The Smart Gardener, Being Firewise: Part II

 

This is a rewrite of an article I wrote for The Man in March, 2019. Looking back, I'm wondering if a better title might have been "The Smart Gardener." With last summer's fire season far behind us now, it's easy to forget just how awful it really was in
Central Washington. The smoke was so thick, Vince and I had to buy three Hepa filters just to breathe. We didn't take our boat out on the lake once. Eventually the smoke infiltrated all of the Pacific Northwest, so there was no place to escape. We weathered the hot summer inside. Of course, California was far worse and we all know how tragic that became. Suffice it to say, summer 2018 was no fun.

I'm thankful for the wet spring we have had thus far. As I mentioned in "Being Firewise, Part I," dry evergreen shrubs can be real fire torches, especially the popular arborvitae. Before I continue, let me say how much I love these evergreens. Well-groomed and not allowed to grow too tall, they beat back the wind and provide privacy naturally. We have a dozen or so on our property!

Sadly though, once ignited they burn extremely hot and fuel those dangerous fire brands (sparks) that travel in the wind during a raging wildfire. This is no different than burning sagebrush, which burns hot from the oil in its scale-like leaves. Furthermore, the dead growth that accumulates in the interior of arborvitae is perfect kindling.

There are approximately nine species of Arborvitae. Most of us know them as Thuga (those tall shrubs that grow 15 feet or more), Juniperus (the large low-growing shrubs), and Cedrus (these are trees). Best to keep this evergreen at a good distance from the house, should you choose to plant. Maintenance then becomes critical, especially during fire seasons.

The best rule of thumb is probably “awareness.” Know what to watch for in a fire if you have this evergreen. Don’t let your arborvitae or similar evergreens dry out. If one dies, please cut it down. This advice applies to all pines and firs. Meanwhile, clean out any dead leaves accumulated underneath the plant and power hose the interior to remove other dead residue.

Next, prevent your arborvitae from becoming too tall. Snip the new growth on top and the sides every spring. There are also ways to prune a too-tall Thuga without destroying its shape permanently. This can be done by cutting the top and tying the sides to form a cone shape on top, although it might take a couple of years to reshape.

Here’s a helpful link that explains: http://www.gardenatoz.com/what%27s-up!/big-mistake,-big-lesson/arborvitae-too-tall/#overall.

Other evergreens to avoid when planting near the house are pine, fir, larch, spruce, yew and hemlock. Shrubs include bitterbrush, sagebrush, mugo pine, and yew. Grasses include pampas grass and cheat grass. After hearing this recent advice at a Master Gardening class I admit I was pretty discouraged. In the end it helps to remember Voltaire’s famous saying, “perfect is the enemy of good.” Well, I will do just that, because we can only do so much. If nothing else, I can always plant flowers!

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Being Firewise. Protecting Your Home - And Your Neighbor's

My arborvitaes planted too close to house :(

Firewise Landscaping. Part 1. 
I recently attended a Master Gardening class in the Tri-Cities, where Desert Aire’s Garden club members (we call ourselves ‘Earth Angels’) and other gardeners received some excellent instruction on various topics. The keynote address, “Firewise Landscape,” really got my attention.

Firebrands flying in the wind during a fast-moving wildfire are the biggest fire threat here in Central Washington, we were told. Firebrands can travel fast, up to a mile in the wind, which makes all of us vulnerable in windy conditions. It's easy to imagine combustible materials on our properties catching fire easily. Some of us witnessed this firsthand last summer, as the wind pushed a wildfire perilously close to our homes. Later we saw on the news a devastating fire that destroyed an entire town and took lives in California.

So what exactly are firebrands? This was new terminology for me, but actually we've all seen these fire igniters before. Think of the sparks and hot embers that rise up in a large bonfire. These are firebrands. You know the kind of fire. Those large bonfires on the beach, or as some of us may remember, those bonfire rallies in high school just before a football game. I remember shaking the sparks from my hair over the years. I'd laugh and jump back when I got too close.

Today though in our ongoing dryer climate, fire has never been a more serious threat, which brings me back to the speaker's topic. Being firewise. Some of the smart things we can do to protect our property and that of our neighbor's.

1) Separate plants with noncombustible material (stone, gravel, rock, etc.) where possible. 
  
This includes keeping our yards tidy and well-pruned too. Where organic mulch is desired, keep this area far from house. Six feet or more is recommended.

2) Use firewise materials when building or remodeling (roof, siding, dual-pane windows, etc.).

Wood and vinyl fences are safest when connected to a house by a metal gate/section. One of the speakers, who was a fireman, explained that fencing can catch a home on fire. Vinyl structures (e.g., pergolas) can safely be a foot or so away, because in a fire, these melt as opposed to flaming up...but still get hot.

3) Create a defensible space around your home with three landscaping zones.

Zone 1:  
In this zone plants are placed 0-5 feet from house if you have flame-resistant siding, but 5-10 feet from house if you have non-flame-resistant siding. Plants should be low-flammable varieties (e.g., ground covers, vines, sod grasses, bulbs, perennial/annual herbaceous plants).

Zone 2:  
Plants are 10-30 feet from house. Plant well-spaced broadleaf evergreens, turf/non-turf grasses, deciduous shrubs/single trees. Mature trees are pruned up 10 feet and planted 30 feet from home. Avoid evergreens in this zone.

Zone 3: 
Plants are 30-100 feet from house. Keep yard debris and fuel at a distance in this case. Create firebreaks with low-growing ground covers, deciduous shrubs, and trees (pruned up), broadleaf evergreens, and non-turf grasses.

4) Lastly, consider the impact of your landscaping on neighbors.
Arborvitaes are not firewise, I’m sorry to say. I planted some too (we all did), but these are like torches in a wildfire. Keep these moist and correctly pruned. Yes, you can prune. Next post will explain.

So, now we have a goal at least. I know I came home a bit discouraged at first, but determined to make some positive changes. Next post, I’ll talk about ways to make arborvitaes and similar evergreens less fire-prone.  

HAPPY GARDENING EVERYONE!

Remember, “Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” (Gordon B. Hinckley)