Ashes Of The Deceased

[stugots2]

Long story short, recent death in the family (that I for one am taking extremely hard)

His garden was EVERYTHING to him, and while its now gone, I'd like to re create it.

Which brings me to my question, is there like a "super duper soil" or grower that would allow plants of ALL types (kind of like a one size fits all) to grow even with Ashes in the planter?

I am no where near a green thumb what so ever but this is something that is very important to me.

Thank you in advance for all the help

 

[Beverly]

This is hard to say not knowing the area you plan to cover with the ashes. I do have an idea of the amount of ash you have, but not the area. Generally ash is beneficial to the soil. I would say composted soil would be the best, but in gardening and growing things some plants prefer acid soil and others prefer alkaline soil and some neutral. Ash effects the pH balance of the soil, there is information on the internet regarding wood ash but i found nothing regarding the ash of human remains. If scattered over a large area, the ash should not have a significant impact. A friend spread the ashes of his departed wife in the rose bed of their garden.

 

[stugots2]

I wanted to (if possible) put it in each plant / flower by itself (some ashes)

 

[Beverly]

There are websites addressing the effect of bone ash on the pH of the soil. The question of how much space (sq ft, cu ft, etc) will be put on each plant remains unanswered. "Each plant/flower (some ashes)" doesn't answer the question. You could have 5 plants, in which the case the ash would be a concern because ash tends to raise the soil acidity. You could have 1000 plants in which case the effect each plant would be minimal. So you need to know how much ash you will be giving per plant and only you know that. An excess of bone ash, in addition to potentially raising the acidic level of the soil pH, also has been shown to decrease healthy bacteria and be detrimental for any earth worms living in the soil. I would, as we did with my mother, scatter the ashes (throw to the wind) the ashes in the places she had told us she wanted to rest. The rose garden at Sunset Beach on the southern coast of Oregon was one beneficiary. It is more emotional than you can imagine, but it is also beautiful to take those ashes of a loved one lost in your hands and scatter them to the wind.

 

[treeguy]

This is an old post, but for others with the question in the future, I think we're talking about an urn-full, maybe a pound? If you include ash at 5% or less of the net weight of the pot full of soil, it would be chemically insignificant. If scattered on the ground, one pound around a rose bush would be insignificant. Dug into the hole of a new rose, one pound would be insignificant.

 

[DirtMechanic]

My wife paid my artistic cousin for a pottery adorned with a frog. She liked it very much. She told me should she die, her cremated ashes were to be placed in it. I speak in past tense because one of the new kittens made it up on the fireplace mantle and sent it smashing onto the hearth. If it had 1\2 cubic foot of volume it would have been on the high estimate. She will need 140 cubic inches or so and it would have worked according to this snippet I just took off a memorial site:

"1 pound of Body Weight = 1 cubic inch of Urn Space (little less)

Example:

• 175 lbs. person needs an urn with 160 cubic inches (it is ok to have a little extra space in the urn)
• 200 lbs. person needs an urn with 180 cubic inches
• 250 lbs. person needs an urn with 230 cubic inches"

Random yet somehow practical information. Also useful for planting evidently.


Shameless Plug for good ole Duke

 

[treeguy]

Sounds like Duke was a Good O' Boy. Glad you found some specifics, to which I might add some in peoplespeak: There are 1728 cubic inches in a cubic foot equal to 62.42 lbs of water times 454 grams in a lb equals 28,313 g/cf. So one cubic inch equals 16.38 grams of water which has a specific gravity of 1.0 @ 21°C/70F; Or, 28.3 g/oz times 32 = 905.6 g/qt or 61 ci/L (.906 qt/L).

So, volumes are:
175# >>160 ci = 2621 g = 2.89 qt.;
200# >>180 ci = 2948 g = 3.26 qt.;
250# >> 230 ci = 3767 g = 4.16 qt.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Sounds like Duke was a Good O' Boy. Glad you found some specifics, to which I might add some in peoplespeak: There are 1728 cubic inches in a cubic foot equal to 62.42 lbs of water times 454 grams in a lb equals 28,313 g/cf. So one cubic inch equals 16.38 grams of water which has a specific gravity of 1.0 @ 21°C/70F; Or, 28.3 g/oz times 32 = 905.6 g/qt or 61 ci/L (.906 qt/L).

So, volumes are:
175# >>160 ci = 2621 g = 2.89 qt.;
200# >>180 ci = 2948 g = 3.26 qt.;
250# >> 230 ci = 3767 g = 4.16 qt.

So basically if I get cremated I could fit in a gallon ziploc bag. So one question remains. Freezer type or regular? I believe I will need one with that frosted square where somebody could write some words. "Not flour" would be nice.

 

[alp]

So basically if I get cremated I could fit in a gallon ziploc bag. So one question remains. Freezer type or regular? I believe I will need one with that frosted square where somebody could write some words. "Not flour" would be nice.

Why not fertilise your plants. Earth to earth. Dust to dust! I'd not want to take up space. People are fighting over it ... Not flour does make me giggle! Well, er, dust!?

 

[DirtMechanic]

I would not mind the earth. As long as Becky does not mold me into some art object I would be fine feeding a plant. Lord help me I never realized until this thread that I have a fear of coming back as a bidet.

 

[alp]

I would not mind the earth. As long as Becky does not mold me into some art object I would be fine feeding a plant. Lord help me I never realized until this thread that I have a fear of coming back as a bidet.

She might turn you into a diamond! Possible and when she looked at her finger, she'd thinking of you! Nice idea!

 

[treeguy]

So basically if I get cremated I could fit in a gallon ziploc bag. So one question remains. Freezer type or regular? I believe I will need one with that frosted square where somebody could write some words. "Not flour" would be nice.

For shame! Plastic bags are forever and politically incorrect, even for a Redneck. I think an old half gallon Mayonnaise jar would be more fitting. Your children are too high class and would be embarrassed to put a baggie on their mantle.