen the earth (figure 3). Plus, if you're adding lime to adjust pH, this step helps work it into the soil.
Establish a Budget for Seedlings and Infrastructure
Truffle seedlings range anywhere from $50-$90 per seedling depending on the quantity and variety (a note on sourcing your seedlings below). At the very least you will want 2 seedlings for successful truffle mating, but we recommend a minimum of 4 seedlings for a hobby garden. An ideal "small scale" orchard is 24 trees. If you are interested in a larger scale orchard planting, contact us and we can put you in touch with the appropriate guidance.
Once you have your seedlings ordered you have 6 months to a year to plan for the infrastructure needed for a successful orchard.
1. Irrigation: Maintaining moisture around your seedlings is critical to keep the roots, and therefore the truffle mycelium, from drying out. You can water your seedlings with a standard hose, but if you install more than 4 trees we recommend installing irrigation as a timesaver. Our irrigation system was made from half inch tubing with irrigation nozzles around each seedling (figure 4).
2. Fencing: Like all tasty things in nature, you will need to establish pest prevention. Here in the Midwest the biggest concerns are deer and rabbits who will eat the foliage off your seedlings. Using small cages (figure 5) and/or tubing helps deter animals and keep seedlings intact. Once your seedlings mature into trees you will need to consider larger scale fencing to keep animal browse at a minimum.
Receiving and Planting your Seedlings
Site preparation should be complete by the time your seedlings arrive so that you do not have to store your plants. If you are not able to plant upon arrival, keep the seedlings in the refrigerator until able to.
Plant each seedling to have the crown of the root ball flush with the surface. After planting, mulch around your trees with gravel for weed prevention. Keep the area free of weeds by either hand-weeding or mowing. It is also helpful to plant the rows with an annual "mat" cover crop such as red clover or buckwheat.
From here on out, monitoring and maintaining your orchard will be your biggest task. The journey into truffle cultivation is a labor of love and the rewards are far from instant. Thank you for journeying with us!
A Note on Sourcing your Seedlings: There are several companies/nurseries from where you can source truffle tree seedlings. We work with an established and trusted researcher and lab owner in Oregon who has been in the truffle space for nearly two decades. You can source seedlings from your source of choice, but we highly recommend doing your research on the company to ensure that they are well-versed in the inoculation process and quality control to ensure you are receiving the truffle species you originally planned.
