Trim trees near house for safety's sake
The massive wildfires throughout the Pacific Northwest have affected so many homes and lives in our region. The trauma, loss and fear are hard to fathom. While there’s so much individual people cannot change – wind, weather, other people’s actions – there are some things you can do to protect your home, including pruning back shrubs and trees.
For a variety of reasons, including the degradation of the siding of your home, reducing moss and leaves on your roof and in your gutters, and keeping mice and other rodents away, it’s important that grass, shrubs and trees are not touching your house. Even worse, they can be fuel to a fire. Plus, a stray branch near a powerline in a windstorm can even cause a blaze.
Remember the 4 D’s when pruning: Remove the Dead, Damaged, Diseased and Dangerous branches. While you are at it, for the plant’s sake, clear out fallen or clinging diseased leaves and old fruit to prevent encouraging fungus and mold.
The fall isn’t the best time for all plants to be pruned. However, when safety is an issue, “now” is always the right time to cut a dangerous or menacing branch or tree. (Depending on the size and location, you may need to call in an expert tree trimmer.)
In general, experts recommend pruning spring flowering shrubs right after they are done booming so they will be more prolific the next year. That would include rhododendrons, dogwoods, lilacs, forsythia and some hydrangeas. The Old Farmer’s Almanac recommends that summer-flowering shrubs such as most hydrangeas, bush honeysuckle and Japanese spirea are pruned in late winter or early spring and that evergreen shrubs and hedges are cut back before new growth emerges in the early spring.
To get rid of Himalayan blackberry vines and other intrusive species, pruning them back early and often is the best approach.
Pines and spruce trees also need to be pruned if you want to control their size. (And, of course if they are encroaching on your home or have dangerous limbs.) You may want to even remove some trees that are too near power lines or structures.
What to plant?
As you look at and plan your yard and garden for next year, remember that the Grays Harbor PUD discourages the planting of certain vegetation. Alder, maple and willow trees are the top three of the PUD’s most NOT WANTED list – at least not near their power lines. That’s because those trees can sometimes grow up to 5 - 10 feet a year in our extra rainy climate.
(In general, because of all the rain that we receive, trees grow faster in Grays Harbor than they do in other parts of the state – up to 15 to 20 percent larger than the 25 to 30 feet advertised by tree nurseries, according to the PUD.)
That’s why regardless of the type, you should never plant a tree directly under high voltage power lines, telephone and communication lines or over the top of underground wires, gas lines or water and waste water pipes.
Topping tall trees is an effective high wind control measure. If you don’t have the expertise – and most of us don’t – the Twin Harbors has several licensed, bonded and insured tree trimmers and fallers to do the work properly for you and the trees. The investment now could save you a fortune, and maybe even heartache later.
The PUD has a list of suggested varieties of deciduous broadleaf and broadleaf evergreen trees list on their website that tend to be good options around here.
Other preventative cleanup
Cleaning your roof of all debris and cleaning out your gutters this fall is also a good plan – both for fire prevention and to prevent water overflowing from your gutters and causing damage to your house.
Using a ladder stand-off attachment if needed, examine your gutters to see if they need a clean out. While you are examining the gutters, take a hose and test the downspouts to make sure they aren’t plugged. You also don’t want water puddling near your foundation or basement, so place a splash block or connect additional piping at the bottom of each downspout.
With all that mowing – and perhaps boating – you did this summer, do you have gasoline about your garage? If so, is it stored properly and safely?
Tidy up from summer’s fun
While our Septembers are often one of the most beautiful months of the year, this is the time to begin considering when you will need to put away the accoutrements of the season. (Maybe schedule it for October 15 to put away lawn furniture, umbrellas, etc. so that they don’t become dangerous projectiles in a wind storm.)
As we pray for and give to our fellow Washingtonians suffering the results of massive wildfires, let’s do what we can to make our own homes safe for ourselves and our neighbors.
Eric Bjella is the executive director of NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor; a nonprofit organization committed to creating safe and affordable housing opportunities for all residents of Grays Harbor County. For questions about home repair, housing counseling, homebuyer education and financing, call 360-533-7828, listen to the extension picks that will best help you and leave a callback name and number.
Comments