Burning a residential acreage near Princeton this week
With the snow clearing and just before new green shoots emerge, late March/Early April is time for burning. But why burn at all? Contrary to popular opinion, installing a native plant community such as a prairie is not a “set it and forget it” approach to landscaping. With the rise of opportunistic and aggressive invasives, and as we encroach into the wild and hinder nature from occasionally clearing the land through fire control and grazing, we frequently put native landscapes, and the insect and animals that inhabit them, at a severe disadvantage.
Burning is nature’s way to restore balance. Done properly by professionals, controlled burning suppresses undesirable plants and woody shrubs that eventually dominate. Once-diverse ecosystems become monocrops. At worst, monocrops of invasives. Native prairie plants put down deep roots, a natural fire defense. Soil darkened by ash heats more in spring sunshine, kickstarting germination.
Depending on the plant community, its needs and the climate, there’s always a best time to burn. Contact us today to consult and get scheduled. Your land, and its fellow inhabitants, will thank you.
