permaculture

[Sean Maley <semaley@yahoo.com>]

Becareful of crossing the different kinds of ash: "soda ash" and "Potash".  
Potash contains Potasium (wood ash), while Soda (seeweed ash) contains 
Sodium.  Sodium Hydroxide is what we call Lye and is used for hard soaps.  
Potasium Hydroxide makes a soft soap.  Different woods contain varying 
quantities of Potash and Soda components, which must be separated out via 
careful evaporation and decanting techniques, if you seek purity (say for 
biodiesel production).  Paper and glass also depend upon these forest/kelp 
consuming resources.

An interesting read on this topic is "Caveman Chemistry" by Kevin M. Dunn
  http://cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/projects/lime/

For information on mining these materials:
  http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/soda_ash/
  http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/potash/


-Sean.

----- Original Message ----
From: Robyn Francis <erda@nor.com.au>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 4:23:36 PM
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Re Wood Ashes - a multifunctional resource

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





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