Firewise Landscaping Maintenance
Firewise landscaping is a tool that is used to keep homes which may be in close proximity to forested areas safer when or if a wildfire makes an appearance. Learning how to care for your Firewise landscaping isn’t rocket science. It simply takes a little insight into how the fire will grow and spread. You probably discussed why certain aspects of the landscape were placed in certain ways, learned why the landscaping had open areas and a wider lawn. You know that these things help to prevent the spread of fire.
Once you’ve committed to making your landscaping Firewise, there will be a little maintenance involved in it. The principles of Firewise landscaping are those of keeping your landscaping free of flammables, or as far as possible.
This means that you will keep your residential landscaping in such a way that if a fire does take place, especially in those areas where forest and residence lay closely together, that your landscaping will play a part in keeping the home safe.
Because plants and trees are dynamic, constantly evolving and growing entities, they will require some care to assure that you’re Firewise landscaping remains fire wise. Firewise landscaping maintenance merely means keeping it as closely aligned to the original Firewise design as possible.
What Does Firewise Maintenance Involve?
Over time, your landscaping, even Firewise landscaping will change. The springtime gives way to autumn, pine trees will shed needles, leaves will fall and underbrush in the surrounding areas will grow and then dry out. The mulch surrounding your plants may dry still further, while plants will begin to spread and take over more of the area.
Trees too will begin to seed and to spread. The branches may sag a bit more and lie over the rooftop, or come lower to the ground. Shrubbery will raise taller to come closer to the windows or walls of your home.
Each of these items can present a fire hazard if they are left to their own devices. The Firewise landscaping only works if well maintained. It is part of an entire fire safety plan and will be a tremendous help if well maintained, but like any other machine, it needs a little oiling once in a while.
Clear out any dried mulch, dried ground plants or dead leaves. Make sure that there are not piles of dead branches in the area. Prune the shrubbery if any exists near your home or the out building structures, and keep all dead and dying grasses trimmed as close to the ground as possible.
Remove any dead plants and if you have plants which have strayed further than you wished them to out of their set areas, remove them. Dig up and transplant or give away plants that have spread outside their designated borders so that you’re not contributing to a ladder fuel effect.
Cut back low hanging branches of any trees in the immediate area, and make sure that your driveways and yard are kept free of fuels.
Keeping the Firewise landscaping maintained means keeping your home as safe as possible from a wildfire. Proper Firewise landscaping maintenance also improves the overall look of your house and your yard.
Your Firewise landscape is a healthier one, it is a landscape in which fire can’t travel long distances, led on by the fuel that is properly placed to engender disaster. Dead plants and leaves are not visible anywhere, piles of fall leaves are removed and low hanging trees simply don’t exist in your area.
