permaculture

[Paul Cereghino <paul.cereghino@comcast.net>]

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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