Where does the truffle grow? Can you cultivate it?

A truffle field can be cultivated in such a way that all the conditions are in place for the truffle to settle successfully.

This works if all climatic and soil-chemical conditions are guaranteed. Despite the little success, almost all truffle-producing areas in Europe and Australia are cultivated in this way today.

With white truffles, you still have to rely on nature. Here it only helps if you keep an eye on the wood and make sure that no natural enemies of the white truffle are spreading.

The truffles grow on the roots of host plants (trees and shrubs) such as hazelnut, hornbeam, copper beech, spruce, chestnut trees, oak trees or pecans.

The underground truffle fungus forms a symbiotic bond with its host plant.

The fungus provides the host tree with plenty of water and nutrients, in return the tree gives the truffle carbohydrates (sugar and other photosynthetic products). The host produces this via its foliage by means of photosynthesis.

The host plants are inoculated as seedling with truffle spores on its roots. Because without the symbiosis with a fungus, the tree could not absorb as many nutrients from the soil that are important for truffle cultivation.