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The density required for truffle mycorrhized trees is dependent on a variety of things including the species of truffle and climate in your area. Detailed information on this can be found in the book "Taming the Truffle" by Ian Hall, Gordon Brown & Alessandra Zambonelli. Copies are available from Ian Hall. For nontruffle mushrooms standard plantation forestry densities can be used, 3 m x 3 m for radiata pine and even higher for Douglas fir.

Planting Instructions

We recommend that you do not store trees before planting so make sure your soil and everything else is ready before you take delivery of your trees. If for any reason you absolutely must delay planting make sure that you water the plants regularly but without overwatering and don't store them near or under ectomycorrhizal trees because these could contaminate your trees. If you are not sure what plants form ectomycorrhizas download the file "Lists of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants suitable for windbreaks around truffiéres and unsuitable ectomycorrhizal plants" from www.trufflesandmushrooms.co.nz
Under no circumstances should you store trees in leaf inside a darkened room such as a garage.

Trees that carry edible mycorrhizal mushrooms such as the saffron milk cap, come in a variety of containers such as special slotted trays constructed to stop root spiralling, black polythene planter bags, and paper-like bags (Melfert bags). If you have purchased plants that have been raised in black polythene planter bags or from suppliers other than De Licio® you should contact them for planting instructions.

Early Spring planting is preferable, late July in, for example, Gisborne, and late August or early September in the cooler parts of the country. The one exception is where the African black beetle is common. Although this beetle normally lives on pasture species it is not too particular and can ring bark young radiata pine, oaks and hazel. Consequently, wherever the African black beetle is found we recommend planting in late January or February.

Irrigation is strongly advisable as is some form of tree protection at least until the tree roots have grown out of the potting mix and into the surrounding soil. In these regards all trees mycorrhized with edible mycorrhizal mushrooms are initially treated like truffle trees (see Taming the Truffle).

Plant during dull, overcast conditions when there is not much wind. Do not plant in full sunlight or in windy conditions. This is because the trees do not have access to much water in their containers and can dehydrate in a matter of hours. This might set back their growth by months if not permanently. Plants that have been raised in slotted trays can be planted directly into the planting hole without prior treatment. It is impossible to remove Melfert bags (photo in the right hand column) and instead these should be cut top to bottom in three places around the bag before planting. Plant the trees so that the root ball is just covered by the soil to a depth of about 1 cm. Irrigate once or twice daily to begin with and make sure that the irrigation water is penetrating to a depth below the roots of the plants and not just the top few centimetres of soil.

Pictures can speak louder then words

Here is a nicely planned Saffron Milkcap plantation
Here is a successful Saffron Milkcap on Pinus radiata crop spaced nicely to offer easy access to the fruit and regular forestry spacing for a future timber harvest (although with a successful Saffron milkcap crop there may be no need to harvest the timber!)

A native Bianchetto plantation
In comparison you see here a natural forest that is producing the Bianchetto truffle. As you can see between the two forest photos there are definitely advantages in planning and planting correctly.