Plant A Tree And Save Energy

Step 3: Choosing The Location For Shade

You want to plant trees close enough to the house that the shade will cover the roof like an umbrella.  Look at the roof in this picture.  Plant trees so you have morning, noon and afternoon shade.  It is OK to plant trees close to the house.  A lot of people get concerned about the roots damaging sidewalks and foundations over time but the secret is watering less often and watering very deep.  This causes the roots to grow down into the ground deeper.

My husband  turns the water on slightly and places the hose under the tree and as he is working in the yard he will move the hose to another location after an hour or so.  He waters our trees once a week during the summer with great success. We plant a couple of seedlings close together in case one of the dogs damages one of them; at least the remaining  tree might survive and we don't loose the growth.