On Thursday, November 12, 2009 3:03:13 PM UTC, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Colin Jackson" wrote ...
After the sweep has been round he left a bag of soot.
Apparently it is regarded as having some degree of hazard!

?? Is it of any use in the garden?

Yes but you have to let it weather for some time before you put it around
your plants to stop slugs etc.
So long ago I can't remember how long you have to leave it.

(BTW it's usual to post in plain text, some servers don't like it
otherwise.)

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

I have resurrected this thread from 3 years ago because I have just swept my chimney and have gained a bucket full of soot.

Does anyone know how this "weathering" is performed? Do I simply leave the bucket and its contents uncovered somewhere in the garden?

I would have thought that the bucket would just fill with water and result in a black sludge.

I had thought about tipping it on the compost heap, but I remember being told by my grandfather why he did not do that, but cannot remember the details of what he said - (I was only about 8 years old at the time).

He used to have a separate heap for soot, but I do not have the space for that.