How to Plant a Pine Tree Windbreak

White pine makes an excellent windbreak, but not by itself.

Windbreaks are more than just a row of pines. A good windbreak is composed of several types of trees, planted in several rows. They reduce home heating costs in winter by blocking winds that hit the north and west sides of a house. They can give livestock a place to shelter. A good windbreak can even keep snow from drifting in the driveway, sidewalks and streets, saving time and labor. Plant species of varying heights to create the most effective windbreak.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Plan your windbreak ahead of time and know the wind directions on your property. Most winter winds come from the north and west. Design an L-shaped windbreak of three rows of trees, with the point of the "L" facing the northwest.

2. Calculate the spacing between rows and between trees in the row. Ideally, you'll want three rows, 14 feet apart, with 14 feet between each tree in the rows. The middle row should be staggered between the other two to block wind effectively. Also calculate the distance of the nearest row from the house or driveway -- it should be 50 to 100 feet.

3. Select the species of pine and other trees to plant. Plant the nearest row with small trees such as dogwood, viburnum, hazelnut or eastern redbud. Go for height in the middle row with evergreens like Scotch pine, Norway spruce, Douglas fir or white pine. The third row can be the same, or you can plant tall, deciduous, fast-growing shade trees like catalpa and locust.

4. Dig holes for planting once you've purchased the trees. Make the hole twice as wide as the root ball of the tree, and just as deep. Pour a bucket of water in each hole before setting the tree, and water thoroughly after planting to reduce transplant shock.

5. Watch for signs of overcrowding over the next decade, as the windbreak grows and fills in. Remove every other tree in each row to relieve the problem and prevent diseases that can develop from poor air and light circulation.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that pine and spruce will not tolerate boggy soils. Amend poor or clay soils with equal parts peat and sand at the time of planting to improve drainage, or plant species that tolerate clay.

• Don't plant an entire windbreak with one species of pine. If a disease or insect finds them, the whole windbreak will be affected. Planting diverse species will help because different species are resistant to different problems.

References

• Colorado State University; Designing Windbreaks; Damon Lange; 2005
• University of Illinois Extension; Essential Elements for Windbreak Design; Sandra Mason; 2008
• University of Missouri; Planting Tree Windbreaks in Missouri; John Slusher; 1997

Resources

• University of Vermont; Planting a Windbreak; Leonard Perry