dickgloucester in gardening

Hello and a question

Jan 31, 2012 15:37

Hello! I've just joined this community, having become the proud owner of my own garden at last. For the moment, I am cutting back undergrowth and trying to find out what's lurking in the overcrowded beds, so no actual plant questions as yet. However ( ... )

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virginiadear

I searched via Google using the keywords compost pile composition + "wood ash", punctuated just as you see, but not italicized.

According to this site http ://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=749 [space has been intentionally inserted between the http and the full colon; please correct that when pasting this url into a fresh browser window], the short answer is "No," or "Only a little after having your soil tested and only if you burn only hardwoods." There are two links at the bottom of that article.

Another site states that ash from coal fire, as well as ash from plastics, chemical stuff, and colored glossy paper, are all toxic, so if you have coal ash in the wood ash, emphatically "No."

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dickgloucester

That's really helpful - thank you!

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virginiadear

You're very welcome---glad it's useful to you! :^)

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evaelisabeth

Turf ash is also a no no according to my Mother and you want to be careful how much ash you put on it can get messy and sticky very quickly.

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Thread (5)

sb158

Wood ash is good for your garden, in that it supplies potassium, but it also makes your soil more alkaline. Before you use it, I would get the soil tested to see if it is acid or alkaline, then decide if you should use it. If not, you can always compost it.

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sea_of_flame

Won't composting it just turn your compost alkaline & lead to the same pH issues when you put the compost onto the garden?

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sb158

As I understand it, compost has so many ingredients and the composting process tends to level out the pH as it works. Of course, if you use a big bunch of it, it may unbalance things and make stuff alkaline, but moderate amounts probably wont't. I could be wrong, however, so do your own research. Gardenweb Forums has a good soil and compost forum that could probably answer any questions anybody might have.

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dickgloucester

I have a feeling that since there are so many apples in the compost - we had a glut of cooking apples just after we moved in here and couldn't use them all - their acidity could well balance out any alkalinity from the ash. Though I'm going to have to be careful with the ash content, as Virginiadear (above) tells me coal ash is toxic. So only the ash from wood-only fires can go in the compost. Life's so complicated.

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dickgloucester in gardening

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