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  • From: Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re Wood Ashes - a multifunctional resource
  • Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 21:11:25 -0800

Well done!

The qualities that make ash tricky in soils may make it useful through other pathways. Degreaser.. of course. Everything is a potential resource. Is ash that has been leached for lye a more moderated soil ammendment?

P

Robyn Francis wrote:

There's many uses for wood beyond sparing garden applications - here's a few
of the things I use it for.

Wood ash is the main cleaning agent I use in the home - I sift out the fine
white ash for cleaning sinks, stove top and oven, pots and pans, any
stainless steel surfaces, grease, oil etc I often make up batches lightly
fragranced with an antiseptic essential oil (lemon myrtle's my favourite)
and pack nicely as gifts for friends who don't have access to wood ash as a
natural cleaner - they love it and invariably ask for more when it runs out.

I also use wood ash to cure my olives as a substitute for salt for the first
2-3 soakings to reduce the saltiness of salt-brine treatment.

I keep a jar of the sifted ash mixed with a little fine sand for washing
hands, especially for when I've been handling oily or sticky things. I mix a
little fine wood ash and sand into my "gardeners soap" as well.

BTW does anyone know proportions for making the correct strength Lye from
wood ash for soap making. I make an annual batch of soap and would prefer to
make my own lye from wood ash rather than caustic soda.

I also use wood ash for storing things - keeps bugs out of stored seed, and
roll my Jerusalem artichokes in ash before I put them into clamp storage
etc.

In the garden it can be used as snail barriers but use sparingly. Pumpkins
can handle a bit more wood ash than most other veg.

Ciao

Robyn

On 18/12/06 7:06 AM, "Karen Kellogg" <garuda2@comcast.net> wrote:


So, any suggestions on what to do with the wood ashes? Pick one spot
and designate it as the 'ash dump'? Get them off the property? To
where?
The soil only needs a tad, we don't want to breathe them or have them
in our water, not in the compost... Is it safe to use them to dampen
plant growth, say along a fence line that is hard to mow?

Karen


On Dec 17, 2006, at 8:08 AM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. wrote:


john norton wrote:


Hi
Be careful if using wood ash as a soil amendment. The
burning can form polycyclic aromatiic hydrocarboms
PAHs in the ash, which can be acutely toxic to plants
and people and they can be carcinogenic.

If at all, only use small amounts of wood ashes in
gardens. A friend years ago put all the ashes from his wood stove
on his large garden
year after year. The soil became poisoned and very little would
grow in it. It took him years to get it back to normal.

Never add wood ashes or any pH mediating product to a compost pile.
The bacteria in compost regulate pH themselves;
if you override this with ashes or lime the pile will cease to
function normally and you will end up with poor compost.

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