WINDBREAKS PLAN, PLANT & amp; PROTECT

Steps taken now to cut the wind's bite can reap dividends later.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
When the winter winds howl, the plants in your garden can't jump up and run for cover. They have to sit there and take it.
That's why some of them don't survive until spring -- they were literally blown to kingdom come by the biting cold.
One way to protect plant life from the damaging effects of a December gale is to create a windbreak of tightly spaced trees or shrubs.
A strategically placed windbreak can reduce wind velocity by 85 percent and shelter tender plants from stinging breezes and blowing snow.
Of course, that's not to say windbreaks are just for flora and fauna.
They're for people, too -- particularly people who want to save money on their energy bills.
A windbreak that's close enough to a house can cut interior drafts and reduce home heating costs by 10 percent to 25 percent. With fuel prices at all-time highs, that's something we can all get excited about.
The best windbreaks consist of several layers of trees and shrubs and can be big, sprawling walls of vegetation designed to shelter an entire piece of property, or humble screens of evergreen planted to protect a flowerbed.
First, let's talk about big windbreaks.
LARGE WINDBREAKS
If your home is surrounded by wide-open spaces and you can feel Old Man Winter crash against the north side of the house on a blustery night, then it's time to do some major landscaping.
A multilayered windbreak will serve you best.
Consider a row of evergreen trees sandwiched between a taller row of deciduous trees and a shorter row of deciduous shrubs.
To be effective, trees and shrubs should be planted at a right angle to prevailing winds.
To determine where prevailing winds occur on your property, place 4-foot-tall stakes in your lawn and tie ribbons to the tops of the stakes.
When the wind blows, pay attention to how the ribbons move.
Another way to determine the direction of prevailing winds is to walk through your yard after a winter storm and study the pattern of the snowdrifts.
Once you know where your yard's strongest winds whistle through, you'll need to decide how far the windbreak should sit from your house.
Ideally, a windbreak should sit no more than 100 feet from a house and should extend 50 feet beyond the length of the house.
At this distance, trees 35 feet or taller will block wind and deflect wind currents up over the roof of the house.
The next step is to decide what kind of trees and shrubs you want to plant.
Forsythia and lilac are two deciduous shrubs that reach heights of about 10 feet and provide beautiful blossoms during spring.
Evergreen trees such as blue spruce, white pine and Norway pine grow into mighty giants with spreading boughs of dense, protective needles.
There are numerous deciduous trees to choose from.
Consider pin oak, which grows faster than other oaks; or celebration maple, a maple that produces no helicopter seedpods; or perhaps a fast-growing silver maple.
Although you need to plant your trees and shrubs closely together, keep in mind that trees that will one day reach towering heights need adequate room to grow and should be planted about 16 feet apart.
Obviously, it will take a while for a big, sprawling windbreak like this one to mature and do its job, but the sooner you plant, the sooner you can reap the benefits.
After about seven years, the windbreak will effectively shelter your home from frigid winter winds.
SMALL WINDBREAKS
You won't have to wait nearly as long to see the results from a smaller scale, single-layer windbreak designed to protect a flowerbed.
A row of evergreen trees or shrubs can create an instant buffer between harsh winds and tender garden plants.
Arborvitae is a top choice for this type of windbreak.
Although it grows only about one a foot per year, it has a fine texture and can be pruned into a neat hedge.
Unless trimmed regularly, it will reach a height 25 feet and a width of about 3 feet.
Arborvitae can be planted in spring or fall. To achieve a tight arborvitae screen, plant shrubs about 30 to 36 inches apart.
Although arborvitae is relatively carefree, it will not tolerate standing water or road salt, so avoid planting it in soggy soil or too close to the highway.
Creeping juniper, a groundcover, makes a pretty companion when planted next to an upright evergreen screen of arborvitae.
Many gardeners also create single-layer evergreen windbreaks from Norway pine, white pine or blue spruce.
Just remember these trees will eventually reach towering heights, so don't plant them too close to buildings or too close to one another -- they should be planted about 6 to 8 feet apart.
FOR THE BIRDS
Windbreaks can also provide a haven for wildlife during the coldest days of winter.
For example, shrubs that produce berries, such as privet hedge, winterberry, cranberry bush and serviceberry, offer both food and shelter to hungry birds.
Berry-producing bushes also jazz up plain Jane hedgerows of arborvitae or pine.
Just picture a solid wall of evergreen as the backdrop for a spidery network of bare limbs studded with colorful berries.
XSources: Time Life How-To Landscaping Projects, www.treesforyou.com, www.bobvila.com