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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Permacltur@aol.com
  • To: permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Ashes
  • Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 08:53:24 EST



In a message dated 11/20/99 2:38:36 AM, newman@bcinternet.net writes:

<<I'd appreciate any input on this little question.

I have a wood stove and have been putting the ashes on my vegetable garden. I
understand they are quite rich in potassium. I use newspaper to start the
fire. How
much of a contaminant is the lead (or anything else) in the newsprint?

Jeffrey in central British Columbia>>

Decades ago, Organic Gardening magazine did a study of mulch using
newspapers. This was at a time when use of lead-based inks was common.
Despite incorporation of large amounts of newspapers into the soil, they
could not find any measurable increase in soil lead or in lead uptake of a
variety of vegetables. Don't worry.

Apply ash to soil gingerly, in repeated small applicatons. It is basically
chemical fertilizer and has an immediate alkaline reaction. Do NOT apply
ash to compost piles, manure piles or home shitters of various sorts (e.g.,
outhouses, composting toilets) as it will drive off nitrogen into the atmosphe
re. Ash also has insecticidal properties when dusted on crop leaves, for
example in control of damage by striped cucumber beetles.

Avoid use on ericaceous plants such as azaleas or blueberries. Because it
has a lye-like property, it can be used to callous "seed" potatoes after
cutting so you can plant them very soon after you have cut them. (Potatoes
tolerate acid conditions but grow best at pH of 6.5. They are grown in acid
conditions to ihnibit scab disease. The ashes will not hurt them and will
supply some of the potassium that they need.)

Wood ash contains valuable trace minerals and I use it under inoculated
legumes to feed the rhizobia that fix nitrogen in the roots of the legume
crop. You will get a huge increase in N fixation if you do this.

enough for now.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses,
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence
courses via email. Our online course began Oct. 24, late registrations
accepted. Copyright, 1999, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52, Sparr FL
32192 USA. Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com

We don't have time to rush.

A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers
assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html



  • Ashes, Jeffrey Newman, 11/20/1999
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Ashes, mmiller, 11/20/1999
    • RE: Ashes, John Schinnerer, 11/22/1999
    • RE: Ashes, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 11/22/1999
    • Ashes, Jeffrey Newman, 11/23/1999
    • Re: Ashes, Permacltur, 11/24/1999

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