How to Burn Grass for Replanting

Burning grass in a suburban backyard isn't a safe or recommended method for preparing the soil for replanting. However, on a farm, burning grass in a prescribed burn is sometimes the best method to prep land for replanting. Typically this practice is reserved for when you want to establish clean growth of a new species of grass on the pasture or land in question. It is also used when weed populations have overtaken the land and are impossible to remove by other means.

Instructions

- 1
  Check how dry the surrounding land, trees and bushes are. Avoid lighting fires during particularly dry times -- a quickly spreading fire is difficult to control.
- 2
  Ensure that it is a calm day before you burn anything. Observe a flag or windsock, or check the readings on a home weather station if you have one to ensure that the wind is not blowing strongly and that it is blowing in a predictable direction.
- 3
  Create a fire break before you start to burn. Plow down a wide strip of grass around the border of the area that you want to burn with a tractor or tiller. Move any flammable objects or vehicles away from the area before you light the fire.
- 4
  Prepare the burn area with emergency equipment. Assemble a water truck with a pressure nozzle, fire extinguishers, shovels and a cell phone so that you can call for help if you need it. Obtain a permit if one is required for burning in your area.
- 5
  Start the fire using a tiger-torch or similar tool. Burn into the wind, even if the fire takes longer and you have to walk along and relight the fire several times throughout the burn to keep the fire from getting away from you. Ensure you have a very wide firebreak at the opposite end of the burn if you choose to burn with the wind.

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