permaculture

[Clint Popetz <clint@cpopetz.com>]

On Mon, May 22, 2006 at 12:23:20PM -0400, Jerome Rigot wrote:
> Indeed, it is very caustic because the main component is potassium 
> hydroxide also called lye. The first soaps were made with wood ash.

As such, you can also soak the ashes in water (preferrably
spring/rain/well water) for several hours to get the lye water out.
Consult any old soapmaking reference on the time/concentration/etc.
(And then use the lye to make soap or biodiesel!) After that you're
ashes can be safely added to your garden without raising the pH.  But
at that point, the potassium hydroxide is gone, so the main mineral
benefit of the ash for your plants (K) is gone.  But at least you
don't have bags of ash sitting around :)

Also, as other people have said, a dusting of wood ash keeps the slugs
at bay, at least until it rains or you water.

                        -Clint