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I
f you have ever fancied getting involved with truffles; you are intrigued by the process or perhaps you wonder
whether(given all the economic chaos in the world) the secret to future investments may be lurking, darkly below the soil then Dick Pyle who is based in The Gers region of France may be someone you should get to know.
Nearly 10 years ago Dick moved from London to follow his dream of a life in France and began his Truffle Tree business. Similar to, but a million times sexier than, the ‘adopt a vine’ concept, The Truffle Tree allows people to adopt a tree and then benefit from all the truffles found under their adopted tree. Dick answers some questions about these ’black diamonds’ preparing for their growth and how you can get involved.
Why do we often refer to truffles as ‘black diamonds’? Périgord truffles (tuber melanosporum) are commonly referred to as Black Diamonds as a result of their high price and rarity. They are arguably the most sought after culinary product in the world today. A further prized truffle which avoids the ‘black’ label, being white is the White Piedmont (tuber magnatum). The melanosporum and magnatum make up the bulk of the edible truffles that are sought by gastronomes.
What exactly is a truffle? A truffle is a form of mushroom which grows underground amongst the root systems of a number of species of trees (most commonly oaks and hazels). Contrary to common belief, truffles are not parasites but actually flourish in a mysterious symbiotic way with the trees. The truffle enables the tree to assimilate phosphorus and other materials, in return for which it receives essential carbohydrates.
Why do truffles attract such an air of secrecy? The truffle business is highly ‘secret’. No wild truffle hunter divulges the location of productive trees unless on his deathbed and all the sales in the markets are for cash, no cheques, no invoices and almost certainly, no tax. Remember that these market sales are often taking place right outside the mairie or gendarmerie.
How did you obtain the right quality of soil for truffle production?
It is necessary to have the soil analysed and in our case we had to ensure the addition of potassium, phosphorous, lime and well-rotted manure. Regarding soil cultivation, it is essential to ensure (contrary to the usual process where the aim is to avoid a definitive divide between the relatively fine and airy topsoil and the more solid subsoil) that this ‘pan’ is a clearly defined solid line.
How do you ensure that the truffles remain close to the surface of the soil? It is important to ensure lateral root growth rather than allowing the roots to grow downwards in order to keep the truffles close to the surface. This is helped with the correct soil cultivation. In Provence it is common for large stones to be placed under the planted trees to ensure this direction of growth.
What type of tree did you decide to plant in your truffiere? We had planned to plant a mix of hazels along with deciduous and evergreen oaks. After further research I discovered that this was rather a labour intensive (pruning) choice and could perhaps produce rather an acidic leaf fall. So we opted for the Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) and the Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens)
How much space does it take to plant a truffiere? We have worked on an average density of 500 trees per hectare with trees 4m apart and in rows 5m apart.
Is it true that you have to wait a virtual ‘life-time’ to see the fruits of your planting? Around thirty years ago it was discovered that seedling trees produced truffles more rapidly and reliably if truffle spores were in contact with their roots. So rather than waiting years for nature to ‘infect’ the tree root, it is now possible to buy seedlings already mycorrhized with truffle spores. This along with regular tilling of the soil, frequent pruning of the trees, rigorous weed control and critically, careful irrigation, truffle production can begin as early as the fifth year after planting.
What are the main hazards for the growing trees? It is critical that the young trees are kept irrigated. Furthermore, the Gers region abounds with wildlife and both the wild boar that dig and cause havoc around the
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