Burning Grass: Pasture and Land Restoration After Fire

Unplanned fires can have lasting effects on your pasture or land and the capacity of your grass’s growth in the seasons to come. The results will depend on multiple factors, including your crop type, fertility and soil, and fire intensity.

While all may seem lost, do not be discouraged. With time and care, your land can be restored to how it was before the fire.

Effects of unplanned fires  

There are different levels of fire intensity, each having different effects on your land and grass. According to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, there are three categories of intensity: cool-moderate burns, hot burns, and very hot burns. Depending on your region and the intensity of the burn, recovery may take anywhere from months to years.

Fire damage to your crop or pasture can reduce forage and grazing availability for your livestock, destroy the habitat of surrounding wildlife, leave soil stripped of nutrients, expose land to wind and water erosion, and result in a significant reduction in growth the following growing season. Most annual grasses produce very little dormant seed to begin with, so when the seeds are burned, the yields for your annual grass component will be much lower in their growing season. 

Restoring your land

It will take time and patience to restore your land or pasture to its previous density and quality. Depending on the intensity of your fire, you’ll need to bring nutrients and organic matter back into your soil. 

Reseeding and planting cover crops is an excellent way to bring those essential nutrients back into your soil and provide protection from erosion. Use fertilizer as needed and allow time for plants to establish before allowing your livestock back to graze. 

Reseeding with cover crops

Increase fertility, sustainability, and productivity on your land with quality cover crops from Curtis and Curtis. Below are some of our featured seeds.

	Fall Cover Crop Mix Our Fall Cover Crop Mix contains Wheat, Cereal Rye, Fixation Balansa Clover, Daikon Radish, and Austrian Winterpeas.
	Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover Valued for its nitrogen fixation abilities, Red Clover can be used in food plots, cover crops, and as a rotation crop.
	Walken Oats This tall-growing variety makes an excellent graze-tolerant crop for wildlife and produces excellent straw strength, maturity, and high yields.
	Herdmaster Mis Pasture Grass Mix This four-way blend of Orchardgrass, Bromegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Endophyte Free Tall Fescue produces lush green forage for numerous livestock species.
	Smootgrazer Blend This blend produces an excellent forage option for grazing or haying, and is made up of 60% Beardless Wheat and 40% Beardless Triticale.

Recover with the Cultivation Experts

With over 65 years in the seed and ag industry, our Cultivation Experts are experienced in supporting our customers to overcome the devastating effects of an unplanned fire. From personal consultations to our wide range of inventory, we’re here to help you start your journey to recovery. Give us a call or go online to start your order today!