getting my ashes hauled

[Nate Nagel]

No, subject line is not a euphamism...

just wanted to know if wood ashes are any good for mixing with soil or if I should just make a dump run in the AM. Am in the process of cleaning out the bottom of my chimney; apparently the PO's of the house figured out what the ash hatch in the fireplace was for but not the cleanout door in the basement. Have removed maybe 50 gallons of ashes (?!?!?!?!) and finally the level of ash in the pit is about level with the bottom of the cleanout door.

I'm sure those nice damp ashes probably weren't much good for the masonry... this is actually what prompted me to look inside (fireplace hasn't been used in a while; there's a wood stove in the fireplace now) as the bottom of the chimney was showing evidence of being damp (yellowed paint on brick, etc.)

nate

(someday I will have a clean house, honestly.)

[dpb]

Depends... :)

On soil and wood types. In general, firewood typically has a lot of oak and oak is rich in tannin which is acidic. If your soil tends to be basic, it helps; if it isn't then you'll need some lime. Unless you have a known soil test or simply have a large area that is just grass/woods/whatever that you can spread them out over in a pretty thin layer, I'd suggest you're probably just as well or better off to trash 'em...

--

[S. Barker]

spread them on the lawn or garden.

s

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'd probably dump 50 gallons worth at one time, but when I burn the woodstove, they just get spread on the lawn or on the compost pile. Been doing that for 25 years now.

[Frank]

No, wood ash is alkaline. If you need to spread lime on your lawn, just use ashes.

[Nate Nagel]

duh. I should have known that, ash being used to make soap and all.

That, and my hands are dry as s**t now.

doesn't matter; I put 'em on craigslist and got rid of half of 'em almost immediately, and also picked up a nice set of wood TV tables. :) There's a reason I bought an old pickup truck... I don't know and don't care how my soil is pH wise; most of it is going away, I'll worry about pH after I have everything graded the way I want it.

nate

[Stormin Mormon]

Well, since you ashed, getting the ash out of your house could be a pain in the ash. I guess you could get the lead out of your ash, and take your ash to the dump.

Enough synonyms, and homonyms. Did you know that a homonym is a male nym that doesn't like girl nyms?

[Harry K]

As others have said, dump 'em on the lawn or garden in normal cleanouts. I think I would dump your collection if it is damp as it won't spread well. They contain potash but not a whole bunch - would take a lot in any one spot to really change Ph much. I have been puttin mine on the lawn/garden for 30 years and have seen no negative indicators. I make no attempt to get an even spread, just take the ash pan and 'sling' it. Spreads it good enogh that way but can drop a heavier cover in spots. No problem except the ash cloud that forms when the mower goes through.

Harry K

[Phisherman]

Wood ashes make a great natural fertilizer. High in potash. Spread the ashes evenly over the soil. Ashes will have a tendency to sweeten the soil, so keep ashes away from acid-loving plants. If your soils are already alkaline, don't use it.

[beecrofter]

Probably no damage at all to the masonry, the worst is the sulfur in fuel oil. If you lime your lawn you can use the ashes instead and the potash will add some drought resistance. Keep them away from ericacious plants- azaleas, rhododendrons and the like. Lilacs will appreciate a few coffee cans spread around them.