Burning old stem build up

[mark smyth]

I've never shown this before. My Pulsatilla has over 50 flowers every year which leaves too much dead material each winter. I get rid of it by burning it  The fast burn doesnt damage the new growth. I do the same with some of my Geraniums also.

[Lesley Cox]

Seems a bit extreme though. Surely a quick trim over would be as effective?

[mark smyth]

So far it hasnt done them any harm. It's all over in 30 seconds or less. Shows also how dry it's been here.

[Lesley Cox]

Total fire ban here but of course it's late summer and VERY dry.

[Susan Band]

Good idea Mark, I think I might get a bit carried away though. Spent yesterday burning Gorse on the hill, great fun.
Susan
PS you should plant some south African plants next to it

[gote]

In some parts of Sweden people tend to burn the dry grass from last year in the early spring.
As a result, the fire brigade have to extinguish a number of fires that have grown out of hand.
The belief is that this makes it easier for the new grass. I tested the belief and it is a fallacy.
Since the old grass is gone, the new grass is VISIBLE earlier as greenery BUT
The grass grew better where there had been no fire. There seem to have been some kind of heat damage.
Pulsatillas and Geraniums gropwn under controlled circumstances may be an entirely different case.
If Mark can see no damage I believe in his assesment.
Cheers
Göte

[mark smyth]

Susan! what about nesting blackbirds, thrushes and linnets?

[David Shaw]

I am sure that Susan is aware of any nesting birds on her field, but did you know that this is the legal time of year for this operation? In Scotland burning of vegetation, muir burn, is allowed between 1 October and 15 April even though this is well into the nesting season.
Even if the hills were not still deep in snow I would not expect to see heather being burned on the grouse moors until the end of this month.

[Susan Band]

yes I am thinking of the birds thats why I am doing it now. Don't worry there are still plenty of Gorse bushes left. I also planted about 1 km of hedges which are well used by everything you mention plus others.
Susan

[mark smyth]

1km of hedge is a brilliant idea when you think so many farmers are ripping them out. The local biodiversity office has hedges in the action plan but farmers dont listen. Only recently a local farmer cut down all his hedges and put up a barbed wire fence

[Lesley Cox]

I'd be terribly tempted to become an arsonist if fires were permitted here at present. There's so much gorse, broom, long, dead grass and other stuff for miles around but once I started I'd probably have fires to meet up with the remains of the Mt Allan fire of a week or so ago. Fire leaves such a clean sheet but of course is difficult to control even in the best of circumstances.

[mark smyth]

I'm a fire starter, twisted fire starter

[Maggi Young]

When I think of the number of Pulsatilla shoots I have pulled off a plant in error when trying to simply pull away the old foliage, I cannot imagine that I could do more damage by using Mark's quick fire method. Getting the old foliage dry enough to burn fast might be tricky.... some time under a cover ,perhaps, though that might draw on the new growth too much and risk hurting that.

[mark smyth]

I would like a day of rain please 

[Susan Band]

Now I think of it did people not set alight to their Pampas Grass when it was popular to have one in the middle of the lawn. I think mum also took a notion to burning Iris leaves at one time.
We have gone from 3 days of sleet/snow and flooding to 2 weeks of dry, I am having to take water to the horses who usually drink collected rain water. I am not complaining though, once the frost gets out of the ground I will get cultivating.
Susan