Neighbor burning leaves and grass

[Bad LP]

My old Chief and his then Lt. son were pyromaniacs. They love to burn.

One afternoon we were at a brush fire that went into the night. As the fire was getting knocked down it obviously was getting darker and darker. We had hundreds of feet of hose laid that needed to be picked up and we were pretty far from the engine. All of a sudden there is this huge glow of light and it's our Lt. building a bonfire at the manifold so we could see. It was the last thing we put out. LOL.

 

[woodnomore]

I had a hand crew out in Custer SD, we got stuck on night detail. I was pissed, the overhead team at briefing says they are all about life safety yet they ask me to work in timber that has been smoldering for a week in the dark. We would hike in off the drop zone find the most open spot in the woods and drag all the smoldering wood we could into a big pile and then hunker down till sunrise.

 

[Sodbuster]

Busybodies with too much time on their hands.

 

[Baddyart]

I think the best way is to take them out to the forest.

 

[CaptSpiff]

I think the best way is to take them out to the forest.

The leaves or the people?

 

[SpaceBus]

The leaves or the people?

Both?

 

[maple1]

I hate the smell, but around here they controlled burn the blueberry fields and that creates better conditions for the blueberries. Our property has a fair amount of blueberries and someone suggested I burn my yard to have a stronger yeild.

It's a pruning method. Wild blueberries produce best when managed on a 2 year cycle. Crop every other year. Pruning can also and is usually done by a close mowing. Burning does a bit better job though with reducing diseases and pests. Also might release land that has had nothing done to it yet a bit better, if first pruning is a burn. Can spread straw in late fall then free burn as early as possible in the spring. Following local laws of course.

 

[SpaceBus]

It's a pruning method. Wild blueberries produce best when managed on a 2 year cycle. Crop every other year. Pruning can also and is usually done by a close mowing. Burning does a bit better job though with reducing diseases and pests. Also might release land that has had nothing done to it yet a bit better, if first pruning is a burn. Can spread straw in late fall then free burn as early as possible in the spring. Following local laws of course.

Perhaps we will mow it this year then? Someone was mowing the scant cleared area where the blueberries grow over the years, but certainly only once every year or two, if that. Is it better to mow early or late?

 

[maple1]

Usually done late fall after the crop is picked and after the first frost or two. Can also be done early the next spring. Any time within the next month or so actually. Right now would be the start of spring burning season, before mowing became prevalent.

 

[SpaceBus]

Usually done late fall after the crop is picked and after the first frost or two. Can also be done early the next spring. Any time within the next month or so actually. Right now would be the start of spring burning season, before mowing became prevalent.

Then this year we will mow after we harvest them. Last fall we didn't really have time to spend raking and cleaning berries, this fall should be different.

 

[maple1]

Then this year we will mow after we harvest them. Last fall we didn't really have time to spend raking and cleaning berries, this fall should be different.

Not sure how much area you're talking but another common management practice is split it in half and prune/harvest on opposite years. So each year you'll have berries.

 

[SpaceBus]

Not sure how much area you're talking but another common management practice is split it in half and prune/harvest on opposite years. So each year you'll have berries.

The area is a slope maybe 75' x 50 ' (23m x 15m) and has other stuff mixed in. I plan on pulling out the seedling/sapling conifers, but there is also some goldenrod, wild blackberry, and wild strawberry mixed in as well.

 

[PaulOinMA]

… I plan on pulling out the seedling/sapling conifers …

I've cleared out our woods here in MA. House listing said we had a pond. Didn't think we did. Walked back through the very thick brush and saw a small pond. Cleared out the woods of brush and a lot of the little trees. Only took down one very large pine in the woods near the pond that I also thought was a thread to the house.

We actually have a nice vernal pond that gets wood ducks and migrating mallards.

Lots of little conifers I need to pull out this spring while they are still small enough to easily yank out of the round.