If you own forest land in Central Florida, keeping it healthy is key for maintaining the value of your property. Over time, numerous things can adversely impact the health of your land. Dead vegetation can pile up making it difficult for healthy plants to grow. Invasive insect and plant infestation, overcrowding, and the accumulation of flammable materials can all pose threats to the long-term health of your property.
Fire has played an important role in Florida’s ecosystems for thousands of years. A controlled burn, also known as a prescribed burn, is one of the best things you can do to keep your land healthy. This process eliminates dead vegetation and promotes new, healthy plant growth while improving the quality of the soil. A controlled burn can also help prevent the breakout of a destructive wildfire.
Types Of Controlled Burns
There are two methods for conducting controlled burns on your Central Florida property. The first, which is called broadcast burning, involves lighting a large fire across a defined plot of land. The second type is pile burning, which occurs when vegetation is grouped into piles and each is burned individually.
Controlled burns are also conducted at different intensity levels: low, moderate, and high. Low-intensity burns are great for eliminating underbrush, weeds, and vegetation. Medium-intensity burns are great if you’re attempting to create an open landscape. High-intensity burns are generally used for fuel reduction or to eliminate invasive pests. Both the type and intensity of the burn should be based on your objectives.
How Often Should You Do A Controlled Burn?
In order to control brush growth on your Central Florida property, controlled burns should be done on a recurring basis. The exact frequency often depends on the geography and the type of wildlife in the area. Because Florida has a fire-adapted ecosystem, recurring burns are important.
If you have pine-dominated forest land, you should likely do a burn every two to four years to maintain an open canopy and promote plant growth. However, if your land contains wetlands or swamps, a controlled burn may only be necessary every 5 to 10 years. While these are general guidelines, the Florida Forest Service can help you determine the best interval for your land.
How To Conduct A Controlled Burn
In Florida, controlled burns are managed by the Florida Forest Service, which oversees all prescribed fires and issues authorizations to landowners. It’s very important you never attempt to do a controlled burn on your own. After receiving authorization from the FFS, you’ll be assigned a professional burn manager who will work with you to document all details of the burn.
During the planning process, you should always define what you’ll be burning, how large the fire will be, and what your end goal is. You also must determine how the smoke will be managed as well as your plan for putting out the fire. Your professional controlled burn manager (also known as burn boss) should be onsite for the duration of the burn and should ensure the local fire department is on call if needed.
Regular controlled burns are so important for your Central Florida property, and by conducting one every few years, you can really help your land flourish. For more tips on how to maximize the value of your land, contact us at Palmetto Realty today.