Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Non food Related => Topic started by: Canadian John on February 21, 2018, 10:29:02 AM
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What do you do with your pellet ash?
As it is organic, nutrient rich and has a high PH (alkaline), is it used to nourish vegetation, spread on the ground, thrown in the trash, or ?
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trash
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Sucked up into an ash vac and trashed.
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I use our ash vac to clean the pits and fireplace and scatter the ashes in the back part of our property on the grass.
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Sucked up into an ash vac and trashed.
That is what I do.
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What do you do with your pellet ash?
As it is organic, nutrient rich and has a high PH (alkaline), is it used to nourish vegetation, spread on the ground, thrown in the trash, or ?
Interesting question, never considered putting it in my garden, but I do put the ash in the yard debris bin vs the trash.
DK
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What do you do with your pellet ash?
As it is organic, nutrient rich and has a high PH (alkaline), is it used to nourish vegetation, spread on the ground, thrown in the trash, or ?
Interesting question, never considered putting it in my garden, but I do put the ash in the yard debris bin vs the trash.
DK
+1
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Have been trashing, but will now think about spreading.
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Trash 'cause once-in-a-while other things get picked up with it when it's the most convenient vacuum cleaner.
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It goes in my compost bin. City picks it up after that.
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Such a small amount for us over time...Flower beds...Along with the buckets of hardwood ash from the fireplace, now that is probably 100lbs per winter!
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Trash. Migh1 consider mixing it into the yard. Never thought of it!
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Dedicated vacuum, into the trash.
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The thing I love about my Grand Slam is the removable ash container makes is easy to dump after every cook. Minimal amount of ash, I just spread it on the lawn. No adverse effects.
Charlie
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Trash has been the norm but now the garden, flower beds etc. May get a treat. Pull out burn pot will make it easy to add a small amount here and there...
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On Ash Wednesday we were missing the palm ashes from last year. For a moment the thought crossed my mind that my pit could provide a substitute if needed. Fortunately we found the the other ashes, but it never hurts to have a planB!!!
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I try and keep my trash level as low as possible. Every bit helps, so I apply the ashes containing a few partially burnt pellets around the plants and trees in the yard..I just feel good about doing it..
Since I have been using a dedicated wet/ dry vac', I cut the bag open and distribute the content as described above. The bag gets trashed.
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Blaz'n GS. I just dump the fire pot after each cook into a metal ash can. And later pour that into the garbage. Do a major ash removal every couple of months from the rest of the pit. Not sure that the Ph of ash is ideal for garden or yard. Please enlighten me. :help:
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From "thespruce.com": (since their references are 2 University Cooperative Extensions, I have confidence in what they are conveying, but then I am a Cooperative Extension Master Gardener so I might be biased ;D)
Is Wood Ash Good for Garden Soil?
Wood ash can pile up during a cold winter and it would be nice to have a practical use for it. It has often been used as a soil amendment in gardens. However in recent years, gardeners have been given mixed signals about the safety and value of using wood ash on their garden soil. Is it safe to use wood ash in the garden?
As with most gardening questions, the answer is "That depends." You really have to know a little about both your soil and the ashes themselves.
What Does Wood Ash Do for Soil?
Ashes from fireplaces and wood burning stoves can be a good source of potassium. To a lesser degree, they also provide some phosphorus, a bit of aluminum, magnesium, and sodium, and a few micro-nutrients, such as boron, copper, molybdenum, sulfur, and zinc. The amount of nutrients in the wood ash is not particularly high and it really depends on the type of wood burned. But if your soil has a potassium deficiency, wood ashes can be a good amendment.
Wood Ash and Soil pH
Most wood ash contains a good percentage, about 25%, calcium carbonate, an ingredient in garden lime. If your soil is very acidic (5.5 or lower), amending with wood ash can raise your soil pH.
On the other hand, if your soil is neutral or alkaline to begin with, adding wood ash could raise the pH high enough to interfere with plants ability to take in nutrients. Wood ash should also be avoided around acid loving plants like rhododendrons and blueberries.
What are the Negative Effects of Using Wood Ash in the Garden?
Unfortunately, wood ash can also be a source of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, or lead, that you don't necessarily want in your garden. However most studies have not shown that if the soil pH is above 6.0, the heavy metals are not taken in by the plants in measurable amounts.
And since wood ash raises the soil pH, the presence of heavy metals should not be a problem. If you have a regular source of wood ash and are worried about extended use of it in your garden, you should consider having it tested as a lab.
The bottom line is that a small amount of wood ash will add some nutrients and be beneficial to most soils. Large amounts should be avoided.
Important Note: Never use wood ash in the garden, especially around edible plants, if any type of fuel or wood preservative was used on the wood.
Wood Ash Bonus
Slugs and snail are repelled by wood ash, and if they do come in contact with it, it acts much like salt and desiccates their bodies.
Wood ash can also be used to smother aphids. Dust a fine layer onto infested plants, coating the aphids. You can hose the ash off the plants, once it has done its job.
Sources:
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
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Blaz'n GS. I just dump the fire pot after each cook into a metal ash can. And later pour that into the garbage. Do a major ash removal every couple of months from the rest of the pit. Not sure that the Ph of ash is ideal for garden or yard. Please enlighten me.
Neutral PH is 7..Wood ash ranges from 9 to 13..Its main element is calcium,~ 15%... Depending on the soil PH, the amount of ash required to change varies, thus a soil test is in order. If the soil has a low PH for growing acid loving plants and wants to remain that way, ash should be used sparingly or not at all. In general it would take a good concentration of ash to have an effect on the soils PH..For the small amount we generate there shouldn't be a reason to be concerned unless the ash is placed in one location over long periods of time.. Some other elements of ash found to a lesser degree are: potassium, manganese, phosphorus..To me it makes sense to use the ash..
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Blaz'n GS. I just dump the fire pot after each cook into a metal ash can. And later pour that into the garbage. Do a major ash removal every couple of months from the rest of the pit. Not sure that the Ph of ash is ideal for garden or yard. Please enlighten me.
Neutral PH is 7..Wood ash ranges from 9 to 13..Its main element is calcium,~ 15%... Depending on the soil PH, the amount of ash required to change varies, thus a soil test is in order. If the soil has a low PH for growing acid loving plants and wants to remain that way, ash should be used sparingly or not at all. In general it would take a good concentration of ash to have an effect on the soils PH..For the small amount we generate there shouldn't be a reason to be concerned unless the ash is placed in one location over long periods of time.. Some other elements of ash found to a lesser degree are: potassium, manganese, phosphorus..To me it makes sense to use the ash..
Thanks John. As usual, you are a fountain of usable knowledge.