Landscaping a Windy, Exposed Montana Yard

How does a windbreak actually protect a yard?

A windbreak is a planting of trees and shrubs set across the troublesome wind. Its main effect is simple: wind speed drops downwind of it, creating a sheltered zone. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension publication Windbreaks for Rural Living, written with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, measures that zone in multiples of the windbreak's height, written H. It puts the zone of maximum protection at about 2 to 7 H downwind of a multi-row windbreak, with some extra protection 1 to 3 H on the upwind side.

The same publication says areas more than 10 H from the windbreak get little protection. So a windbreak whose tallest trees reach 30 feet gives its best shelter roughly 60 to 210 feet downwind, and very little beyond 300 feet. That geometry is why a single row of shrubs on the property line rarely makes a difference to a house in the middle of a large lot.

How much does a windbreak slow the wind?

A lot, in the right zone. The Nebraska and NRCS guide gives the example of a moderately dense windbreak cutting a 20 mile per hour wind to about 5 miles per hour out to a distance of 5 H, and it pairs that with the National Weather Service wind chill index to show how much that matters on a cold day.

The guide also credits well designed windbreaks with cutting home heating and cooling energy use by as much as 20 to 40 percent, and well placed shade trees and foundation plantings with summer savings of 15 to 35 percent, while noting that actual savings depend on the site, the climate, the house and the condition of the windbreak. Those are Nebraska figures, not Montana measurements, but the physics is the same here.

Where should a windbreak go on my property?

Across the wind that causes you trouble, which you can usually read from snowdrifts, leaning trees and the side of the house where snow piles up. The Nebraska and NRCS guide recommends placing the row with the tallest trees about 2 to 5 H upwind of the buildings and areas you want to protect. Where snow is part of the problem, it says the most windward row should be 100 to 200 feet from the areas needing protection, to leave room for drifts to settle out before they reach the house or driveway.

That last point catches people out. Plant a dense windbreak right beside a driveway and it will drop the snow on the driveway. Leave the drift zone between the windbreak and anything you need to plow. Our guide to drifting snow on rural driveways goes into this, and our snow removal crews can tell you where drifts form on your lot.

What should a windbreak be planted with?

The Nebraska and NRCS guide recommends choosing trees and shrubs suited to your soil and climate, says native species are usually the best choice, and advises avoiding species with known insect or disease problems. It recommends a variety of species, including at least one or two tall tree species, and a mix of deciduous trees, conifers and shrubs so the windbreak protects year round and one pest cannot take out the whole planting.

For western Montana, that means cold-hardy conifers for winter density, tough deciduous trees for height, and a row of dense native shrubs at the base, as the Nebraska and NRCS layout describes below. Our guides to the best trees for western Montana and native plants of the Bitterroot are good starting lists. Check the hardiness zone and soil before buying; our hardiness zone guide has the 2023 zones for each town.

How is a home windbreak laid out?

The Nebraska and NRCS guide describes a basic home windbreak as three to eight rows of conifers and deciduous trees: conifers on the windward side, tall deciduous trees in the center, and a row of shrubs on the inside, or leeward, edge. It gives typical spacing of 12 to 16 feet between rows, and within rows 3 to 6 feet for shrubs, 6 to 15 feet for deciduous trees and 6 to 20 feet for conifers.

Two more details from the guide are worth copying. In heavy snow areas, a row or two of shrubs about 50 feet upwind of the main windbreak acts as a snow trap, catching drifts before they reach it. And any lane or driveway that has to pass through the windbreak should cross it at an angle to the prevailing wind, so the gap does not funnel wind straight into the protected area. On an acreage, our guide to landscaping a rural acreage in the Bitterroot covers how a windbreak fits with the rest of the property.

Does a windbreak conflict with wildfire safety?

It can, if dense conifers end up close to the house, so plan the two together. A windbreak laid out for snow control already sits 100 feet or more upwind of the buildings, which keeps its heaviest fuel away from the house. Keep the ground between the windbreak and the house lean, green and irrigated, and think carefully about any conifers or shrubs planted close in.

Our guides to defensible space zones in western Montana and fire-resistant plants explain the zones, and our fire mitigation crews can thin and limb an existing windbreak so it keeps blocking wind without becoming a fuse.

How do I landscape a small windy lot without room for a windbreak?

Work at the scale of the yard. A solid or semi-open fence, a hedge or a planted berm on the windward side of a patio creates its own small sheltered zone, and the same multiples apply: a 6 foot screen helps most within a few dozen feet behind it. Wind wraps around the ends of any barrier, so a screen should run well past the edges of the space it shelters; the Nebraska and NRCS guide makes the same point for full windbreaks, recommending they extend 100 to 200 feet beyond the area that needs protection because of turbulence at the ends.

Put outdoor living spaces on the lee side of the house, and use the house itself as the windbreak. Our custom fencing work includes privacy and screening fences built to take wind, and the guide to designing outdoor living space for Montana's climate covers patio placement.

Why do evergreens brown in a windy yard over winter?

Because wind and winter sun pull moisture out of needles while the ground is frozen and roots cannot replace it. Colorado State University Extension notes that dry air, low precipitation and fluctuating temperatures in fall and winter can damage trees, shrubs, perennials and lawns that get no supplemental water, and that lawns with south or west exposures are more susceptible to winter damage.

CSU recommends watering when air and soil temperatures are above 40 degrees with no snow cover, at midday so the water soaks in before night, about once or twice a month in extended dry spells, and mulching to conserve soil moisture. It singles out late planted and bare root perennials and those in windy or southwest exposures as needing winter water. Our guides on winter burn on evergreens and protecting shrubs over winter cover the rest.

Does shelter help a garden and outdoor space?

Yes. The Nebraska and NRCS guide says that putting a family garden inside a windbreak's sheltered zone improves the yield and quality of fruits and vegetables, reduces wind damage to crops such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, peas and beans, increases bee activity for better pollination, and brings many crops to maturity earlier. That last benefit is worth a lot in a short growing season. It adds that landscape plants and flower gardens also benefit from protection from hot, dry summer wind.

A windbreak also does other jobs, according to the same guide: screening views, catching dust and reducing noise from nearby roads. If you have a gravel road upwind or a neighbor's shop in view, weigh that when you decide where the planting goes.

Which plants handle wind best?

Generally, plants with small, tough or needle-like leaves, flexible stems and deep roots hold up best, which describes many of the native grasses and shrubs already growing on open Montana benches, while large-leaved, brittle-wooded or shallow-rooted plants struggle. In a windy yard, put the toughest plants on the windward edge and save the tender ones for the sheltered zone behind a fence, hedge or wall.

Wind also dries soil and new plantings much faster than people expect. Drip irrigation and mulch help new plants through the first seasons; our drip irrigation guide explains how to set it up for beds and trees.

Getting a windy yard planned and planted

A windy site rewards planning more than almost any other. We lay out windbreaks, screening fences and sheltered beds as part of our landscape design and installation work around Missoula and the Bitterroot, and coordinate them with irrigation and snow storage. This guide is part of our Montana Landscaping, Lawn & Irrigation Guide.

Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free estimate and we will walk your property, read the wind with you, and sketch where shelter will do the most good.

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