With the heat of Summer approaching we will all be looking for that shady spot to sit and relax in or for any way to keep our home or patio cooler and still save money.  Trees according to APS and SRP are one of the best ways to save on cooling bills during the summer.  Obviously as the saying goes the best time to plant a tree was many years ago-you'd already have the shade, the next best time is now! Every day that goes by is one days growing time and one day longer till the shade arrives. 

The first rule of picking the right tree for shade is where is it going and how big is it going to get. Many trees are planted too close to houses, walls and sidewalks because the ultimate size of the tree was not taken into consideration.  The second rule is trees grow really fast here. It might be better to pick a smaller tree and be able to plant as many as you need or to have money to spend on the accent plants and color plants than to spend it all on one very large tree.  Many times there is only one or two growing seasons difference between a 15gallon or 24" box tree and a tree that might be 3 or 4 times more expensive!

The key to success is proper planting and preparation-no different than planting flowers or vegetables.  Be sure you dig a hole that is several times wider than the root ball, but no deeper. My friend John Eisenhower at www.integritytreeservice.com says the number one problem he treats with trees is too deeply planted. Be sure to ask us for our planting guide they're free and they are available in-store or on our website www.harpersnursery.com.

Remember Summer is coming and shade is precious in these parts-today is the NEXT best time to do it!