The combination of an intense statewide drought and raging wildfires last year left more than a few barren patches of land across North Carolina.

While dried up lawns and brush fires are sometimes inevitable, agricultural and horticultural specialists say there are many steps landowners can take to prevent fires, ensure that their landscape survives periods of low rainfall and promote efficient use of water.

“It really is about preparing your site well and properly maintaining your plant material to get the highest environmental, economic and aesthetic returns from your landscape,” says Barbara Fair, landscape extension specialist with the horticultural science program at North Carolina State University.

That means making sure you have a substantial layer of topsoil that will promote movement of oxygen, water and plant roots. Once the foundation is laid, selecting the proper plant material for the site is a key to success.

Fair says there is a huge selection of plants to choose from, but a plant native to the state or area isn’t necessarily the best choice. A plant like Chinese Pistache does well in urban sites, even though it’s non-native, whereas a native red maple will often decline and die if it’s planted in an urban area without proper irrigation.

Cost is also a consideration for many land owners. Fair urges them to look at site preparation and proper maintenance as an investment that will eventually pay itself back.

“If you do it correctly the first time, you’ll have a much healthier landscape now and into the future,” she says. “That maintenance may require more financial investment up front, but it’s going to be worth it in the long run. And with a healthy landscape, you are saving water.”

Phil Campbell, owner of Campbell Road Nursery in Raleigh, says overwatering actually hurts plants and grasses. If the top layer of soil feels damp, there is probably enough water at the roots.

“If you overwater plants from the time of planting, they begin to rely on the constant supply of water,” he says. “The roots will stay close to the top of the ground, and they won’t grow out and get strong and help the plant maintain itself. If you allow the plants to make it through the tough times, they will be fine.”

Picking the proper grass is also important. Layne Snelling, director of the nursery’s retail center, said warm season grasses, such as centipede grass and Bermuda grass, tolerate heat spells and low rainfall well and are generally easier to maintain.

“I’ve got centipede in my front yard for 40 years and I’ve never watered it,” Campbell says. “Never. Ever.”

Snelling recommended that land owners east of the Piedmont use warm season grasses that should be planted in the spring, while anyone west of Winston-Salem should consider a cool season grass like fescue, which should be planted or seeded in the fall.

Both Snelling and Campbell cautioned against having short memories when it comes to water conservation.

“Don’t go out in the spring and start watering everything daily just because we have plenty of water,” Campbell says. “We should make (water conservation) a daily thing.”

Fire prevention
The first rule for fire prevention is simple: Use common sense.

“The best thing people can do, if they are looking to protect their home and property, is adopt a firewise attitude,” says Brian Haines, public information officer for the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources. “Limit the amount of pine straw around your house…close off the eaves of your home because an ember could get sucked up into the attic.”

Be careful when burning your trash, he said. In Eastern North Carolina, the No. 1 cause of forest fires is uncontrolled debris burning.

“Some folks decide to make these piles enormous and they don’t watch them to make sure it doesn’t get out of control,” he says. “Or they burn it next to a woodland area.”

Snelling cautions against the careless disposal of cigarette butts. He also recommends having a green strip—a thin area of grass—around homes.

“If you have pine straw, be careful,” he says.

Both Snelling and Haines urge residents to heed advisories from the National Weather Service, which declares fire alert days—times when low humidity makes it dangerous to have any outdoor fires.

Brendan Wain, nursery manager for Family Home and Garden in Cary, says plants such as maples, oaks and poplars have low flammability ratings. He also recommends piling old yard debris at least 30 feet from homes, as well as trimming low-hanging branches of tall trees.