With dry hot weather, fire-safe your garden

By Maryrose Whelan Marin Independent Journal Home & Garden June 28, 2003

 

It's usually enough to make two or three passes around the yard with a weed whacker to create a fire-safe garden. But because the late spring rains have brought us an abundance of weeds and grasses, extra care is called for this year.

Plants that ignite readily are called pryophytic. They usually have needle leaves and are aromatic when crushed. They may have loose, papery bark and will be dry. Some common examples are coyote bush, sage brush, junipers, most pines, eucalyptus, brooms and pampas grass.

The gardener who is unfortunate enough to own a Monterey pine should have removed all side branches up to 10 feet from the ground in January during the safe winter window. Cutting back now will invite bark beetle.

The reason is the side branches, close to the ground can, if ignited, create a fire ladder, up which fire ascends, potentially creating a fire storm. The worst situation is pine under planted with junipers. Here action should be taken no matter what season it is. The first step is to remove the junipers, since they go up like a gasoline fire when ignited.

Firemen recommend a defensive barrier around the house. The space varies from 30 feet on level ground to 100 feet of down slope on a hill. Since this isn't always possible, consider using plants near the house that are more fire safe.

The following plant suggestions are excerpted from a list prepared by Ray Moritz, fire ecologist for FireSafe Marin and Dr. Pavel Svihra, a horticultural advisor, Marin and Sonoma counties, for the UC Cooperative Extension.

Succulents are the most fire resistant of plants. Some recommended ground-covers are gazania, osteospermum (highway daisy), pyracantha Santa Cruz, creeping thyme, and periwinkle. Perennials to consider are Daylily, yarrow, agapanthus, iris, lavender, erysimum, bird of paradise, society garlic and calla lily.

Native plants with low fuel volume include ceonothus Point Reyes and cistus. Here, the problem will be maintenance. If not regularly pruned, both plants will develop dead wood, which must be removed to retain the plant's fire resistant quality. Shrubs should not be planted close together and should be kept to a low height.

A few vines in the relatively safe class include star jasamine, potato vine, cape honeysuckle, wisteria and rose Lady Bank's.

Screen plantings are a problem in our closer built neighborhoods. Densely planted hedges are a fire hazard. The pruning required to keep hedges trim results in fine, twiggy interior growth that makes excellent fuel. There will be a green crown and dead wood in the interior. Plant from this alternative list with space between and try to live with a peek-a-boo view. Camelia, citrus, hopbrush loquat, escallonia, euonymus, hibiscus, rose of Sharon, ligustrum, Pacific wax myrtle, photinia, pittosphorums(eugenoides, tobira, undulatum) plumbago, cherry laurel, evergreen pear, buckthorn, rhododendron, azalea, viburnum and xylosma.

Be realistic about the position of the property. South facing slopes, poor soil, windy conditions and poor maintenance all contribute to a possible fire hazard. Almost any plant can become a fuel given opportunistic conditions.

The wise gardener can create a beautiful and fire-safe garden with careful drip irrigation and sharp pruning shears.

For more information contact Marin master Gardeners, 1682 Novato Blvd., Suite 150B, Novato, CA 94947 or call the Master Gardener Desk at (415) 499-4204.