| There are many criteria to consider when | | | | How far should shade trees be planted from the |
| choosing a landscaping or fruit tree for the garden. | | | | house? |
| When the choice has been made, the question | | | | It is generally accepted, although not absolutely |
| then arises as to where they should be planted. | | | | essential, that shade trees in hot, dry, and |
| While this may seem obvious, and simply a | | | | Mediterranean climates be deciduous, that is bare |
| matter of common sense, judging by the number | | | | of leaves during the winter. While the shade |
| of needless mistakes one sees both in private and | | | | provided by the foliage cools the house down |
| even public gardens, it is necessary to be aware | | | | during the summer, the absence of foliage allows |
| of some basic guidelines on this issue. | | | | the sun's rays to warm the house in the winter. |
| Planting trees near paths and entrances | | | | To be most effective, the tree's canopy should |
| It is unfortunately not uncommon to find a young | | | | rise above the house. This is not always desirable |
| tree planted a couple meters from a path. The | | | | though, as dark, gloomy, claustrophobic conditions |
| usual rationale is that branches which in the future | | | | could be unintentionally created, while the height of |
| are liable to disturb passers by, can "always be | | | | the tree could be out of scale with the building. It |
| pruned." This is absolutely the wrong attitude to | | | | is also inappropriate of course where solar energy |
| take towards the tree. It cannot be cut, severed | | | | units have been installed on the roof. |
| and butchered at will, without exacting a price, | | | | In such circumstances, the shade tree should be |
| most probably a heavy one, in terms of its future | | | | planted far enough from the house so that it |
| health and longevity. Furthermore, chopping | | | | does not tower over it, yet be close enough so |
| branches short (as opposed to pruning them back | | | | that the shadow from the hot afternoon sun |
| to their base) ruins the natural flow and direction | | | | does help to cool down the house, at least to |
| of the branch, as well as leaving a permanently | | | | some extent. So again it's necessary to know the |
| ugly wound. The correct distance therefore | | | | radius of the mature tree's canopy. The tree |
| between the tree and the path, should be a | | | | should ideally be planted therefore on the south |
| couple of meters at least, added on to the | | | | west side of the house. If an evergreen species is |
| approximate radius of any particular species. (The | | | | used, then it should be tall enough to allow the |
| radius being the distance between the edge of | | | | lower angle of the winter sun's rays to warm the |
| the tree's canopy and the trunk). | | | | house somewhat. |