AS WE AGE

BRIAN MINTER newsroom@tricitynews.com

If you haven’t enjoyed being under a shade tree during our extremely hot weather, it’s probably because you don’t have one.

As a matter of fact, if you take a good look around at newer homes, many on smaller lots, shade trees tend to be one of the rarest species of trees in the landscape

Considering the many attributes of these trees, we’re really missing a welcome addition to our homes, especially now in this hot summer.

The most common mis- conception about shade trees is that they grow very quickly, drop tons of leaves to be raked up each fall, and have root systems which demolish septic tanks and fields.

Added to these alleged problems are concerns about insects, disease and pruning.

If these are the reasons that folks are not planting shade trees, it is unfortunate because, for the most part, they are unfounded fears.

Let’s talk about the cooling effect of a shade tree. One average-sized shade tree has a cooling effect equivalent to four household air-conditioners running 12 hours a day The net result is that your house could be 1013°C cooler during our summer hot spells.

Another big bonus is that the cooling effect of a shade tree doesn’t arrive in the form of a hydro bill at the end of each month.

Shade trees also provide a great source of entertainment for kids, whether it be branches for swings, a location for tree houses or just plain climbing.

Finally, they provide a nice retreat on a sweltering afternoon.