Gardening by Osmosis

We shan’t be fooled by April’s snow storm.

The Inland northwest is still suffering from many years of drought. We see evidence in the stressed pines that forest our region. And those non-native arborvitae show brown and dying needles. Without much imagination we remember the stress of the hot, dry winds of last summer.

There is a solution to our fears of fire, it is management.

I invite you to become familiar with agencies in our area that may assist you in developing a plan to spare our way of life.

Fire wise programs including education and plant selection beneficial in establishing an environment of fire protection are available through the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and Washington State University Extension in Spokane. Local Fire Districts have information to guide your fire wise planning as well. Check out Firewise: http://www.firewise.org

The wildfires of last summer are still prevalent in my mind. And I fear the cycle of weakened plants will invite insect and plant diseases to finish off the life of the forest.

Though natural evolution does occur when fire is incorporated, with proper management fire can become a controlled event.

Some of the things you can do are logical precautions.

*Create a green space, a mowed lawn is usually sufficient, at least 30 feet around your home or 100 feet if you live in a high risk area.

*Create a defensible space that reduces the spread of fire and allows space for firefighters. This is essential in providing a zone of safety.

*Remove hazardous flammable materials near or on your home. Dispose of debris, dead trees and shrubs. Remove pine needles and leaves from your roof. Keep firewood and combustible materials away from your house.

*Thin trees near your house to eliminate ‘crown fire.’

*Prune branches of trees to 10 feet above the ground.

*Thin stands of trees in forested areas to remove understory growth which can act as a ladder to the crown of bigger, taller trees.

*Include fire breaks such as pathways, hardscape and water features, however decorative bark can often harbor the embers of fire and erupt when the fire is seemingly “out.”

*Fire safety discussions with your neighbors can be productive in preventing heartbreak and loss.

*Keep fire safety equipment accessible both inside and outside your home.

*Incorporate fire resistant plants. Though plants may have the tag ‘fire-resistant’ that does not mean they are fire proof.

That red glow in the forest on a hot windy summer evening can be a frightening sight. We that live in pockets of Ponderosa pine forests are aware of the vulnerability to fire. We must learn to do all we can in preserving the care and uniqueness of our home in eastern Washington so we can appreciate that glow on the horizon that is not fire but the gorgeous sunsets we are privileged to in the Inland northwest.

Please contact the WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners

@https://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/

or call 509-477-2181 for more information

Master Gardeners will be at the Cheney Library 1st & 3rd Fridays From April to October