With summer’s heat in full force, it’s natural to think ahead to a cooler time. Like say, a fall tree-planting. Between lower-temperature days  and the chance to create more shade, it sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?

But as you start making those plans, don’t forget your power line.

Every so often, we remind electric customers to get their tree limbs trimmed if they’re near the lines, so that a broken branch doesn’t take out power for the whole neighborhood.  But with smart planting, you can avoid the whole issue. Picking the right place for the right tree now can save a lot of worry and expense later.

So how do you do it? Just keep these distances in mind:

• Keep your tallest trees at least 50 feet away from overhead utility lines. This includes maples, spruces, oaks, large evergreens and anything else likely to grow taller than 40 feet.
• Medium-sized trees should be no closer than 20 feet from the lines. These are the trees that are between 25 and 40 feet tall at maturity, like goldenraintrees or Amur corktrees.
• Anything closer than 20 feet should be small trees only (or none at all). This covers trees like crabapples, redbuds, Rocky Mountain junipers, and anything else that doesn’t get taller than 25 feet.

So give it some thought and give your plantings some space. It’s a power-ful way to stay safe and keep your line protected.

That’s something worth rooting for.