Energy=Efficient Windbreaks

A Winter Windbreak Garden Planned for a Long Season of Bloom         Wind velocity increases as it whips around the ends of windbreaks. To counter this, the edges should be curved to protect the quiet area, and provide a sheltered interior.   Evergreens are most important for winter wind protection, however, even deciduous trees, which are leafless in winter, can provide about 60 percent as much wind protection. If one has room for only one row of plants, make it an evergreen screen using plants like arborvitae, spruce, pine, or fir. Arborvitae can be sheared like a hedge as they outgrow their space. The others do best if allowed to grow naturally, though they can be topped regularly. Left alone, they will grow quite tall, so don't put them too close to the house. Better to space them a good 30 feet away. A Windbreak on the Plains         North and west sides are protected, south is left open. There are three rows. Shrubs on the outside, deciduous trees next, finally evergreens. Fruit and flowering trees are planted inside where they are protected from the wind.   The placement of a windbreak should be to block the usual prevailing wind. Though storm winds may be stronger, the prevailing wind is most frequent, so blocking it provides the most cost effective energy saving. Land masses such as hills, valleys and lakes can change the wind's direction. Large buildings will as well. Therefore each site has to be individually checked before any windbreak planting is done. The best time to check is on a windy, sunny day, ideally after a snow storm, when snow drifts show the direction from which the wind is coming. Another way is to tie thin strips of fabric on a pole and check the direction of the wind for a week or so to see where it blows from (upwind). Or if you stand and face into the wind on a clear, sunny day, you can tell exactly where to place a windbreak. Each house is a little different with odd pockets of erratic wind in courtyards and between buildings. These should be taken into account too when planning a windbreak. And since landscapes are designed to last for decades, it makes sense to the collect all this information first before planting. Check which plant varieties are best for your area, then when spring comes plant them for many years of saving energy dollars with a well placed windbreak. For more complete information about using trees and shrubs to save energy you can order Landscaping That Saves Energy and Dollars, Ruth S.Foster's informative book on the subject. It has large plant lists for windbreaks, as well as other uses, and is geared to different parts of the country. Another section explains how to save your own time and energy by understanding maintenance. For new homeowners, there is a discussion of how to begin the overwhelming challenge of properly landscaping a new home.

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