Spring is just around the corner, and a popular way to welcome the season is by tending to the yard, updating landscaping, and planting trees and shrubs. Healthy green scaping means homeowners can enjoy many benefits, such as cleaning the air, filtering stormwater, and saving as much as 20% on their utility bills from strategically planted shade and wind-buffering vegetation. A vibrant yard and healthy landscape require careful planning. Here are some tips on how to plant the right vegetation in the right place on Arbor Day and every day:
- Any trees or shrubs being planted near utility poles require ideally a 20-foot buffer and must be smaller. These may include trees like the Venus hybrid dogwood, Lavelle’s hawthorn, or dwarf Sargent’s crabapple, but they should be less than 25 feet tall. If they grow to be any taller, they risk intruding on the tree-pruning zone of PenLight’s vegetation program.
- When it comes to pruning, PenLight contracted crews to trim and remove trees of specific height within a 10-foot radius of power lines on a 3-year cycle. If a homeowner needs to remove a tree that is outside the 10-foot area, contact us, and our certified arborist will help create a safe removal plan.
- If you have an electrical box or a cover over an underground electrical vault in your yard, maintain a clearance of 10 feet in front and 4 feet on the other 3 sides of the box. This area is well-suited for easy-growing perennials such as Shasta daisies, dahlias, sword ferns, azaleas or rhododendrons, especially the dwarf varieties.
- Taller trees, including Douglas fir, cedar, and maple, should be planted outside of a 50-foot buffer from all utility equipment.
To learn more about powerful landscaping, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website. 5444