permaculture

[Jerome Rigot <rigot.3@osu.edu>]

Indeed, it is very caustic because the main component is potassium 
hydroxide also called lye. The first soaps were made with wood ash.

Jerome

At 11:01 AM 5/22/2006, you wrote:
> Thomas,
> To clarify, wood ash is not a "poison", but rather, caustic, ie very
> alkaline. This is why previous writers have suggested light dustings.
> Clients of mine killed many of their plants by indiscriminately dumping
> bucketsfull in the landscape (especially since they were dumping it on
> azaleas and rhododendrons which like acid soil). I, too, have found that
> using it  in SLIGHTLY larger amounts for onions, brassicas and other
> heavy feeders can be beneficial. A little, e.g 2 cups in a 4 x 4 x 4
> compost pile sprinkled in very thin layers as you build, can be
> beneficial. It helps repel slugs, too (like putting salt on them).
>
> If your garden is too small to utilize the volume you produce, scatter
> it elsewhere (in a forest?), or consider some of the other uses suggested.
> Keith
>
> Thomas Gorman wrote:
>
> >Would composting fireplace ash with kitchen scraps, humanure, and
> >other usual compost materials for a year or so eliminate the
> >'poisons' and be better than a direct application to a garden.
> >Wondering for the future...
> >
>
> --
> Keith Johnson
> Permaculture Activist Magazine
> PO Box 5516
> Bloomington, IN 47408
> (812) 335-0383
> http://www.permacultureactivist.net
> also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
>
>
>
>
>
> --
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