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The Nature of Oaks

By Douglas W. Tallamy

$28.00

Details

Catalog Code
OAKS-B

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by New York Times best selling author Doug Tallamy. Shipping fee is included (within the contiguous US).

This book takes a magnifying glass to our mighty oak trees and the critical ecological role they play wherever they are planted.  Tallamy guides the reader through a year of intricate food web interactions that are supported by this keystone species.  Each chapter focuses on a single month, with several subheadings to help break up scholarly revelations and statistics with easy-to-understand explanations and witty storytelling.  The appendices include valuable tips for choosing an appropriate oak for your area, as well as how to select and germinate an acorn, overwinter it, and protect a sapling for the best success in growing a strong, self-sufficient tree.  From cover to cover, every page is a call to a single action: plant an oak! 

Doug Tallamy is an entomologist with decades of studying insects and teaching about the profound effects they have in the surrounding landscape.  He has contributed to and published over one hundred research articles and branched out to write best selling books Bringing Nature Home and Nature's Best Hope.  He is also co-founder of Homegrown National Park, a grassroots conservation project encouraging people to plant natives on part of their private and public properties, with each plot connecting and contributing to vibrant corridors that support maximum biodiversity and environmental health.  

Be the first to ask a question.

Seed

Growing your own plants from seed is the most economical way to add natives to your home. Before you get started, one of the most important things to know about the seeds of wild plants is that many have built-in dormancy mechanisms that prevent the seed from germinating. In nature, this prevents a population of plants from germinating all at once, before killing frosts, or in times of drought. To propagate native plants, a gardener must break this dormancy before seed will grow.

Each species is different, so be sure to check the GERMINATION CODE listed on the website, in the catalog, or on your seed packet. Then, follow the GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS prior to planting. Some species don't need any pre-treatment to germinate, but some species have dormancy mechanisms that must be broken before the seed will germinate. Some dormancy can be broken in a few minutes, but some species take months or even years.

Seed dormancy can be broken artificially by prolonged refrigeration of damp seed in the process of cold/moist STRATIFICATION. A less complicated approach is to let nature handle the stratifying through a dormant seeding, sowing seeds on the surface of a weed-free site in late fall or winter. Tucked safely beneath the snow, seeds will be conditioned by weathering to make germination possible in subsequent growing seasons.

To learn more, read our BLOG: How to Germinate Native Seeds

Dormant Bare Root Plants

We dig plants when they are dormant from our outdoor beds and ship them April-May and October. Some species go dormant in the summer and we can ship them July/August. We are among the few still employing this production method, which is labor intensive but plant-friendly. They arrive to you dormant, with little to no top-growth (bare-root), packed in peat moss. They should be planted as soon as possible. Unlike greenhouse-grown plants, bare-root plants can be planted during cold weather or anytime the soil is not frozen. A root photo is included with each species to illustrate the optimal depth and orientation. Planting instructions/care are also included with each order.

Download: Installing Your Bare-Root Plants

Potted Plants

3-packs and trays of 32, 38, or 50 plants leave our Midwest greenhouses based on species readiness (being well-rooted for transit) and order date; Spring shipping is typically early May through June, and Fall shipping is mid-August through September. Potted 3-packs and trays of 38 plugs are started from seed in the winter so are typically 3-4 months old when they ship. Trays of 32/50 plugs are usually overwintered so are 1 year old. Plant tray cells are approximately 2” wide x 5” deep in the trays of 38 and 50, and 2.5" wide x 3.5" deep in the 3-packs and trays of 32; ideal for deep-rooted natives. Full-color tags and planting & care instructions are included with each order.

Download: Planting and Care of Potted Plants

*PLEASE NOTE: we are a mail order nursery and have no retail facilities, but you may pick up your order if prior arrangements are made. Pick up orders are subject to 7.375% MN Sales Tax.

Shipping & Handling Charges

TOOL SHED and BOOKS have the shipping fee included in the cost of the item. In other words, they SHIP FREE!

Shipping Season

SEED, TOOLS and BOOKS are sent year-round. Most orders ship within a day or two upon receipt.

Delivery

We ship using USPS, UPS and Spee Dee.

FOR MORE DETAILED SHIPPING INFORMATION, INCLUDING CANADA SHIPPING RATES (SEED ONLY), PLEASE SEE 'SHIPPING' AT THE FOOTER OF THIS WEBSITE.