How To Grow Truffles Indoors

Truffles are small, lumpy, white mushrooms that grow on the roots of hazelnut, pine and oak trees. A tree with roots containing truffle spores may take up to a year to produce truffles; they are rare because of this. It is possible to grow truffles by planting seeds fallen from a tree with truffles on its roots, but a more reliable method is to buy a sapling inoculated with truffle spores. Although it takes time for the first truffle crop to form, after the first crop, a tree can produce truffles for many years.

Step 1

Place a terra-cotta pot on top of a drainage plate near a sunny window in a room that maintains a temperature of between 70 and 75 degrees, as truffles need a very temperate climate. Fill the pot about halfway with soil mixed with small gravel or sand. Truffles need soil with very good drainage; otherwise, they may rot.

Step 2

Gently unwrap the root ball of a sapling that has been inoculated with truffle spores, untangling the roots slightly with your fingers. Put the sapling in the center of the pot, and scoop soil over the roots until they are completely covered.

Step 3

Water the tree every other day. Empty the drainage plate when you notice water pooling and not being absorbed or evaporated.

Step 4

Wait about a year and check the soil. Look for small, rounded lumps around the roots. Gently probe the soil with your fingers to find any truffles.