This was the first year I tried growing some oaks (Quercus) and hickories (Carya) in an air-pruned raised bed, originally inspired by friend Nick at Living Soil Tree Farm. This is a super efficient way to grow lots of saplings in a small amount of space. You just have to make sure to protect them adequately from squirrels, mice, and chipmunks. This year, I grew swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), chestnut oak (Q. montana), southern red oak (Q. falcata), and mockernut hickory (Carya tomentosa). Ve

The Dwarf Chinkapin Oak (Quercus prinoides) is a small, shrubby oak native to barren, dry, sandy sites throughout various regions of the eastern and central US. In my home state of Pennsylvania, it is mostly limited to serpentine barrens, fire-prone sites, and otherwise harsh areas where large trees cannot usually grow. Within the past few years, especially because of the work / research of Dr. Doug Tallamy (Homegrown National Park), demand for this small oak species has increased. This species