jardimseco
Cork Oak or Sobreiro. Economically important in its production of bark for the cork industry, ecologically important as habitat to the European Lynx and several raptor species. Individual trees can be magnificent, but its real ecological value is in the species "forest" form, when trees are present in large numbers, for example in the Alentejo. It is a home and food source for a multitude of animal species. The bark, if it has not been removed, allows it to survive fires. The act of removing the bark, and the timing of the harvest, belongs to a very skilled profession, and many trees are damaged every year by unskilled or irresponsible bark removal, unfortunately it is a skill that is undervalued and is dying out. If this work is not carried out correctly it can be fatal to the tree and trees can die suddenly, or slowly (often unnoticeably) over a period of years.
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The tree does not benefit in any way from the loss of its bark, and it should not be allowed if the tree is in poor health. The thick bark or cork is in fact the tree's defence against fire, so as land becomes less managed, particularly by animal grazing, so the risk and intensity of fires can increase. The cork trees, stripped of their bark, become vulnerable, so unless you are financially desperate, there is probably no need whatsoever to have the cork removed from a tree in your garden.
Cork trees grow slowly but with remarkably little input from man once established, planting one is an investment or gift for future generations. They grow best on slightly acid soil, but they can also cope with most soils, including clay soils - in fact they are easy to grow!
How to use our online shop
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You can make an order by selecting plants with quantities and putting them in your Shopping Bag.
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By placing an order you are not obligated to purchase the plants online and you will not be asked for any payment at this stage.
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We will confirm prices, availability and delivery/collection dates with you by email.
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Only when all the details of your order are agreed, will we send you an agreed Factura/Invoice and request payment from you.
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Once an order is agreed we require a 50% payment to secure the plants. Plants in the shopping basket are not reserved until an order is placed.
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Availability - the store contains 3 availability categories
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Plants ready for despatch, collection within 14 days
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Plants we have but they are still growing into their containers. These are offered for reservation and will be released once they are ready. An estimated date for their availability is given.
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Plants that we only hold a limited stock of, or only propagate occasionally or on demand. This also includes plants we are going to propagate in the near future.
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Read more on our plant availability and advance orders here​
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