Is Burnt Charcoal Ash decent fertilizer?
easttexgardenman
16 years ago
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Comments (25)
schwankmoe
16 years agodigdirt2
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Fireplace Ashes
Comments (27)Composting. I've read a lot about it lately, and apparently the beneficial bacteria in composting can even bind toxic and radioactive materials. So, sprinkling ashes on your compost pile would be the way to neutralize the pH. I don't have much ash left myself, since ash is even better than salt at melting ice on sidewalks. I always kept some in my van, in case of getting stuck. Sprinkle it on ice, and in a few minutes you can drive away. The last batch of black dirt I bought for my garden containers turned out to be acidic. Carrots didn't grow. I amended the soil and will test the results this spring. I'd think you could add wood ash, as you please, as long as you test the soil periodically. Potatoes like to be a little acid, as do blueberries, right? Carrots apparently don't....See MoreAdding Charcoal to the Soil
Comments (10)I agree about the charcoal. I have read in other places that ashes from briquets should not be put into your garden, but couldn't remember specifically what the problem was. You can get the activated charcoal in the pet department at Wal-Mart if they carry aquarium supplies or any pet store that carries aquarium supplies. I would think that basically you are putting Potash back into the soil, since that is why wood ashes are used in flowerbeds, just can't remember if this is good for producing flowers or good for building root systems. rjj, I don't like peat in my potting soil either, but the one source I had for a potting soil that had little to no peat in it went out of business. Being a small town in Oklahoma, there just isn't anywhere to go. Howard Garrett, the Dirt Doctor, sent a newsletter out a couple of months ago talking about how inhibitive it is to good soil bacterial growth and therefore prevents good soil health. Butterflyman, keep us posted on your experiments. It should prove to be interesting. Ms. Faith...See MoreCharcoal from the BBQ
Comments (25)Agree with both Sey and Daniel. "They've used kingsford lots before and last few years its some kind of wood charcoal. I will check out the link." Unfortunately, even if we were expert recyclers of grill and pit ashes I think you don't have enough information, since you really don't know the current composition of the soil. The link with the ingredients just included "borax" as part of the formula and "sodium nitrate". Borax is used for mold release so the briquets look nice and cute without breaking. It also moderates the heat intensity as an insulator so the briquets last longer. Sodium nitrate is the common flammable/explosive product in old style black powder and it is in there to assist in lighting the fire (lol because the borax retards the fire, no surprise) Borax in tiny pinch quantities is a source of boron, a necessary nutrient for most if not all plants, including tomatoes. It becomes toxic if it accumulates and easily could kill the plants. The sodium nitrate contains sodium which plants likely also use in minute quantities, but in higher amounts it stresses plants. If the ashes have been there a long time, these chemicals can be all leached into the water table and cause aquatic problems too, but leave your ex-pit garden spot cleansed of them. As far as the coal in the briquets, I'm on Sey's team about not wanting it, no way, but honestly as a science geek I don't think it would kill the plants if you amended the soil. There is a lot blowing around my local park and but gradually in trace amounts ...not a pit BBQ. I don't know and I'm not sure anyone could tell us what heavy metals could be present in the impurities in any lot of coal. That said, you don't eat your hostas but I eat 4 pounds of tomatoes a day when the growing is good. If in recent years it has been lump charcoal (the Royal Oaks type of stuff I'm thinking without checking) If you build on top I suspect you'd be OK. It is a natural part of the renewal of forest ecosystems that the underbrush gets charred and leaves a layer of soot, and that nurtures the next renewed ecological cycle. So try to be even handed when you read all the scare mongering on the Internet. The uncomfortable part is not knowing specifically what parameters Kingsford worries about saying don't use the ashes as a fertilizer. Otherwise if a lot of rain passed through your old pit in the intervening years I'd actually be encouraging you. Cheers PC...See More12/5/15: rooting roses & best soil, wood ash, foods to lose weight
Comments (53)Merry Christmas !! I had just ordered Smart-pot in 10 gallon, only $9.97 from Amazon (free shipping). I'll buy 3 blueberry bushes this spring (Walmart sells them), put 2 in SmartPot, and 1 in the ground. Didn't know that I need 2 or more blueberry bushes to pollinate each other. Info. from About.com: " Fertilizing blueberries - Blueberries don’t like too much fertilizer. Twice a year in the early spring works well. For organic fertilizer try blood or cottonseed meal, or a fertilizer designed for acid loving plants. Blueberries need friends – To get your blueberries to fruit, you will need at least two blueberry plants for pollination, three plants is even better and they need to be placed relatively close together. Also it’s a good idea to grow a couple of different varieties of blueberries, because they will produce fruit at different times and extending your blueberry season. Protect your blueberries – While growing blueberries you’ll have few pests to worry about other than birds. To protect your fruit from feathered poachers, you can cover your bushes with a light sheet or netting, a few weeks before the berries are ripe." Sam: Do you protect your blueberries from birds? If I put Smart-pot right next to the patio, hopefully there's less pests. I re-post the info. that Bluegirl wrote on pine-fines to buy from Lowe's. I would need 1/4 pine fines with 3/4 potting soil to create the acidic soil for blueberries. Bluegirl in Texas wrote: "I think Amazon has the sulfate of potash for ~ $11 still. See if your Lowes carries the mix ours does. It's "HapiGro Landscape Mix", sold in a big clear bag for about four dollars. Almost pure pine fines to look at it. Here are some photos, the bag is kind of faded, it's a mostly clear bag with white on front. dry stuff inside--looks to be mostly fine pine bark with a nugget or two of perlite. THis is some moist stuff from inside a bucket--finger for size. Pictures & info. above are from Bluegirl in Texas. THANK YOU, Bluegirl, for allowing me to post your info....See Moreeasttexgardenman
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