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The French TRUFFLE TREES
Distributed by Triffid Park

Grow your own Truffles.
Your very own fresh truffles...A gourmet's delight...But where to get them?
Your long cherished dream of having your own little bit of France is now here.  For you can grow your own delicious truffles in your backyard, or even on your patio or deck.
Yes, the mystique of the French Perigord black truffle is simplified with this oak tree inoculated under laboratory conditions with black truffle spore (Tuber melanosporum).
You can leave your prized truffle in its pot, or better still, plant it in a half wine barrel.    WHAT A TALKING POINT!
This oak tree will enhance your garden if planted directly into the ground.
Truffles are edible fungi that grows on the roots of its host tree and will form below the ground in the winter after a few years.  Truffle growers need a little bit of patience.  But "VOILA" it will be worth it.  Just sniff the ground from time to time during the winter months and you won't miss the overwhelming, pungent and sensuous odour of a ripe truffle.  PURE ECSTASY!

MAIL ORDER TRUFFLE TREES - NOW AVAILABLE (within Australia, but not WA, NT or Tas)

Left to right: Quercus robur (English Oak), Quercus suber (Cork oak), Quercus ilex (Holly oak)

2 varieties available @ $55 each (including gst) in Tubes
 - English Oak (Quercus robur) - deciduous
- Holly Oak (Quercus ilex) - evergreen

(Sorry Cork Oak sold out in tube stock- we wont be producing any more of this variety, but do still have some available in larger pots - see below)


POSTAGE WITHIN AUSTRALIA - 1 tree of any variety = $11.00 (this includes postage, registered mail,  mailing tube and gst).
Plants are posted by Australia Post.  All parcels are sent registered mail so that they can be tracked and must be signed for on delivery.



SPECIAL ON OAK TREES:
Purchase 3 trees of any mixed OAK varieties (English or Holly) and pay only $52 per tree (including gst) plus a discounted postage rate for 3 trees of $24.00 (this includes postage, registered mail,  3 mailing tubes and gst).  A saving of  $18 saving for 3 trees    TOTAL for 3 trees and postage costs = $180.00


IMPORTANT
GOVERNMENT CERTIFICATES: Some states of Australia require government certificates to accompany the plants to certify the plants are from accredited nurseries.  Victoria, N.S.W. and Queensland do not require government certificates.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA:
 COMPULSORY - Please add $5.00 (GST included) for a compulsory Plant Health Assurance Certificate from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
TASMANIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND NORTHERN TERRITORY:
Unfortunately due to compulsory government spraying of a fungicide we cannot ship to these states.  The fungicide will kill the truffle fungus.

Click here to go to: Payment Order Form: 
TO ORDER: please fill in our Online Order Form.  Fill in the relevant details at the top and then scroll down to the Truffle Tree ordering section. Do not add registered post cost on order form, as this is already included in the postage fee.


Growing information below.


Larger trees can be purchased direct from Triffid Park via our Field Days at $125 each. 
We will NOT have Truffle Trees at our field days, unless by prior arrangement.  If you would like to purchase a Truffle Tree, please contact us a couple of days before the field day you want to pick it up from, and ask us to bring it along.
Click here to visit our FIELD DAYS page and see where you can find us.  If you are specifically coming to a field day to pick up a tree, please email us prior, to arrange to have a tree brought along for you.
Strictly NO pick up from Triffid Park. 
4 varieties are available in gold 25cm pots
- Quercus robur (English Oak) - deciduous
- Quercus ilex (Holly Oak) - evergreen
- Quercus suber (Cork Oak) - evergreen
- Corylus avellana (Hazelnut tree) - deciduous

Left - Holly Oak

Right - English Oak

Our famous Mr Piggy as seen on Better Homes and Gardens - 26th March 2010 from the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Close up of our Truffle Tree label.


 

Or visit a Retail nursery who stock our larger Truffle Trees.  Prices vary at different nurseries due to freight costs.  Please phone them first to see if they have what you want in stock.

