Do You Have a Planting Plan?

How often have you bought a tree or a shrub and just dug a hole and stuck it in the ground? You can drive around any town in this great country and you will find that people have been doing that for a long time.

A beautiful tree hacked and maimed because they have grown into a power line or overhead phone cable. Make no mistake, the utility companies are in no way obligated to trim and prune your trees nice and neat. It is simply their job to get your tree out of their power lines. So be sure to keep that in mind when planning your future plantings. When you get a case of planting fever, be sure to know the mature size of your plants and trees. What grows well under a power line today could be the cause of a power outage in the future. Then your tree will be like thousands of others. You will end up with a tree that resembles a slingshot or something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. 

 

   You also may want to do your research before you plant. Check out not only the height and width, but find out if it has a deep or shallow root system. You don't want to plant anything with a deep root system near your water source or your sewerage lines. Always remember, the roots will grow as wide as the canopy. So if your tree has a spread of 30 ft. you can count on the roots spreading equally as far. Trees are the number one cause of power outages and cracked foundations. Tree roots don't care if they ruin your home, but, you will. 

If you live in an area where you have public water and sewer you want to be extremely diligent when planting. Paying for that repair will ensure that your kids never go to college. The same with underground power lines, fiber optic cables, and phone lines. Be sure to call 811 BEFORE you dig because after may be too late.

In short, no one will be responsible for damage caused by your plantings other than you. Not the power company, not the phone company, and not your home builder. Ultimately you are the one who makes the decision. Unless, of course, trees were already in place before you acquired the property. Even if that was the case, you need to make an assessment after you have bought the property and have trees removed if necessary. Mortgages are far too costly to allow an ill-placed tree to ruin your investment. 

Plan smart, and enjoy the comfort of knowing you will not be the reason your entire neighborhood loses power, phones, water, or the internet. That last one may spawn a lynch mob of angry teens and nobody wants that. 

Great plans produce great plants.

HAPPY PLANTING!