Setting up a portable fire pit in the backyard can keep the place warm and allow you to enjoy your night outs. However, placing it on the dry grass directly can negatively affect the lawn. It will leave your lawn burnt and damaged, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want your precious lush lawn to have a nice dead patch. Supposing your lawn is burnt from a fire pit. Then how do you fix it?
You can fix burnt grass from a fire pit by setting it up on a heat retardant mat, a paver, or building a thicker base of sand underneath the fire pit to absorb the fire. There are tons of alternatives to protecting your grass from fire pits, which I shall discuss in this article.
Can You Put a Fire Pit on Grass?
Of course, you can. However, putting a fire pit on grass will ultimately kill the lawn. The radiation from underneath the fire pit alone can destroy the grass entirely. Imagine if some of the embers had fallen on the grass? You simply can’t imagine the extent of the damage. In a couple of days of lighting the fire pit, you’ll have a dead patch. Believe me, the grass doesn’t grow back that fast.
Do Fire Pits Ruin Grass?
Fire pits can ruin your grass if there’s nothing underneath the fire pit to protect the grass from being burnt. The heat emitted from the pit is excessive (about 1200°C), and if the pit is kept in the long run, it will burn the grass. There are plenty cases where homeowners have lamented that their grasses refused to grow naturally after a fire pit burn. It’s possible depending on the extent of the fire damage.
Seeing dead patches on your lush lawn can be awful, and the fact that grasses don’t grow that fast can leave you even sadder than before. I once had my fire pit set up in the backyard on grass, and after witnessing the extent of the fire damage, I felt horrible. The brown patch seemed it would never turn green again.
For a fact, grasses are amongst the best places to set up your fire pit. However, they aren’t heat friendly, and get to wither from the inside if the temperature is overboard. To protect your lawn from fire damage and enjoy the comfort of having a fire pit around, I suggest you read further to find out how to.
Will Grass Grow Back After the Fire Pit Burn?
In most cases, grasses grow back after the fire pit burns. Fire mostly affects the topsoil. So, it’s likely that they will grow back. However, the timing may take a little longer depending on the extent of the damage. But, this is something that you shouldn’t worry about. You can grow back the grass much quicker with what I’m about to tell you.
First, examine the root. If the root is healthy, all you need to do is to keep it watered frequently. If the root is dead, you need to rake out the burnt grass and the root. Second, after raking, you need to water the area to wash out the remnant. If possible, dig out the area and replace the spot with another topsoil. Third, sow fresh grass seed and rake it into the damaged area. Fourth, water it and keep up with the task for the next one month.
Even after one month, you still need to frequently irrigate the soil. Watering deeply is best because it enables the roots to grow faster within the soil. While irrigating, ensure that the water penetrates the soil up to 6”. Also, water the lawn early in the morning when it’s still cool. It will help the soil in that area to absorb water.
How to Protect Grass From Fire Pit
You can protect grass from a fire pit in two ways. It’s either you don’t put the fire pit on the grass or you get something strong and heat retardant to safeguard the grass from developing dead patches.
What Can I Put Under My Fire Pit to Protect My Grass?
You can put a fire pit mat, pavers or bricks, and a heap of sand. However, you should know that these are temporary solutions. So, they shouldn’t stay long on the grass.
The idea is to establish some distance between the grass and the fire pit. So, whatever you can put in between to prevent grass damage would be fine. However, the item must be heat absorbent. Else, it will melt and give way for the heat to penetrate the grass.
Fire Pit Mat
A fire retardant pit mat is the easiest way to keep your grass from being killed by the fire. They come in various shapes and sizes, and can be one of the best buys you can make. If you need to protect your deck and patio as well, a pit mat can do the job.
Aside from protecting the grass from heat radiation, some pit mats can temporarily withstand some embers landing on them. Plus, they are coated with food-grade silicone. So, you can eat dropped snacks and sausages.
Remember, keeping the mat for too long on the grass will also kill it in as much as it ensures that the grass survives the fire. Pit mats are temporary solutions. So, they shouldn’t be kept for too long.
Pavers
Putting pavers or bricks underneath is another way of protecting the grass from heat. Unlike pit mats, it will take more time to set up and take down the pavers again. Pavers cause damage to the grass due to compression if kept for long. Nevertheless, the grass will repair faster than heat damage.
Typically, pavers are better options compared to fire pit mats. Pavers are harder and can help elevate the fire pit a little. If you can’t find or make pavers, you can opt for bricks or even large stones. The objective here is to prevent the grass from direct heat. So any of the items above can do the job perfectly.
Sand
Another way to safeguard the grass from fire pit heat is to use sand as a barrier between the lawn and the fire pit. This method isn’t as perfect as the other two, but it’s a good alternative. The benefit of using sand is that the grass will grow back faster.
There are other alternatives available if the above solutions don’t work well for you. You can put off the fire pit after a short time instead of leaving it roaring for days. In addition, you can water that area of the lawn where the fire pit will be placed or set up the fire pit on a non-combustible deck or verandah.
Finally
If you’ve thought of using fire pits on grass, you’ll be scared about the damage it might do to your lawn. Luckily for you, the backyard options I listed in this article will help you to prevent the grass from burning. There’s no reason you can’t use your fire pit on the grass if you follow everything explained here.
Interestingly, you don’t have to spend much to avoid potential damages. Some of the materials can be obtained within. Whatever the material used, ensure you set up the fire pit safely.