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Mycorrhizae plants allow you to impregnate the ground with truffle mycelium. The choice of which type of plant to use is important. The basic rule is to observe the nature of the land and plant a variety that is likely to occur there naturally, this applies if you are in an area that has a history of truffles!
If you are in an area that has good soil but no history of truffle growing, then the first thing to decide on is the type of truffle that you want to grow. Analyzing the sort of soil that you have as well as the local climate are the two most important factors.
Once the truffle has been chosen, you need to select the plant that is most likely to create it and give you the best chance of having a decent harvest.
Below you will find listed the main species used in truffle culture, next to each one are the advantages and disadvantages:
Holm Oak
Advantages Disadvantages - supports drought
- easy to maintain: no problem with parasites, easy to prune, unlikely to be contaminated by other competing fungi
- quick production, between 4 and 6 years
- game species do not like its spicy leaves- sensitive to frost, especially if humidity is high: nearby water course or damp areas
- its longevity of production reduces in fertile soil
- likes well drained soil
Melanosporum Tuber Downy Oak / Uncinatum Tuber Downy Oak
Avantages Disadvantages - certainty of production over long period (trees producing at a hundred year old!)
- hardy to -20°C- slower to start producing than the Holm Oak (between 8 to10 years)
- susceptible to powdery mildew and parasites
- likes well drained soil
Melanosporum Tuber Hazel Tree / Uncinatum Tuber Hazel Tree
Avantages Disadvantages - quick growth
- early production (about 5 years)
- very hardy, supports to -28°C
- suitable for cool and deep soils- its wide spreading root system encourages the formation of undesirable fungi
- its quick growth means the area is quickly overgrown
- shorter production life
- requires high maintenance (pruning, disease treatment, thinning out)
- presence of nuts attracts rodents!
- does not support dry land, prefers damp areas and a nearby water course