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 What is a Stoep Truffle Tree?
A Stoep Truffle Tree is “the gift that grows”.
A unique concept, the stoep truffle tree is an oak tree that has been inoculated with the spores of the highly prized French black truffle and planted into a pot as a verandah tree.
Given as a gift to a friend or family member, the stoep truffle tree holds the promise of a slice of exclusivity when, in five to seven years, if you’ve taken good care of it and you’re lucky, it should begin to produce truffles.
Before you buy a Stoep Truffle tree, make sure oak trees grow in your area, and do get a pamphlet from us that includes information on truffles and a recipe.
But remember: “Those who wish to lead a virtuous life should abstain from truffles” (Italian proverb)
See Truffle Trivia for some fun reading.
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 How do I care for my Stoep Truffle Tree?
| Pot | The pot should have a depth to diameter ratio of about 1:2 eg. 30 cm deep and 60 cm wide. The pot must have excellent drainage holes. Water logged soils will kill the tree and the truffle fungus. |
| Soil | Use only truffle tree soil. Do NOT add anything to it.
Once every spring, loosen the top 5 cms of soil gently to allow air in. |
| Winter | If you live in an area that gets:
- Snow or heavy frost, the truffles will thrive without your help
- Light frost: put the pot in area that gets midday shade and place 2 small cube of ice on surface every morning from May-September
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| Summer | In areas with very hot summers, put the pot in a spot with midday shade but very good light. |
| Water | The soil should be damp to touch but never soaking. Check it every 2-3 days in summer and 1-2 a week in winter. Water well when dry. |
| Pruning | Prune tree every autumn (March/April) after two years to the shape you want the adult tree to be. Oaks can cope with severe pruning but do use sharp shears and follow standard pruning advice.
Every 3-4 years, trees in pots either need a bigger pot or require root pruning. Follow root pruning guidelines. |
| Harvesting truffles | If you’ve followed all instructions, your tree should produce truffles between 3-7 years. It does sometimes take longer than this, so do be patient and enjoy its beauty in the meanwhile.
In year three and every year thereafter, check the soil in the pot weekly between June and August. Look for cracks and bulging soil. Sometimes the truffle will pop out of the soil surface. Do not touch or dig up the truffle yet! When you can smell a dominating, sweet, mushroomy, nutty smell, it is time to dig gently and lift the truffle. |
Pruning your Stoep Truffle Trees Roots
From time to time, your Stoep Truffle Tree will require some care and maintenance. One of the jobs that need to be done about every 3-4 years is root pruning and repotting.
(The information used here is taken from the excellent guidelines on www.bonsai4me.com)
 Why is pruning necessary?
As your stoep truffle tree grows, its root system will also grow in order to supply the leaves and branches with the water and nutrients. The roots of trees grown in the ground will keep extend beyond their own foliage in search for tree food and water. Your truffle tree is in a pot so the roots are limited in how far they can extend. In 3-4 years, the roots will become pot-bound and new fine feeder roots that are essential to food and water collection will stop growing. If this continues, the tree will suffer and eventually die.
When this happens, you can re-pot the tree into a larger container or you can prune the roots of the tree. Whichever option you choose, do replace the old tired soil with fresh truffle tree soil.
A side effect of root-pruning is that it increases the density of the root ball. From every root that is trimmed, a number of new roots will emerge from the root-tip that was removed. As the rootball is repeatedly pruned over the years, the rootsystem becomes denser and denser. Within a well-developed rootball, dozens of fine feeder roots can occupy the same volume of soil that one unpruned root may ordinarily use. So though the size of the rootball is regularly reduced, the actual volume of root within a certain amount of soil increases, and sufficient to support the canopy of the tree. This is excellent for truffle because they grow in the fine root hairs of truffle trees.
Root pruning does not dwarf or stunt the tree in any way. The tree may lose a little vigour for around 6 weeks after rootpruning, as it regenerates its root system (this will be more noticeable with the evergreen holly oak), but after this short period of adjustment, the tree becomes more vigorous than before as new feeder roots are able to develop.
When should I prune stoep truffle tree roots?
The trees’ rootball should be checked annually in Spring from year three. Gently ease the tree out of its pot and examine the rootball. If the roots of the tree are still contained within the soil, the tree can be returned to the pot and root pruning and repotting can be left for another year.
The time to prune the roots of your truffle tree is in early spring when the tree is still dormant. This reduces the stress on the tree caused by it not having enough root to supply water and nutrients to its leaves. To repot and root prune a tree in summer when it is supporting a full canopy of leaves and is actively in growth will often result in death of the tree.
Another factor that influences the exact timing of root pruning a tree is the length of exposure to extreme cold. The root system will not repair itself fully until the tree starts to grow in the Spring.
The best time to root prune a tree is therefore right at the very end of its dormant period, just as it is about to start back into growth. The tree is still dormant, but, because the tree is about to start growing, the repair of trimmed roots is fairly immediate.
Observe each tree to see when it is ready to be repotted. Inspect your tree closely until you see the small leaf buds that are held closely against the branch. As the tree starts to come out of dormancy, these leaf buds will start to extend, ready to open out and reveal their emerging leaves. This is the time to prune roots and repot.
How do I prune my stoep truffle trees’ roots?
After taking your tree out of its pot, gently remove the soil mass and disentangle the roots. A chopstick is useful for doing this.
Use a sharp pair of scissors or shears to trim the excess circling roots. As a general guideline, try to remove about 1/3 of the total roots.
Examine the remaining root system for any dead, decayed or injured roots and remove them. Dead or rotted roots will be black, slimy and their outer bark will slip easily from the root itself; severely rotted roots will be entirely hollow and crumble away. All signs of rot must be completely removed to prevent its spread.
If the rootball has become excessively dense, make wedge shaped cuts into it. This is only necessary on a well-developed, densely packed rootball and ensures that fresh soil is applied to the centre of the rootmass and that water is able to permeate.
The trunk should have roots spreading radially from around its base. Strong, thick, downward growing roots should be removed so that the rootball is flat and can be fitted into the pot. Downward growing roots left without pruning will start to lift the tree out of the pot.
Any other thick or straight roots should also be pruned back to a point where there are fine roots branching out. Thick or straight roots tend to rob the vigour of smaller finer growth. At all times when pruning back such roots, it is important that they are inspected carefully to ensure that their removal will not reduce the rootmass to a level where it cannot support the tree.
Thick roots should be cut on a slant with the cut facing downward; this prevents water from accumulating on the cut-surface. Cut the roots cleanly with a sharp knife to help prevent rotting and accelerate healing.
How do I repot my stoep truffle tree?
After placing a layer or stone on the bottom of the pot, poor a mound of truffle tree soil into the centre of the pot. Place the tree on this mound so that it sits just below level as the pot rim. Arrange the roots around the mound and pour in the fresh truffle tree soil, patting it down firmly so that there are no air pockets. It’s important that the tree is secure and can’t be rocked while it’s new roots are growing.
Water the tree thoroughly to ensure that the soil is fully wetted and any remaining air pockets are removed. Watering will settle the soil and it may be necessary to apply more soil to the surface. Re-water until it is certain that the soil has settled fully within the pot.
Check the soil over the next few weeks to ensure it doesn’t dry out. It should be slightly damp to touch just below the surface. Do not let the tree sit in a muddy puddle: truffle trees hate to be water logged, and if the tree doesn’t die, the truffle mycelium will. Rather slighter under water than over water!
For more information ...
Donna Hornby: donnah@icon.co.za (+27 72 538 1707)
 Search Google for more information on growing truffles ...
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