How to Restore Grass to Burn Piles?

[Suburban Plowboy]

Here's what today's pile looked like 90 minutes ago. I would say it was 25 feet long. I paid a crew $7500 for a day and a half, cutting tall trees that were too close to the house. They made three piles. The biggest burn pile probably weighs twice what this one did, and I still haven't burned it.

I had to get this burned so I could cut some more trees. I'm leaving this area as it is, but I would like to fix one that is closer to the house.

 

[jyoutz]

Thanks. Sadly, the grass here is bahia. You think if I toss bahia seed out there it will grow on the ashes?

You’re going to have to till up the ground and incorporate the ashes into the soil, then seed, then a light cover of hay or other organic mulch.

 

[anomad]

Depending on how manicured you would like the area and how quickly you could get some sod. Doesn't have to be 100% coverage to fill in. Maybe find some leftovers from a lawn job in your area? Even a pretty large burn pile wouldn't be a lot of sod compared to a yard. Is it close enough to water if it isn't raining enough?

 

[Torvy]

Burning often improves growth.

I'd make sure it was actually burned to ash and then spread it out. You could till it as @jyoutz suggested. If, like me, you don't have a tiller, grasses will grow fine in ash. The sterilization only happens when it is hot. Most seeds don't survive that part.

It should grow better than other stuff around it. Plant whatever local grasses/plants you like.

 

[jyoutz]

Grass establishes by two methods: rhizominous root spread or seed. Hot burns kill both in the soil, and they either have to be replaced or wait a long time for these to spread from the surrounding grass. It’s that simple.

 

[1 Old Man]

Burning often improves growth.

I'd make sure it was actually burned to ash and then spread it out. ..........

It should grow better than other stuff around it. Plant whatever local grasses/plants you like.

After your burn pile cools off. Go through it and find the stuff that didn't burn completely.
Take your tractor bucket/grapple and stack it up, burn it again. Then spread it out. Bahia,
Bermuda or Johnson grass will all grow back. Good luck.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Just dumped another ton of old logs on the pile.

I can't recommend the aroma of this rotting wood. It has the pleasant smell of burning oak, but it also smells like someone found a way to set fire to pee.

 

[Torvy]

Lots of burning around here. It's thinning time. There's a few hundred acres of loblolly in my area that were all planted about 15 years ago. Ours should be done in a few weeks. It will take all winter to burn the slash.

I may need to buy a tiller!

 

[ponytug]

In addition to sterilizing the soil, burn piles often also calcine the soil, and raise the soil pH, sometimes to levels that grass has a hard time with. If it were me, after removing the remaining ashes, I'd rototill the area as a start. Then grass seed and rotted hay.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Seems like the recovery process takes two years on its own.