Think Lean, Clean, and Green
Here’s a fire-smart landscaping tip from UC Marin Master Gardeners. Spring is the time to make your garden lean, clean, and green, and create a well maintained and defensible space around your property.
- Lean: Keep plants thinned, pruned, and low growing. Have space between individual plants, or plant in small, irregular clusters or islands. Space trees so that at maturity the crowns are 10 feet apart or more.
- Clean: Remove fallen leaves and needles, dried grass, weeds, dead branches, and other dead vegetation. Check gutters, roof, eaves, vents and chimney for leaf and needle litter. Rake fallen leaves, then compost or remove.
- Green: Properly irrigated plants remain healthy and green summer through fall. Check your irrigation system regularly for leaks or malfunctions.
Before each fire season, re-evaluate your lean, clean and green landscape. For more information on fire-smart landscaping see: http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/Fire-smart_Landscaping/
