7 Reasons Why You Should Plant a Tree for Earth Day
What could be more on-theme than to plant a tree for Earth Day? This Earth Day (April 22nd) is a great time to get the family together and talk about the importance of trees to our planet, health, comfort, and savings.
Planting a tree for Earth Day is also good for increasing your home’s energy efficiency and utility savings. When you have the assistance of shade and windbreak from trees, your heating and cooling needs will go down and so will your utility bill.
Planting a few trees in the spring is cost-effective and fun! So grab the family and head outdoors. As the old adage goes — the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the next best time is now.
Earth Day Earnings—Plant Trees & Save
Earth Day can be productive and educational this year by taking on a simple task — planting shade trees. There are many resources, including the professionals at Fix-It 24/7 and online services such as PlantNative and The Arbor Day Foundation.
Planting trees this spring will be memorable for the family and impactful on your comfort!
1. Shade
Lower your current air conditioning bill and increase your comfort with the help of well-positioned deciduous trees. When you plan your garden and landscape design, keep passive heating and cooling in mind.
Planting new shade trees can keep solar heat away from your home, garage, patio, and outdoor condenser unit. Trees can create a canopy around your home, effectively lowering your property’s temperature by about 5-10 degrees.
Plant large deciduous trees on the east, west, and northwest sides of your home to block sunlight from showering its full heat onto your home and through your windows.
By shading the east and west sides of your home, you can cut summer air conditioning costs by up to 35%! Choose deciduous trees so when fall and winter rolls around, precious heat from the sun can pass through the branches and strike your home. Use evergreens to block the cold winter wind on the north and south sides of the home.
Your property can be 6 full degrees cooler with trees! That could be the difference between needing to use your air conditioner or not. Trees also improve your home and the surrounding area’s drainage by drinking up groundwater.
Create a cool zone around your home by utilizing nature and design to your advantage! Enjoy the birds, beauty, and energy savings for decades to come.
2. Savings
The US Department of Energy states that intelligent landscape design can cut your HVAC costs back 15-50% while also reducing net carbon emissions. That’s huge!
Landscaping has a much greater role to play than just being pretty plants. Offering natural shade and keeping the surrounding area cool are a few of the benefits of trees. Block hot sunlight and rising utility bills with shade trees.
3. Return On Investment
According to the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers, “a mature tree can add from $1,000 to $10,000 to the value of your home.” So, whatever you spend on planting trees, know that it could come back to you tenfold.
Planting trees around your property is a great long-term investment, but keep in mind that it takes time for trees to grow to full maturity. If you plan on selling your home in a few years, consider planting a larger tree.
Whether you intend to sell your home or not, strategic landscaping can significantly raise the curb appeal and value of your home. Prospective buyers will appreciate your foresight and planning, and the resulting aesthetics and savings that come with it.
Shade trees cut costs and energy use. So not only do trees look great and boost the curb appeal of your home, but they also benefit all of us living on planet Earth.
4. Species
The type of tree you choose is crucial to your ultimate energy savings. Work with deciduous trees to block the summer sun — one that sprouts big in the spring and summer but loses its leaves in the fall and winter.
If you want to save money on heating costs in the winter, the best strategy is to plant a wall of conifers/evergreens on the north and northwest sides of your home. Plant them far away enough to block the winter wind while allowing winter sunshine to hit your home.
There are many things to take into consideration when choosing the trees to plant in your yard. You will need to consider the local climate and work with native species so that the tree will thrive on your property and in your climate.
Some Colorado-friendly deciduous trees to consider:
- English Oak
- Hackberry
- Bur Oak
- Swamp White Oak
- Honeylocust
- American Elm
- American Linden
- Sycamore Trees
- Canyon Maple (a Rocky Mountain native)
- Mayday Tree
Some Colorado-friendly evergreen trees to consider:
- Piñon
- Hawthorn Species
- Bristlecone Pine
- Mugo Pine
- Junipers
Again, you will need to research the exact climate where your property is located in Colorado to make the final decisions on the type of tree species you want. Remember, some trees and shrubs may compete with your other plants for water and nutrients. Be sure to consult with a professional about your landscaping plans.
5. Placement
Most trees should be at least 10-20 feet from the foundation. You don’t want critters to access your home by planting the trees too close, nor will you want to be burdened with constant branch trimming.
The placement of the trees you plant is the most important aspect of this project. As the tree grows, you want it to be working with the position of the sun to offer ultimate shade and savings. Consult a professional landscaper or HVAC landscape design specialist when choosing the ideal location for your new shade trees.
You may want to use differently sized trees in different zones. For example, place shorter trees on the east and west side of the home, while taller trees are best planted along a home’s south face. The location of the trees have to do with harnessing the shifting sun in order to best keep your home’s walls, windows and roof shaded and comfortably cool. As the new trees grow so will your HVAC savings!
To take advantage of HVAC savings with shade trees, don’t just dig a random hole! There’s still plenty of time to map out your Earth Day tree-planting project. With a little preparation and innovation, you’ll be racking up savings and sipping lemonade in the shade all summer long.
If Your House Is In Trouble, Call the Green Bubble!
For more information on using intelligent landscape design to save big on HVAC, speak with the specialists at Fix-It 24/7: (303) 214-0277
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