Video of the Week: The Benefits of Burning Grass Liners

Posted by Brian Sparks|February 3, 2023

Each week, Greenhouse Grower highlights a video that shines a spotlight on the controlled-environment industry, from crop protection advice to insider views on plant production at greenhouse operations across the country. Have you recently produced a video you want us to highlight? If so, please send a link to Greenhouse Grower Senior Editor Brian Sparks at [email protected].

While intentionally setting fire to a landscape can seem counterproductive, it’s a useful tool for managing forests, prairies, meadows, and other grasslands.

But what about grass liners? Hoffman Nursery Head Grower Bill Hall and his growing team recently started burning select trays of Hoffman’s native grasses, Sporobolus heterolepis and Eragrostis spectabilis, and each responded well to this process. The team found that burning helps minimize weed growth, puts nutrients from old plant material back into the soil, and eliminates serious pests and diseases. It is a great way to promote new growth and reinvigorate these crops in a time-efficient manner. This practice dramatically cuts down on the labor it takes growers to hand-prune some of the liners.

When it comes to burning grasses, Hall emphasizes to check with your local ordinances regarding rules and regulations for prescribed fires. There are also many resources about controlled burning and prescribed fire online. A good start is the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Councils, Inc.

Check out the video below, and learn more at HoffmanNursery.com, or email [email protected].