One thing you’ll need to consider even before you buy a tree is safety. The sapling with the shallow root system that you bring home from the nursery and place right next to your house may grow into a 60-feet tall behemoth with a root system that’s as wide and deep as it is tall. This threatens the safety of your home, as heavy branches may drop onto your roof in a storm. Additionally, roots may heave up your foundation or clog your main drain. Here are some safety considerations to adhere to when planting a tree.
Don’t Plant Under Power Lines
No tree should be planted directly beneath a power line or right next to a utility pole. If a tree must be planted near a power line, it shouldn’t grow more than 25 feet tall. Trees whose branches brush or interfere with power lines can cause power outages and even fires. A person can be electrocuted when climbing a tree with branches that touch electrical lines. If you see that your tree’s branches are coming into contact with these lines, don’t touch them yourself. Have your utility company come and prune them.
Beware of Underground Utilities
As you should be careful of overhead power lines and utility poles, you also need to be careful of underground utilities such as cables or pipes. As these underground utility lines usually can’t be seen, you will need to call your utility company to find out where they are. Utility workers can come out and inspect your property and let you know where it’s safe to plant your tree.
Be Careful of the Type of Tree
Trees are beautiful, but there are some that simply should never be planted in your yard. One of the most notorious is the Callery, or Bradford pear. A beautiful ornamental, it bears glorious looking but fetid white flowers in the earliest spring or even late winter, and its leaves turn glossy scarlet in the fall. However, it not only crowds out other trees, but its branches are subject to snapping off, which makes it dangerous. It also has tire-puncturing thorns. Other trees you should avoid are:
- Eucalyptus. This tree also has branches that easily break, and its oil is so flammable that the tree can burst into flames under the wrong conditions.
- Weeping willow. This beautiful tree is so thirsty for water that it will destroy your sewer line. Its branches also tend to break off, especially as it gets older.
Learn More About Safe Tree Planting
Our professional arborists are standing by to help you plant the right tree in the right place. We are experts in all areas of tree care, from trimming and pruning to stump grinding, emergency service and storm cleanup. We serve both residential and commercial customers. Contact Eastern Tree Pros of Greenville, North Carolina for tree planting and tree removal today.
