Kitchen Garden Forum

I burn logs on an open fire, just using a small amount of Coal to get it going.Would the resulting ash be ok to use on my veg. patch? The idea has only just occured to me.I Would welcome a few opinions.

Regards Beeman

Coal contains some nasty heavy metals and if used in quantity could have a detremental effect on the soundness of your soil, but I do the same as you and use only a very little to start a fire.

Any coal clinker is discarded and the resultant ash is used on my garlic and especially fruit bushes (not Blueberries). Sometimes the ash can be 2-3" deep before being either washed into the soil via rain or lightly forked in. Unlike bought potash, woodash is quite low in the amount present and thus can be used quite liberaly.

As a bonus, slugs are not keen on it.

We don't have an open fire and normally only have a bonfire once a year to dispose of the bigger chunks of shrub wood that we can't compost, but I always sprinkle the cold ashes around my veggie patch afterwards with no ill effect.

Having had a massive garage clear out and chopped up all the wood in there we have enough to keep us going all winter. I already have a big bucket full of wood ash that's heading towards my garlic next weekend. We don't use any coal at all on our fire; why do you need it to get yours started?

beeman2 wrote:Would the resulting ash be ok to use on my veg. patch?

Like Piglet, I'd have thought it would be good for garlic (or maybe onions). I believe woodash is supposed to have some Potash in it, and garlic benefits from that.

Don't know what else woodash does to the soil, but JB can probably fill us in.


Colin

Chantel, Old habits i guess, I've always used just a bit of coal to start.Anyway that my all change as we have bought a multifuel stove that I'm about to fit today, just hope it all goes well and we are warm again by nightfall.

Always used wood ash from fire and bonfires in the potato trenches to deter slugs. I also use it as a general slug deterrent - very effective.

ASH. Ash from wood fires and bonfires contains potash. Slow-burning hardwoods are particularly rich in potash. Potash is very soluble and is rapidly washed out in rain, so either work fresh ash into the compost heap or store it in a DRY PLACE until needed, and apply to growing crops in spring...

On the topic of where to use woodash, it (not coal) is said to be good for gooseberries, red and white currants and strawberries, whereas blackcurrants like nitrogen.
It is dead easy to start a fire from smaller bits of wood and rumpled paper, which would make your ash far more acceptable than if it contains coal ash. One thing I have found (since we do have a coal fire in one room at Christmas) is that coal fires prefer being started in a grate that is well ventilated from below i.e. there is little or no ash bedding from previous fires. Wood fires, on the other hand, are much easier to start once the bed of ash has been built up from earlier fires. We start the winter with a clean grate but then only remove ash as necessary if it is actually starting to overflow, and there is no question but that the fire starts much more easily once the ash bed is in place.
Alison.

Alison,
We have two stoves, one runs the central heating in the house, the other is in my workshop where I burn only wood. I've also found that for a wood burning stove a bed of ash is good.

As far use on the garden, I'm sure the above is good advice on where & when to use, but be aware that the potash is released into the soil very slowly, I was told it can take at least twelve months for any 'benefits' to your fruit & veg. to take effect.

My neighbours recommend woodash for all alliums as they say it deters onion maggots.

It is also darkens the soil which is good in winter to soak up as much of the sun as possible. I always apply it to autumn sown broadbeans and alliums.

Hi beeman
how about breaking with a tradition and trying pine cones as a firestarter - they really work a treat.

Wood sash is mainly potassium bicarbonate, very soluble so quickly washed out.
Allan

cevenol jardin wrote:Hi beeman
how about breaking with a tradition and trying pine cones as a firestarter - they really work a treat.

Thanks for the idea,I use no coal at all now, since installing new wood burner.I'm producing a 2gall bucket of ash per week. By the way Pine Cones are a very good fuel to use in a smoker for controlling Bees. Regards Beeman