About fifteen years ago we planted two areas of native prairie grasses in our fields. We burn a portion of the prairie occasionally, primarily to discourage invasive plants such as the autumn olive. Yesterday was burn day. The weather was beautiful and there was not much wind.
We start the fire so that it burns into the wind, this way it does not burn too fast. When everything goes as planned, there isn't much to do...
I am often mesmerized by the flames while we watch the fire and listen to the popping and crackling sounds it makes.
This area of prairie is below the barns. There is a cluster of locust here that we are trying to kill. It is also an aggressive invader in the prairie areas and is sending up saplings in our raspberry row. We cut the larger trunks of the locust for fire wood.
There are bursts of tall flames when there is a gust of wind or the fire comes to an area of thick tall grass. Some of the big bluestem grass can be eight feet tall.
Burned locust.
Now we watch the regrowth of grasses and flowers. The native prairie plants make great landscaping because once established they can endure long periods with no rain. According to some references, some of the native grasses can have a foot of root for each inch of plant above ground.
