Planting after brush pile burning

[Kurt]

Always bouncing ideas off the wall and since I don't know any local guys, you all are stuck getting my questions. So if I have a large cedar pile, say 1/8 of an acre or slightly larger. I'll mow a 30 foot buffer around that and wait for damp conditions and then burn it up. On that ground that has had a pretty hot fire on it, if I disturb the soil a bit in May, then spray gly if needed, then sow milo heavy in that area, is there a decent chance that could work?

I've got 50 pounds of milo seed and have about 4 spots like this I'd like to get plots started in. Thinking it should work and if it doesn't, I can hit those spots with gly in July and then plant brassicas in August, CR in Sept.

I need the piles gone to clean up a decent meadow anyway and if I can't burn the whole field am looking at alternative options.

 

[buckdeer1]

Probably would that hot of fire will kill alot of seed.I would remove the ash.Don't over seed milo as it won't head out very good

 

[T-Max]

I have experienced that if the fire gets too hot, it can essentially sterilize the soil I'm guessing by killing many of the microorganisms in it. In those instances we have spread manure to replenish that and kind of let anything that will grow do so (within reason) for the next year or two just to get some OM built up. Then you can pretty much do whatever you want. Ideally you want to prevent that hot of a fire.

 

[Kurt]

This stuff has aged out pretty good over a few years so all of the needles are gone. That is about all I can do to keep temps down. Hoping the milo will take. Will be very curious if the cereal rye will pop up in Sept. Such a small area and after a summer of exposure, hoping I can rake that seed in a bit and have a success at least this fall with them.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Can't hurt to try. You could always buy a bug in a jug type product if you're worried about soil sterilization. 1/8 acre isn't that big, so I'd expect it to rebound pretty quickly.

 

[E_308]

I'd disk fairly deep and see what pops up. If nothing good I'd be surprised if rye wouldn't grow. Depending on the size of the cedars they go pretty quick. Those brushpiles that burn for days are the ones that really cook the soil. I have a pile with a couple of 12 in" locust trees in it that I am dreading to burn.

 

[Doe Shooter]

My 2 cents. Nature deals with this as it has forever. If you disc this you will churn up weed seed &, rhizomes in the sub soil buried long ago. If you leave it undisturbed ,it will take a while longer to regenerate, but it will regenerate with out your help, but it may not be your choice of vegetation. Nature creates a scab with weeds( I don't like the name weed. ) I'd scratch the ground and throw some clover on it now.

 

[Doe Shooter]

I'd disk fairly deep and see what pops up. If nothing good I'd be surprised if rye wouldn't grow. Depending on the size of the cedars they go pretty quick. Those brushpiles that burn for days are the ones that really cook the soil. I have a pile with a couple of 12 in" locust trees in it that I am dreading to burn.

All types of critters love big brush piles.

 

[Mennoniteman]

My 2 cents. Nature deals with this as it has forever. If you disc this you will churn up weed seed &, rhizomes in the sub soil buried long ago. If you leave it undisturbed ,it will take a while longer to regenerate, but it will regenerate with out your help, but it may not be your choice of vegetation. Nature creates a scab with weeds( I don't like the name weed. ) I'd scratch the ground and throw some clover on it now.

He's right, it'll grow stuff even if you burn it off. I did a very hot burn last spring and planted soybeans in it a month later, beautiful bean crop in those ashes. BTW, don't remove the ashes, they raise ph just like lime.

 

[Drycreek]

He's right, it'll grow stuff even if you burn it off. I did a very hot burn last spring and planted soybeans in it a month later, beautiful bean crop in those ashes. BTW, don't remove the ashes, they raise ph just like lime.

I have a small plot on the N side of my place that was also a spot that I burned some brush. The blackened ground is the most productive part of the plot.

 

[Doe Shooter]

This reminds me it's time to do a burn if you have not done so in a while. I like the flush of new growth and so do the deer. It also hits the ticks,multi flora rose and dreaded jap honey suckle. Does not kill it but slows it down. Best of all makes mushrooms easy to see