"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 22:17:45 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:




My first thoughts on this are that you would be overloading your compost
heap with the chemicals of which the ash is composed.
Moreover, a person who believes in organic growing would (or should)
object
strongly to using ash in a garden, since ash is entirely inorganic.

I think perhaps you misunderstand the meaning of the term 'organic
gardening' somewhat?
There'd be nothing wrong with using peat ash, any more than there
would be wood ash.
Were you to take the Phurnacite ash from your Rayburn and shove it on
the garden you'd veer off the straight and narrow.

I will never, never understand the mysteries of this practice. Who lays
down the do's and don'ts? Is there some democratically elected committee,
or do the rules come from on high? Or does every member of the movement
just invent them as they go?
Considering that Phurnacite is coal which is decomposed and compressed
plant material, why is the use of its ash taboo, whilst that of wood is
kosher? I know the answer, of course, but it has nothing to do with
"organic" or "not organic".

Or consider the following: Wood ash is OK. What is the situation
vis-a-vis wood which has first been converted into coke by heat and
subsequently burnt as coke? Is this ash "organic" or "not organic"?

Franz