The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.
—U.S. Department of Agriculture
by windstorms, heavy snow, or ice loads, and can be more drought resistant than fast-growing trees.
Windbreaks Wind speed creates a
windchill factor making outside air temperatures feel cooler. While a refreshing breeze is desirable during summer heat waves, a fierce cold winter wind is not. A windbreak—a wall of trees
and shrubs—reduces wind speed nearby, saving your home from higher heating costs. It’s best to block wind with a
combination of trees and shrubs with low crowns and foliage which grows close to the ground. When combined with a wall or
fence, windbreaks can deflect and lift wind over a home. Evergreens are ideal as they do not lose their foliage in winter. Photinia, a fast growing, hedge-type evergreen shrub with colorful red tips, is a good option and native to our area. For the best protection, leave
between two to five times the mature height of the tree or shrub between the windbreak and the protected home.
Choose the right tree . . .
No one wants to go through the expense and time installing a tree only to find out it can’t handle Oklahoma heat or winds or is too large for the allotted space. Consulting with a local nursery
or the county extension office is always a good idea. Tey know which specimens grow best in this
area and they can help you design for efficiency and curb appeal.
. . . for the right place. Weather-related events cause
the majority of power outages for OEC—19 percent according to a survey by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. But vegetation—trees, shrubs, brush—growing too close to power lines and distribution equipment runs a close second causing 15 percent of power interruptions. To “cut back” on potential tree-
related problems, OEC operates an aggressive vegetation management program. Our crews and contractors look for foliage growing under lines, overhanging branches, leaning or other types of “danger” trees that could pull down a power line if they fall and trees that could grow into lines. Te job is never done—by the time crews finish trimming along our more than 5,000 miles of distribution lines, vegetation has started to grow back at the starting point.
Te right tree in the right place
can lower line clearance costs, reduce tree mortality, and result in healthier community forests. Before planting trees in your yard, think about how tall they may grow and how wide their branches may spread. Choose tree varieties with care and plant with power lines in mind.
Sources: Oklahoma Climatological Survey, NRECA,
www.okplanttrees.org, Arbor Day Foundation, and Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
Choose the Right Tree
A proper landscape plan takes each tree into consideration:
D Height. Will the tree bump into anything when it is fully grown?
D Canopy spread. How wide will the tree grow?
D Is the tree deciduous or coniferous? (Will it lose its leaves in the winter?)
D Form or shape. A columnar tree will grow in less space. Round and V-Shaped species provide the most shade.
D Growth rate. How long will it take the tree to reach its full height? Slow growing species typically live longer than fast growing ones.
D Soil, sun, and moisture requirements.
D Fruit. No one wants messy droppings on busy sidewalks.
D Hardiness zones. The temperature extremes in which a tree can be expected to grow.
OEC’s service area is in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a and our AHS Plant Heat Zone is 8. Plants and trees in our area need to be able to survive below freezing temperatures in winter as well as 100 degree summer temperatures.
April 2014 News Magazine 9
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