Evening star., 1953-10-25

Many suburban properties
could use to advantage a wind
break to reduce the chilling ef-
feet of wintery winds.
The selection of a windbreak,
however, is greatly influenced by
the size of both the property and
the owners pocketbook. Small
lots have space for but a narrow
border strip as a windbreak.
Such a space limitation restricts
the choice to narrow columnar
faStigate) trees and shrubs. The
Lombardy poplar is a good ex-
ample of this growth habit, bat
unfortunately a killing disease
puts the Lombardy out of con-
Sideration. (MoSt Lombardy
poplars die at planting time-the
rest as they reach mature Size.)
However. there are a number of
trees and shrubs with this growth
habit that should be considered
in making a choice.
Some trees and shrubs cannot
withstand strong winter winds
the hemlock being a good ex-
ample. Others are so shallow
rooted that in most cases they
should be avoided-the beech
and naples for example. The
tall-growing California privet
can be kept to fairly mar
row hedge and makes a good
Wlndbreak for the small property,
but requires several trimmings a
year. This is offset by low cost
and rapid growth. The Virginia
cedar should make a good wind
break because of it's upright
growth, but it usually loses the
lower branches and so becomes
unSightly after a few years.
Tree Shrub Combinations,
In some cases a windbreak
may require a combination of
trees and shrubs to provide the
desired protection. This COM
hination may include both ever |
green's and deciduous trees and
shrubs-false cypress (Chamae-
cyparis) and arborvitaes, or
white ash and lilacs. Even the !
hardy orange tPoncirus trifoli- /
ata) my be pruned to occupy a
relatively narrow space. The /
peSky Siberian elm is another.
but both of these must be pruned !
from planting time on to keep
them confined to the desired /
space.
The biggest problem for a
windbreak is where the house
faces north or west and, where
obviously screen in front of .
the house is undesirable. Here |
the dependence should be upon |
wideSpreading deciduouS trees, /
such as the white ash and the
Kentucky coffeetree. AS soon as
they reach maturity they have
such broad expanse of limbs
that they will prove effective.
They should not be planted to
hide the view of the house. 1t
is often possible to supplement
them with trees in the parking
strip to complete the windbreak.
Of the narrow columnar trees
there are forms of naples and
elmS, but both of them are shall
loW-rooted, and for this reason
make the growing of grass and
shrubbery within root range diff
ficult. The pyramid European
white birch is worthy of con-
sideration, although some times
troubled by the birch borer. /
There is a pyramidal form of the /
European linden CTilia) that has /
some poSsibility-the base is
rather broad. The same may be
said of the horse chestnut, the
English hawthorn, several oaks, |
and the tulip tree. Most of these |
trees lose their lower branches |
as they gain in size and this
may be Objectionable in some in
stances. But in most cases sum-
mer air circulation is important |
and the loss of the lower
branches is beneficial and more
desirable than a tight screen,
such as will be obtained from the
Use of evergreenS.
COlumnar EvergreenS.
The evergreens seem to pro-
vide more narrow columnar trees
than the deciduouS species. The |
arborvitae. mentioned above, has
narrow columnar forms in both |
the American and the Oriental
species. The National Arboretum
has such a planting. The bald |
cypress. which is more of curl
osity than consideration, grows
with very short branches in dry
soils. The same may be said of |
the sequoia. There is a column
form of the white fir (Albies |
SOAISOlOl 90 WCll 90 VI ULlC 1NIhhO I
fir (Albies homolepis). There
are also several columnar forms |
of the spruce. but since this is
the Southern limit for them they |
may not thrive.
The jumpers seem to offer the
more practical possibilities. The
Swedish juniper (Juniperus COM
muniS var. suecica) and the mar
row columnar Irish juniper are
subject to inroads of the juniper |
webworm and red spider mites. |
The four forms of the Virginia
red cedar q. virginiana), SEEM
ingly, are relatively free from
these two insects. They are
Cannart, Column, Schott and
Silver-all varieties of the native
Virginia red cedar, and superior
to the species in habit of growth.
The Lawson false cypress (Cha-
maecypariS) is narrow growing
form of the commonly planted
plume false cypress and, SEEM