AUSTRALIA WIDE
The Plant Shop - www.theplantshop.com.au for mail order of the larger trees

VICTORIA
Alexander Nursery, Vic
Blackspur Nursery, Healesville, Vic - 5962 4746
Ceres Nursery, Brunswick East, Vic - 9387 4403
Growmaster Mansfield, Vic - 5775 1100
Growmaster Sale, Vic - 5144 4338
Growmaster Traralgon, Vic - 5174 2861
Jindivick Country Garden, Jindivick, Vic
Lintons Garden and Home, Mt Eliza, Vic, 9787 2122
Masters Home Improvements, BOXHILL - 249 Middleborough Road, Boxhill South, Vic, 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, BRAYBROOK - 330 Ballarat Road, Braybrook, Vic, 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, BURNSIDE - Burnside Village, Western Hwy, Burnside, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, CARRUM DOWNS - Cnr Latham Road and Frankston-Dandenong Road, Carrum Downs, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, DANDENONG SOUTH - Cnr South Gippsland Fwy and Princes Hwy, Dandenong South, Vic, 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, HAWTHORN EAST - 742 Toorak Road, Hawthorn East, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, KNOXFIELD - 1464 Ferntree Gully Road, Knoxfield, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, MORNINGTON - 75 Tyabb Road, Mornington, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, NORTHLAND - 85 Chifley Drive, Preston, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, OAKLEIGH SOUTH - 1041 Centre Road, Oakleigh South,Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, ROXBURGH PARK - Pascoe Vale Road, Roxburgh Park, Vic - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, SOUTH MORANG - Cnr McDonalds Road and Plenty Road, South Morang, Vic, 1300 337 707
The Garden Tap, Kyneton, Vic, 5422 3033
Valley Road Nursery, Highton, Vic - 5243 4626
Wandin Valley, Wandin North, Vic - 5964 3663

CANBERRA
Masters Home Improvements, CANBERRA AIRPORT - Majura Road, Canberra Airport, A.C.T. - 1300 337 707
The Heritage Nursery - Yarralumla, ACT - 02 6281 7373
Green Gold Federation Square, Nicholls, ACT - 02 6230 2000
Willow Park, Pialligo, A.C.T. - 02 6248 9095

NEW SOUTH WALES
Bega Garden Nursery, Bega, N.S.W. - 02 6492 6628
Four Seasons Nursery, Belrose, N.S.W. - 02 9450 1606
Masters Home Improvements, CHULLORA - Cnr Hume Hwy and Muir Road, Chullora, N.S.W. - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, GREGORY HILLS - 630 Camden Valley Way, Gregory Hills, N.S.W. - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, RUTHERFORD - Cnr Mustang and Anambah Road, N.S.W. - 1300 337 707

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Cleveland Nursery, Stirling, S.A. - 08 8389 1595
Masters Home Improvements, MOUNT GAMBIER - 182-248 Penola Road, Mt Gambier, S.A. - 1300 337 707

QUEENSLAND
Masters Home Improvements, MORAYFIELD - 321-343 Morayfield Road, Morayfield, Qld - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, NERANG - 33 Hinkler Drive, Highland Park, Nerang, Qld - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, NORTHLAKES - 77-95 North Lakes Drive, Northlakes, Qld - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL - Cnr Main St and Southern Cross Circuit, Springfield, Qld - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, TINGALPA - Cnr Manly Road and New Cleveland Road, Tingalpa, Qld - 1300 337 707
Masters Home Improvements, UPPER COOMERA - Cnr Days Road and Old Coach Road, Upper Coomera, Qld - 1300 337 707
 


Wholesale - these plants will be available from Triffid Park at the NGIV Trade Days from September through May.  We do not attend Trade Day from June to August.


GROWING CONDITIONS:

Before planting - prepare your soil.  This is very important.  Truffles thrive in hungry, lime-based soils.  To enable your tree to produce truffles the pH of the soil must be 7.5.  Many good garden centres will gladly pH test a soil sample for you, or you can buy an inexpensive pH test kit at most nurseries or hardware stores.  Once you have determined the pH you can amend the soil, if needed, using materials commonly available at your local garden centre.  Because different soil types react in different ways to the application of lime, you will have to add more lime to clay soils and peaty soils than you will to sandy soils to achieve the same result.   The soil needs to be properly prepared before planting.

