The benefits to a Red Hot burn!
The Australian landscape has been strategically burnt by Aboriginal people for centuries. With the aim to reduce fuel load, regenerate native foods and vegetation, and put goodness back into the soils. Today, our attitude towards the environmental benefits of fire and the burning of our bushlands and private properties are quite often based on fear. This is understandable given the recent catastrophic fire disasters, however, the benefits, that our soils and vegetation receive from coal and wood ash are actually quite amazing.
My interest in the use of wood ash has been prompted by a project I am undertaking for a client on their 5acre property. I have started a project at Parktrek headquarters with the ultimate goal to be “Living Greener”! Given they already have the beginnings of the essentials to achieve this we can build and expand on what exists as well as stripping back and cleaning up other areas. The plan is also to develop new pieces of the puzzle and connect it all together.
The Parktrek property is close to the South Gippsland coast which means sandy soil. We need to improve the soil quality if we are to develop new vegetation and an extensive garden area. We have planned to turn the area behind the offices into an extensive native garden, with a pathway to a warm-weather “chill out” zone. It is evident that the pasture in this area is struggling, particularly underneath a row of large Manna Gums. The trees drop their bark onto the ground and onto the vegetation underneath and there is no end to the cleanup!……………………… hence my little idea. It is not ideal to be regularly picking up mountains of bark and relocating it to another area for burning, so I thought maybe I could burn it where it lays and rake the wood ash across the 15m x 30m area. What better way to pump some goodness back into the soil with what we already have. With the idea to freshen up the ground at the base of the trees and maybe even regenerate some seed sitting in the seedbed? After discussions and an assessment with my CFA fire captain mate, it was decided…………………..the plan was too risky. With loose bark and a hefty hanger not really that far off ground level, the risk of the fire running up the trees was too great, loose embers also to close to the house if any kind of SW wind picked up.
So with all this in mind, we were not deterred, we decided we still wanted to put wood ash into the soil! It will mean we can burn a fire but just not at the base of the trees…………somewhere away and in a safer location, undertaking the not so ideal approach but hey let’s roll with it. We will rake out the bark and debris from under the Manna Gums into a safer place to burn. Once the fires have been burnt we will transport the wood ash from each burn pile and spread it across the area at the back of the house in preparation for future planting.
Wood ash or coal is a precious garden gem that we often take for granted and our native plants love it! We might toss our ash from the inside wood fire into a pile in the back corner somewhere or even throw it in the waste or just leave our bonfires to grow over or resow them. In actual fact, this powdery goodness can be used to improve our soils, particularly sand. Sand has a hard time holding any type of moisture and struggles to retain nutrients as it all tends to just wash through. When we add wood ash, it doesn’t wash through, it sits in the soil and allows other nutrients to hold on, and ultimately gives that goodness to the plants that we put in the ground.
When we have the resources in our own backyard…..why wouldn’t we use it?
Please note that wood ash is not ideal in every situation, some plants that prefer highly acidic soils may not need wood ash or coal. Our native indigenous species love it! Stay tuned for the progress of this project………………
More recently……
The first part of this post was drafted some time ago and unfortunately, that particular project never eventuated because of some crazy little virus that put my time with Parktrek on hold. However, another project popped up in its place. A little project by way of Marigold and Ian. Marigold had planned an indigenous revegetation project in late autumn and, much to my delight, a bonfire resulted from a bushland cleanup as part of the preparation.
When a stunning view of Wilson’s Promontory across Venus Bay and green rolling South Gippsland pastures sits in the back corner of one’s property, then something needs to be made of this space.
A planned revegetation project soon evolved into the creation of an outdoor space that incorporated, indigenous plants, a fire pit, and a viewpoint to The Prom. It was almost like something that Marigold stumbled over, an area of quiet and solitude, in which it was then my role to turn it into a place that could be enjoyed by one or many.
A minor cleanup was undertaken to make way for some young tube stock and gorgeous native vegetation, hence the construction of a little bonfire. With a little persuasion and a small amount of selling/convincing, and a smidge of umming and ahhing it was decided that the fire would be burnt! With a quiet grin on my face, I thoroughly enjoyed a few hours of tending the fire (as well as planting trees and digging trenches) but a whole lot of poking and stoking to feed my inner pyromaniac!
The following week, once the ash and coals had cooled and after Marigold built up the ash supply beautifully and enjoyed a few more evenings under the stars and by the fire, we spread the ash and coals loosely around the base of each of the new trees that had been planted. The particular area of focus was underneath some already established gum and blackwood trees. Because these larger trees draw so much moisture out of the ground it was important that we gave the young seedlings the best possible start to life. Loads of love as we put them in the ground, followed by guards to protect them from the hungry wallaby’s and trampling kangaroo’s, a good drink of water, and some ash to help them retain the moisture that comes their way.
I have spoken about the ash and coal assisting with the retaining of nutrients within the soil for plant uptake, it also assists with water retention within the soil. This particular area that we planted has the potential to dry out considerably should we experience a hot summer, so by putting the ash back into the soil now we are helping to keep these plants well-watered in the short term (late autumn/winter planting), enabling good growth come spring and then require less water over the warmer months.
I love all aspects of what I do but I must say……burning a bonfire is a real treat!!!!
It’s a great thing to keep in mind that when we have an outdoor fireplace or a wood fire in our home, we can certainly take advantage of its bi-product and pump it back into our gardens and pastures. Your plants will love you for it!
Seed you soon!
