# $64 question - Burning Orchardgrass Field



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

A lot of guys around here burn road banks, dry dams, etc., in early spring to kill off brush and unwanted weeds. These are usually fescue type stands. The good news is that they come back clean and looking real strong.

So here's a $64 question (deflation has set in): Has anybody ever tried burning off an orchardgrass field in early spring? My thinking is that it would damage the crown, but, on the other hand, the first cutting would be beautiful. No dead leaves, trash, weeds, etc.

Have you tried it? What were the results? I would think that this might apply to timothy as well.

Ralph


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> A lot of guys around here burn road banks, dry dams, etc., in early spring to kill off brush and unwanted weeds. These are usually fescue type stands. The good news is that they come back clean and looking real strong.
> 
> So here's a $64 question (deflation has set in): Has anybody ever tried burning off an orchardgrass field in early spring? My thinking is that it would damage the crown, but, on the other hand, the first cutting would be beautiful. No dead leaves, trash, weeds, etc.
> 
> ...


Ralph, three years ago I had a 9 acre section of orchard grass that I was unable to mow for the second cutting. So the following February I burned it off because of the heavy thatch that was on top. It burned off clean as a whislte and never seemed to harm it in the least.....actually it grreened up a 7-10 days before the other fields because of the burn nutrients. As long as you could burn it before greenup, you should be fine.

Regards, Mike


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Don't know about orchard grass, but I like to burn off a pasture or hayfield it conditions will allow it. Like Mike said, it comes back real green, especially if we can get a little rain on it to wash the ash in. It also helps some with things like killing off some of the insects.

Just don't forget to check and follow local regulations, such as permits, fire (plow) lines around the fields, fire suppression on hand, etc.
Another thing, if you burn into the wind (set fire on the down-side of the field) the fire will move slower & burn hotter than if you start on the up-wind side, where the wind carries the fire across the field so fast it might not clean up all the 'trash'.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

We burn with wind to limit root damage in the spring also helps carry across thin patches. Martin


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