To increase your pH by 1.0 point and make your soil more alkaline:
      - add 135 grams of hydrated lime or garden lime per square metre in sandy soils
      - add 270 grams of hydrated lime or garden lime per square metre in loamy soils
      - add 400 grams of hydrated lime or garden lime per square metre in clay soils
      - add 850 grams of hydrated lime or garden lime per square metre in peaty soils

Hydrated lime has low toxicity and is safe for the home gardener to use.
Garden lime is also fine to use on your truffle trees, but can burn your skin if you get it on you.

Once you have your soil conditions right, you can then add a generous helping of lime to the soil or potting mix once each year, usually in spring, although it doesn't really matter on the time of year, just don't forget. 

These trees will grow to about 10 metres tall in time.  If you have sufficient space you can plant your truffle tree directly in the ground, which would be preferable long term.  If you don't have the room, or want to take your tree with you if you move house, you can grow the tree in a large pot or half wine barrel.  Use a better grade potting mix, and add lime to raise the ph as described above. You can prune the foliage to keep the tree at a manageable size when planted in a large pot or half wine barrel.    

The truffle inoculation and the lime both have an impact on slowing down the growth of your host tree.  So the tree will be a lot slower growing than an non-inoculated tree.  But remember, you are growing truffles, not trees, so keep the ph up.

You can plant at any time of the year.

Keep the lower foliage well pruned to let the light onto the soil. 
Plant in a sunny aspect in free draining soils.  North, South, East or West, it doesn't matter as long as they get sunshine on the ground over the root system.
Do not prune the roots, as that is where the truffles form.

Truffle's prefer cold winters and can tolerate frosts, with hot summers.  Don't forget to keep the ground moist with water.  How much and how often you water, depends on the growing conditions.  If you want to mulch to help keep the tree moist over the summer while it is smaller, this is ok.  However as the tree matures, around 5-6 years, remove the mulch to allow more sunlight to the roots.  Also removing the mulch will make it easier to find the truffles.

Minimise vegetation around the base of the tree.

Fertilizing - use a general purpose slow release fertilizer like Osmocote.  Usually a 3-4 month slow release.  Do not use a "Native" fertilizer.   You can also use seaweed, fish emulsions or worm leachates, which will stimulate the bio-life in the soil. 
Feed in spring and summer.

Truffles will grow anything from around 20cm under the soil, to almost popping out of the ground.
Truffles can grow from just 2 centimetres in diameter to the size of a grapefruit.
Truffles start to grow in the warm summer and ripen in the cold of winter usually from June to August in Australia.
As for how many truffles you can expect off your one tree, it is up to the "Truffle Gods"!  Many of the above factors will come into play as to how many you will produce.

In terms of which tree to purchase, it is purely a personal choice.  They are all great host trees for the truffles, so it is a matter of deciding whether you want a deciduous tree, or evergreen.

English Oaks in particular are prone to aphids which you can spray with pyrethrum.
They also tend to get a fungus on their leaves.  Do not spray this with anything, or you will kill the truffle spores which are also a fungus.  In Autumn these leaves will fall off anyway as the tree goes deciduous for winter.

The larger trees at $125 are about 4 years old, so your waiting time for truffles is approximately another 3-4 years.
The tube stock at $55 are around 1 year old, so your waiting time for truffles is approximately 6-7 years.

Hazelnut trees will give you an added bonus of Hazelnuts as well as Truffles.  Hazelnut trees contain separate male and female parts on the one tree, but are unfertile and require at least two Hazelnut trees to cross-pollinate.  It may be best to plant at least one other variety of Hazelnut tree as a pollinator.  Plant within 30 metres of each other.   The pollen is transferred between the trees by the wind. 

"Can I purchase the truffle spore to inject my own trees?" - NO, the truffle spore is injected directly into the tree as the first shoot comes out of the acorn (before it is even a tree) under laboratory conditions.

 

 

Organically grown by French Harvest.  Distributed by Triffid Park.
 

This Page was last updated on Monday, 13 May 2013