Composting Ashes

[RedNeckCowBoy007]

So, the wife and I burn firewood to help heat our home through the winter. Consequently, we have a lot of ashes. I know my dad likes to sprinkle ashes through his yard. Said it helps green up the grass a bit. I've tried this a little, but have a hard time with "sprinkling", and tend to get the ashes too thick in some spots. Also, I've got some wood with nails in that I'm burning this year as well, so I don't really want any bits of nail getting into my bare feet or the lawn mower tires. Figured putting the ashes in the compost would be the best option to get some use out of them, mixing them in with dead flowers and leftover veggies, etc.
Any thoughts on anything special I should do for this? My biggest concern is getting too much ash in with everything else, although since my pile is currently open, melting snow and spring rains will probably wash a bit of it away...

 

[zigs]

The Potash in it is water soluble so the rain will wash it thru, its quite a strong alkali too, so maybe it'd be good to mix it with your green bark chippings to balance out the acids in them.

 

[RedNeckCowBoy007]

Reckon I should get some sort of sides set up on that pile sometime, then...
I had put a little on the flower beds last year, but hadn't thought about the bark being acidic and needing to counter that. That's a good idea. Thanks zigs.

 

[zigs]

Just a thought

 

[Gardener]

I usually get incense and use that to make the house smell better. I don't overdue it though, because it is still a combustion reaction. Sometimes I go into the garden and light an incense up and leave it there. I have heard about it from a family friend and he told me that it helps keep the pests away. Once it burns away, the ashes stay there and help the garden grow!

 

[Cjk85]

I know plenty of people that do this, it seems to work out just fine for them, no issues with acid/alkaline balance.. I don't have a fire place such as that so I don't have access to ash myself but I would like to add it to my own compost..

To the OP: But since Australia has taken the Ashes from you 5-0 again, maybe you can put some on a urn to fill the spot of the missing ones?

 

[Lacey]

We burn a wood stove too and I sprinkle a lot of my ashes around my fruit trees and they seem to do really well with it. When is the best time to put it on your lawn? I am really interested in this I will do anything to make my lawn green. Is this something you do in the fall or spring?

 

[Cjk85]

We burn a wood stove too and I sprinkle a lot of my ashes around my fruit trees and they seem to do really well with it. When is the best time to put it on your lawn? I am really interested in this I will do anything to make my lawn green. Is this something you do in the fall or spring?

I would be thinking the start of a season would be a no no, but once everything started to green up after winter would perhaps be a good time. I don't know a whole lot about northern hemisphere gardening, but that would make sense to me anyhow.

 

[RedNeckCowBoy007]

ITo the OP: But since Australia has taken the Ashes from you 5-0 again, maybe you can put some on a urn to fill the spot of the missing ones?

If I knew what you were talking about, I might be able to come up with a snappy comeback...

Back to the original topic, I'm guessing creosote would be along the same lines as ashes? I tend to get a good bit of creosote out of the bottom of my chimney every year, too.

 

[Cjk85]

Oh Sorry!!
I read you location as England..
The Ashes is a cricket series between England and Australia every 2 years or so.. This year Australia won 5 matches to 0.

Back on topic: Yes it would.