Plant of the Week
The oak tree is an oft-underrated keystone plant. A steward of the land and essential to our very survival, the oak is more than a tree: it is nature’s community center, hosting hundreds of bugs and birds and forming the foundation of our native food web. You don’t have to commit to an enormous tree to reap the benefits. Planting a dwarf oak like the Quercus minima (3 feet tall) or Chinkapin oak (15 feet tall) is just as effective!
Guest
Doug Tallamy, entomologist, author, and the oak tree’s biggest advocate, joins me on the pod. In his latest book, The Nature of Oaks, he encourages his readers to plant their own oak. With a lifespan of 900 years, and home to over 952 species of caterpillars, your oak will continue to positively impact the earth long after you’re gone. Not only does the oak win the food web award, it protects the watershed and sequesters carbon, keeping our atmosphere livable and enriching our soil. Doug’s books remind us of our great responsibility as landowners and embolden us to make a difference in our own backyard.
Playlist
Are your plants feeling frazzled by drought? Don’t bother with general watering—it's impossible to emulate rainfall. Instead, stick the hose at the base of the plant for a count of 10-20 seconds.
Tune in for Doug Tallamy’s anti-mozzie tip. Find out how to effectively reduce your mosquito population without harming any innocent critters in the process.
Listen
On Thursday, June 3rd, Doug Tallamy is offering a webinar on The Nature of Oaks via www.piedmontmastergardeners.org! Sign up!