Garden tip: Protecting our trees during fire season

Recent fires in Yosemite threatened our giant redwoods again. Our giant sequoias, Sequoiadendron giganteum, can grow 300 feet tall and live 2,000 years. A new fire-resistant product has been developed that reflects radiant heat and convective heat, and protects against embers igniting the bark. This material is like our kitchen aluminum foil but stronger.

I wondered how this could work on a tree that might be 100 feet in circumference. Surely using a kitchen roll that is 12 inches by 49 feet would not be doable. These new products come in rolls 5 feet wide and 200 feet long.

The threat of wildfires is great not only to our precious redwoods but across all of California. Contact Fire Safe Marin to learn how to protect your property.

— Katie Martin, UC Marin master gardener