never before hunted truffle in July always October

Author

Tom Lywood

I always started in October ; when the perfume was at a peak and the uncinatum appeared ; the possibility began to of finding such a needle in the haystack of a landscape never knowingly hunted in the last 100 years.Now all is changing under our foot. Truffle orchards planted 13 years ago and longer now producing There has always been a botanical destination  of the winter uncinatum and the summer truffle. This year 2019 my first survey or hunt is in July never before; I have out ti hunt so early but still not in the woods but a well maintained planted truffle orchard ; with all the trees infected with uncinatum and reared in a hot house . Not that I am surprised we have truffle in July . I have walked into them by accident  twice in a city park on the edge of a golf course . The quality is generally so poor that it is not something I expect to continue but more of interest to discover ; as expected these young trees can produce very early 

I was inspired a   short visit too Italy and an orchard planted in Ravenna on the great clay and limestone alluvial flood plains ; The Italians have long since hunted the summer truffle in may. This season a poor harvest due to the dry start and then wet may.The orchard was 15 years old roughly all oak and tight soil potententially compact alluviaL clay; as soon as the harvest complete in late June July they are cultivating the soil ready fro the next season right up to the trees.This cultivation makes a softer soil for a larger fruit ;they are not expecting a winter uncinatum. You could argue that in England today the early summer aestivum is smaller tribe than the winter uncinatum Also my experience has been any cultivation of ground for the uncinatum seems to be highly damaging to the mycelium

Ticks are a problem here and in Italy and the prospect of limes disease and both of these joy's and keep me out of the native woods untill later on in the season. When I start my hunting of the forrest of England in October .