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Deal With It

Hey, everyone. The Site Search bar is currently down, and I'm receiving conflicting answers from The Google, so here goes: is it a good idea to till a small amount of firewood ashes into the garden? If so, to what extent? Even though we're in Oklahoma, we burn about four cords of firewood per year as our home's primary heat source, and I hate to see all of it go to waste when I dump it out by our burn pile.

I'll be sending soil samples in about three weeks, then making amendments, as necessary. This will be the first time I've used this step, and I'll post the results for both the AG and CC patches once they're made available.

2/7/2015 11:15:52 PM

Ely Mn

i add about 20 lbs to my 300 sq foot greenhouse with great results over the last 3 years!
i swear by the stuff!

2/7/2015 11:22:58 PM

Torrance, Ca.

So now we know the secrete Master P ;)

Ashes = 8 pound tomatoes!

2/7/2015 11:45:46 PM

I think it is best if just wood ashes are used and try to have nothing else burnt with the wood (man madelogs ,plywood etc ). Gardeners have been using ashes and always claim it helps.

2/8/2015 7:23:32 AM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Wait until your soil test results come back

2/8/2015 8:26:52 AM

Bethlehem CT

I would wait until your soil results come back too. You can use it to raise pH. It doesn't contain the calcium that lime does though. It is high in salts and contains up to 10 percent potash and 1.5 percent phosphorous. In my opinion you should definitely be using it somewhere in the yard. it is too useful to just throw away. I burn wood here and I never have enough of it.

2/8/2015 9:29:00 AM

bliss,n.y.- heart of Wyoming County

Will spoiled wet pellet stove fuel work?
Or pellet stove ashes?

2/8/2015 9:48:00 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

4 cords! I wish, about 20-24 cords here! Ashes galore. A soil test can help decide, but ashes definitely have benefits. My driveway gets them when its icy, garden gets some, and we spread some lightly over our lawn. Some ashes (shaker grate) have low grade biochar intermixed which may be sifted out, crushed, stored and charged later before adding to the soil. A 5 gallon pail of ashes/1000 square feet did not affect our sandy loam soil's pH (6.9). Good luck!

2/8/2015 9:50:58 AM

Hinckley MN

wood ash has a significant amount calcium, not as mush as lime, but it is still an excelent source. wet pellet stove fuel would be like adding sawdust. It will lock up nitrogen to fuel its decay and release the nitrogen late in the year. My biggest question on wood pellets or their ashes, is what is the binder holding it together and how will that effect the plants.

In my area we can always use more lime in the soil.our average pH is below 6. When I gardened in Texas, in a limestone rich area, adding wood ashes was a big mistake. a pH of 9 is not good for a vegetable garden...

2/8/2015 9:56:38 AM

East Jordan, MI

I agree with Shannon. you should only add according to soil test. Ashes will raise your pH FAST and as noted above contain salts as well. Here is an article I put together for our club members.
http://cgpgrowers.blogspot.com/p/usingwood-ashes-as-ammendment-what-is.html
You will notice the MULTIPLE warnings about adding only after testing soil.

2/8/2015 9:59:11 AM

Deal With It

20-24 cords, or face cords? I'm speaking in terms of a cord being 4' x 4' x 8', or 128 cu. ft.

I'll definitely be waiting for the soil test before using the firewood ashes. Just wanted to know about everyone's personal experiences with using it.

2/8/2015 10:02:39 AM

Central NY

Yes to the pellet stove ash...my maters liked it... The lawn loves it

2/8/2015 10:07:47 AM

Ely Mn

That's a lot of wood cornhusk!you must be using an outdoor boiler?
You can add pellet ash no problem,
There is no binder in pellets,but they are just pressed.

2/8/2015 10:12:17 AM

Fairfield, CT, 06825

Its all about making BIO-CHAR, GOOGLE it, its a lot of labor but them you charge it, I did this last season and will doo it for now one.

2/8/2015 1:02:30 PM

Vancouver, WA

I've seen "charged" mentioned above. What does that mean and how do you do "it"?

2/8/2015 2:00:29 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

3 x 30 yard dumpsters of sawmill chunks, plus 6+ pick-ups, outdoor boiler, heating house, garage, rec room & 2 water heaters :)

2/8/2015 2:04:31 PM

Waterville, Ohio

That's an extreme amount of wood cornhusk, we do about 8-10 a year and I thought that was a lot. Two wood burners, propane only gets used for heating water.

2/8/2015 5:47:20 PM

@ Crappie

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/msgboard/ViewThread.asp?b=39&p=532473

read tad12's post

2/8/2015 8:41:48 PM

Deal With It

Cornhusk, are you a member of the Firewood Hoarders Club? http://www.firewoodhoardersclub.com . I think you'd fit right in!

2/8/2015 9:45:09 PM

Bethlehem CT

Farmer Ben thanks for correcting me about the calcium. It makes sense that it would have a good deal of calcium.

2/9/2015 10:50:09 AM

Vancouver, WA

Thank-you spudder, I'll do it.

2/9/2015 1:05:27 PM