How fast after fire can start planting?

Question

Thank you very much, Well Lit Garden. May I ask, What about forests afer a fire? Anything more info. about replanting them after forest and village fires. I am talking about whole areas in Greece this summer that got burned.
Thanks to second answerer too.

Answer 1

As soon as the ground is cool and there is no risk of flare-ups. But potash can change a soil's pH. If you have a lot of potash from the fire, you may wish to remove it, have the soil pH tested and alter before replanting.

Additional Details: So the question was how fast can you plant after a fire? But instead we wish to deflect the discussion to the impacts on a soil.

A fire’s impact on a soil is actually directly related to the intensity of the fire, not the number of times fire has burned on a property! More damage is done to a soil when the heat intensity is greater. A low intensity fire can cycle some nutrients locked up in the above ground biomass back to the soil and improve growth, but ANY fire volatizes soil nutrients to the atmosphere, especially nitrogen! This is just basic soil science. I know because I am a horticulturist, not someone pretending to be someone I’m not like others on this site.

Fire affects the organic material in a soil. The more the heat, the less organic material survives a fire in our soils. It’s this loss of organic material in a soil that affects the carbon to nitrogen ratio. So what can a fire do to a soil? It reduces the above ground biomass, it can change a soil’s acidity, reduces soil organic matter, kills soil microbes, volatilizes soil nutrients, causes soil erosion, causes nitrogen leaching or denitrification, and it can affect a soil's porosity. “A fire will convert a great deal of nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus to gaseous forms, which are lost from a site.”

So what do you need to do to your soil following a fire? Have a soil test performed, amend the soil with organic material, control weeds, control erosion and fertilize based upon your soil test recommendations (organic or non-organic fertilizers). I hope that this gives you a better picture of what to expect. Good luck & happy planting.

AD2: Good articles on forestfire recovery: http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/06/after_the_fire.php
http://arizona.sierraclub.org/conservation/forest_managment/warmfire.asp

Jim (AWLG)

Answer 2

You can begin planting right away and actually, if it was a one time fire then your soil may be healthier than before it was burned. A one time fire is beneficial for soil in that is mineralizes the nitrogen which leads to lusher plant growth. However, Earth that's been burned repeatedly will change the carbon and nitrogen ratios leaving the soil poor and unable to support new plant growth.
Good Luck