Wood ash - what do you do with it?

[DerekJ]

Having recently installed a woodburner we now have to find a way to dispose of the resulting wood ash. Does anyone have any good ideas.From a gardening perspective I'm not sure that it is too useful  but perhaps someone has found a good use. I don't feel that comfortable about just dumping it.

[Quillan]

[quote user="DerekJ"]Having recently installed a woodburner we now have to find a way to dispose of the resulting wood ash. Does anyone have any good ideas.From a gardening perspective I'm not sure that it is too useful  but perhaps someone has found a good use. I don't feel that comfortable about just dumping it.
[/quote]

I depends on the quality of soil in your garden, I found THIS for you.

It is bio-degradable so you might like to find a 'secret' place in the garden or when you are absolutly sure its dead (like leave it in a metal bin for a week or two) throw it in the public bin. Round here they put it on the garden.

[Mareille]

why not make some soap

Chris

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I just chuck it on the garden.

[DerekJ]

Thanks for the feedback. I looked at the link and see it isn't recommended for alkaline soils and that's exactly what we have.We are up on the Causse du Quercy and the garden is alkaline with limestone rocks.

I think I'll pass on the soap idea though... but thanks anyway.Never knew you could do that.

In the UK I have sometimes thown it onto the leaf mound but it went all slimey and gooey.  It looks like I'll be resorting to dumping it.

[buelligan]

You could start a tomato farm...I'm not taking the p...! [url]http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090918-urine-ash-fertilizer.html[/url]

[DerekJ]

[quote user="buelligan"]You could start a tomato farm...I'm not taking the p...! [url]http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090918-urine-ash-fertilizer.html[/url][/quote]

Nice bit of lateral thinking.[:)]

[thunderhorse]

Several friends swear by it for cleaning the glass of the insert. I'm trying it next time it needs doing.

[DerekJ]

[quote user="thunderhorse"]Several friends swear by it for cleaning the glass of the insert. I'm trying it next time it needs doing.

[/quote]

Yes, we tried it once we started using the woodburner and it worked well....not going to get rid of all of the waste ash though.[:(]

[Théière]

You can get rid of it on the 17th of February 2010.

 

[Âme]

Bless you, teapot. [:)]

I use wood ash between paving stones and on the paths of the veg plot to stop weeds growing.

[thunderhorse]

[quote user="Âme"]Bless you, teapot. [:)]

I use wood ash between paving stones and on the paths of the veg plot to stop weeds growing.

[/quote]

How does that work? I'd be keenly interested to know.

[Âme]

I don't about the science. I would guess that it works in the same way as the sheets of matting made to suppress weeds; rain goes through but light doesn't.

Spread wood ash in a thick layer to make a path. Brush and/or water it gently to pack it down between paving stones.  Keep adding as and when it's available. It disappears over time, but it's free and it has to be put somewhere.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Good to hear about it whacking weeds. I'm putting all my ash on a bit of garden between my house and garage, where it's just weeds at present. Good to hear that it will stop said weeds.

[Âme]

Make sure that no green bits are sticking through, or it doesn't work. [geek]

[5-element]

Ame, I am gobsmacked -  I never thought of trying to dispose of my wood ash in that way. For several years running I put it on the ground around selected plants (fruiting, but also roses, oleander) and am not sure it was such a great thing to do.

But trying to turn some patches of ground into a desert, yes, that definitely appeals - so I might try that this winter, rather than putting it (when cold) into a plastic bag and dumping it with the domestic waste in the rubbish bin - it seems such a waste to do that!!! But like others, the soil wher I am has already got too much lime in it (it is like a Causse soil, quite arid) - what a shame that the people whose soil would love wood ash, are so far away, I would love to be able to give mine to someone who can use it....[:(]Thank you for that tip.

[Chancer]

Mst villages and towns had cinder paths before tarmac became current use.

I remember fitting some automatic gates in London where the car park (which had degenerated into potholes) was being block paved, the elderly owner of the building said that he had been using the ashes from the hospital incinerator for many years.

[DerekJ]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Mst villages and towns had cinder paths before tarmac became current use.

[/quote]

I wonder if that was from coal based fires though?  When I've thrown wood ash onto my leaf pile it has always turned into sludgy mess once it got wet.

[thunderhorse]

[quote user="Chancer"]... ashes from the hospital incinerator for many years.[/quote]

[+o(]

[Chancer]

[quote user="DerekJ"][quote user="Chancer"]

Mst villages and towns had cinder paths before tarmac became current use.

[/quote]

I wonder if that was from coal based fires though?  When I've thrown wood ash onto my leaf pile it has always turned into sludgy mess once it got wet.
[/quote]

Quite probably Derek, I dont think that wood burners were trendy in Sussex in the past. There is a twitten behind my house and I dig it up to make a concrete ramp (planning permission? - moi? [:)]) for a rear access, under the compacted mud and more recent hardcore/tiles etc there was a very hard compacted layer of black cinders but yes, probably coal. 

And the ash in the car park I mentioned was from dead bodies, amputated body parts and, no I cant continue [:(]

[Gardian]

[quote user="Âme"]I use wood ash between paving stones and on the paths of the veg plot to stop weeds growing.
[/quote]

Just never thought of that - as with the others above, I'm endebted. It just makes sense and I never really knew what to do with the sackfuls that I end up with. Nice one.