Composting with fireplace ashes

[Tina Gibson]

[Tina Gibson]

Cold here too!! I think as with everything in a garden - try it! If it works for you good - if it doesn't well at least you tried!! I grow a lot of tomaotos and rotate beds often. We have alkaline soil so I don't add any more ash. Doesn't mean I never will again though!

[Compostman]

It's not necessary to put compost piles in the sun. Mine are under a tree in permanent shade and they stay very hot. Actually sun, especially in a dry climate like where you live can be bad because it can dry out the pile. Your solar blanket may be doing more to keep your pile from drying out than keeping it warm. Bacteria are the primary source of heat in a compost pile.

[Phisherman]

Mine are in the shade too. They are steaming hot. I am fortunate to be near a mountain stream and use that water to keep the piles moist. Without water, the compost piles (like most living things) die.

[Tina Gibson]

Mine are in the shade as well and are very hot in the summer. But - in temps of -40 they freeze right through. So in this case the solar blanket helps prolong the compost season a month or so.

[Tom Jaszewski]

Phish, do you measure the heat cycles?

[Peter Smith]

I read some time ago that it is OK as a small proportion. However, some wood sources can contain a lot of heavy metal...hence the precaution. At least that is what I read, and I cannot remember the source.

Also, since it is very alkaline, you wouldn't want so much that it could significantly alter the pH of your compost/garden.

On the plus side, it is a great source of potassium. I know some local market gardeners who sware by dusting their garlic beds with wood ash they improve their results considerably.