Right Tree, Right Place

Plan ahead and pick the right tree for the right place.

THE RIGHT TREE FOR THE RIGHT PLACE

Carefully positioned trees can save on a household's energy use for heating and cooling. A large deciduous (leaf-shedding) tree, planted in the right place, can save money in reduced cooling costs, and allow winter sunshine to reduce heating and lighting costs.

Trees & Powerlines Brochure

Here are a few tips if you’re looking to leverage your planting-plans for a little energy saving potential, so get out your compass and let’s take a walk around your yard!

Plant deciduous trees with high, spreading crowns (leaves and branches) to the south of your home to provide maximum summertime roof shading.
Be careful not to plant evergreens too close to your home’s south side if you want the warmth from the winter sun.
Trees with crowns lower to the ground are more appropriate on the west side of the house, where shade is needed from lower afternoon sun.
Trees and bushes can form a strategic windbreak to keep the fall and winter winds from pummeling your home, forcing cold air in, and warm air out.

Don’t just focus on what to plant. Perhaps removing trees or limbs is the right solution for your home. This can make a large impact when considering the massive fir trees of Mason County.

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CONSIDER THE SURROUNDINGS

When evaluating plants and trees for your yard, do not plant or landscape near power transformers, or under power lines. Working or playing near transformers can be potentially hazardous. Landscaping can hide or restrict important utility access to equipment for maintenance and repairs. If you have trees or shrubs growing near your electricity meter, please trim them for meter reader access.

Lastly, do not plant trees beneath the power lines. Over time, trees grow into the lines causing the potential for dangerous situations or extended outages. Well planned landscaping will not only add beauty to your yard, it will also ensure that the plants and trees are compatible with overhead utility lines.

Check out our helpful tree positioning guide .

CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG

As always, don’t forget to call 811 before digging holes for trees, shrubs, or fence posts. Homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call – even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines (such as electricity, phone, cable TV, water, sewer, gas, etc.) in a common area. Digging without calling can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm you and those around you, and potentially result in fines and repair costs. Calling 811 before every digging job gets a free location and marking service for underground utility lines and helps prevent undesired consequences.