OkieG,
I don't know the answer to that. I just did a quick search at some of the organic sites I frequent. There does not seem to be a consensus - it can be either.
I strongly recommend the ag extension office as a resource. They have tons of literature they will send you on all sorts of topics. very helpful on the phone as well.
We burn 2 woodstoves and I called them about composting the ashes. They told me to only use a little but couldn't define "little". I then found a few references in books I have about the 5 gallon bucket per compost pile.
It sounds like ashes are a very strong alkalinizing agent. I was hoping to find that they would be a good "core" composting material, but it sound like only a little can be tolerated without skewing the pH of the compost pile.
At one 5 gallon bucket max per compost pile, it almost seems like why bother? The ashes don't add any neccessary ingredient to compost and have more potential for harm than good.
I have a feeling ashes don't "compost" or decay because they are pretty well depleted of energy for bacteria to work on. They may just serve to "mix" into the soil and alkalinize.
Maybe just mixing a bit in the garden where potatoes or other root crops grow (ala DumbDog with his observation about potatoes at the burn pile) would work best.
Tenebrous could perhaps find out how much ash his compost references use in Geneseo. I expect, if the compost gets too alkaline, the composting bacteria might not grow well?
Anyway, I was hoping that the compost pile would be the perfect solution for recycling the fireplace ashes. I think I probably produce much, much more ash than the compost pile can handle.
I would be very prudent on how much ash you put in your soil. As far as improveing clay soil texture the addition of gypsum is proven time and time again. The addition of organic mater is also extremely important, this allows micro organisms and worms, ect to flourish which is essential for healthy soil. To much ash will kill all of these.
It seems like ashes can be used beneficially in the garden if you know what you're doing....which I don't. The cautionary posts have me worried a bit about ruining my garden soil. I have no feel for how much, if any to use. Perhaps I will wait until I've more experience.
I have access to some "good" soil down the block that I have been mixing into the clay with my middle buster. I have not yet tried gypsum, but the soil seems to be helping soften things up.
Today, I dug a trench about 2 feet deep, the length of my garden and filled it with leaves. Then I backfilled the trench with dirt. The picture shows it one load short of being filled. This is the second trench I've dug and filled this week. The goal is to introduce some organic material into the garden.
I used to burn garden waste in my veg. garden but I don't any more.There are a lot of usefull living things in you garden soil like bacteria and worms that like all things living fire would kill.I use a chipper and a brush hog to grind it up where it growed and then till it back into the soil.To me that seems the better of the two.I am not a bonefied all organic gardener eithier.If potatoe bugs, for instance, are eating my potato tops up, I don't hesatate to use copper dragon to kill them and I full well that that poison will kill the same helpfull bugs I described above,but there is a limit to how much I like bugs,I GUESS.Also when you till the organic waste into the ground and let it decompose there you are doing what they call strip composting and improving your soil for sure. RICHARD GAUTHIER
made in Korea Vin
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