Average Wind Speed

The graph below shows that we have windy winters and springs. Evergreens and newly-installed plants can easily dessicate, so be sure to keep them watered. You should stake newly-planted trees and many shrubs, especially evergreens.

Weatherspark: Hillsborough, NC 1980–2016 Wind

• blue line: daily average
• dark blue band: 25–75% likelihood
• pale blue band: 10–90% likelihood

Windbreaks

Water is lost from soil by evaporation and from plants by transpiration from leaf surfaces. Winds during winter and spring can be fierce and can cause significant evaporative loss from soil and transpirative loss from susceptible plants, as well as erosion from dormant garden areas. A properly designed windbreak reduces both evaporation and transpiration loss, as well as creating valuable habitat for wildlife.

Generally, a windbreak protects an area 10–15 times its average height.

Lincoln, SD Conservation District Windbreak considerations

A windbreak actually should not be solid like dense evergreens or a board fence. A windbreak with 40–60% density in two staggered rows works well and should be comprised of a diversity of species to discourage diseases that can plague monocultures.

• As wind is deflected up and over a windbreak, low pressure on the downwind side draws the wind back down. This low pressure is stronger in dense windbreaks, drawing the wind down quickly and reducing the protected area size.
• Windbreaks with high density also tend to decay over time due to root competition and shading and any gap (like a path or driveway or plant decline) acts to funnel wind through at high velocity.