I have a lot of trees, and during the brief winters, burn wood in a
fireplace insert to heat the house. I've been burning small brush
piles once a year in the garden area and dumping fireplace ashes.

What is the cumulative effect of ashes on the soil chemistry?

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 13:13:24 GMT, wrote:

I have a lot of trees, and during the brief winters, burn wood in a
fireplace insert to heat the house. I've been burning small brush
piles once a year in the garden area and dumping fireplace ashes.

What is the cumulative effect of ashes on the soil chemistry?

Roughly. Adds minerals and raises pH. The effect is local.

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 13:13:24 GMT, wrote:

I have a lot of trees, and during the brief winters, burn wood in a
fireplace insert to heat the house. I've been burning small brush
piles once a year in the garden area and dumping fireplace ashes.

What is the cumulative effect of ashes on the soil chemistry?

In our alkaline soil the effect to note is a negative one - increased
pH. If you're in the city you can recycle brush at curbside.

I disagree. If Lester is trying to grow plants native to our area, the
increase in acidity *could* be a problem since native Central Texas plants
generally prefer some amount of alkalinity. But if he or she is trying to
grow vegetables in the garden or any of the MANY not-exactly-native plants
that can do well here but suffer to some extent from our excessive
alkalinity, the ashes will be of benefit. And recycling brush in the
city: (1) if Lester is clearing brush and burning it, this probably means
his/her property is outside the city; and (2) putting brush in the landfill
really seems wrong to me. Instead, shouldn't we try our best to recycle this
waste by composting or burning it (or both), instead?

alternate



"Terry Horton" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 13:13:24 GMT, wrote:

I have a lot of trees, and during the brief winters, burn wood in a
fireplace insert to heat the house. I've been burning small brush
piles once a year in the garden area and dumping fireplace ashes.

What is the cumulative effect of ashes on the soil chemistry?

In our alkaline soil the effect to note is a negative one - increased
pH. If you're in the city you can recycle brush at curbside.

Sorry, it's been a while since I've taken chemistry (something on the order
of 25 years) and I thought higher pH - more acidity. I apologize - I should
have checked.

However, I do have a recollection of reading that wood ashes were good soil
additives. If they don't help neutralize the soil, is it perhaps because
they supply some element or mineral to the soil?

alternate



B.Server wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 04:29:08 GMT, "Alternate Personality"
wrote:

I disagree. If Lester is trying to grow plants native to our area, the
increase in acidity *could* be a problem since native Central Texas
plants
generally prefer some amount of alkalinity. But if he or she is trying to
grow vegetables in the garden or any of the MANY not-exactly-native
plants
that can do well here but suffer to some extent from our excessive
alkalinity, the ashes will be of benefit. And recycling brush in the
city: (1) if Lester is clearing brush and burning it, this probably means
his/her property is outside the city; and (2) putting brush in the
landfill
really seems wrong to me. Instead, shouldn't we try our best to recycle
this
waste by composting or burning it (or both), instead?

alternate


The addition of wood ash will tend to RAISE the pH of the soil. That
is, make it MORE alkaline, not less. As T.H. noted, our soil and our
water are both quite alkaline and the addition of still more is
unlikely to be helpful. I agree that composting the brush,
particularly if you have a brush grinder to break it down, is a better
way to dispose of it. I frequently scatter ashes over the top of my
compost heap. Not an ideal solution, but it seems to help cut the
alkalinity enough and helps enrich the compost.

B.Server wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 04:29:08 GMT, "Alternate Personality"
wrote:

I disagree. If Lester is trying to grow plants native to our area, the
increase in acidity *could* be a problem since native Central Texas
plants
generally prefer some amount of alkalinity. But if he or she is trying to
grow vegetables in the garden or any of the MANY not-exactly-native
plants
that can do well here but suffer to some extent from our excessive
alkalinity, the ashes will be of benefit. And recycling brush in the
city: (1) if Lester is clearing brush and burning it, this probably means
his/her property is outside the city; and (2) putting brush in the
landfill
really seems wrong to me. Instead, shouldn't we try our best to recycle
this
waste by composting or burning it (or both), instead?

alternate


The addition of wood ash will tend to RAISE the pH of the soil. That
is, make it MORE alkaline, not less. As T.H. noted, our soil and our
water are both quite alkaline and the addition of still more is
unlikely to be helpful. I agree that composting the brush,
particularly if you have a brush grinder to break it down, is a better
way to dispose of it. I frequently scatter ashes over the top of my
compost heap. Not an ideal solution, but it seems to help cut the
alkalinity enough and helps enrich the compost.

Burning's a waste; if you can't compost it, build a brushpile. Birds and
small critters will love it.

And, FWIW, brush and yard waste in Austin is trucked to Hornsby Bend, where
it's mixed with sewage sludge to make Dillo Dirt. It doesn't get
landfilled. See: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/dillo.htm

Dale

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 04:29:08 GMT, "Alternate Personality"
wrote:

I disagree. If Lester is trying to grow plants native to our area, the
increase in acidity *could* be a problem since native Central Texas plants
generally prefer some amount of alkalinity. But if he or she is trying to
grow vegetables in the garden or any of the MANY not-exactly-native plants
that can do well here but suffer to some extent from our excessive
alkalinity, the ashes will be of benefit. And recycling brush in the
city: (1) if Lester is clearing brush and burning it, this probably means
his/her property is outside the city; and (2) putting brush in the landfill
really seems wrong to me. Instead, shouldn't we try our best to recycle this
waste by composting or burning it (or both), instead?

alternate


The addition of wood ash will tend to RAISE the pH of the soil. That
is, make it MORE alkaline, not less. As T.H. noted, our soil and our
water are both quite alkaline and the addition of still more is
unlikely to be helpful. I agree that composting the brush,
particularly if you have a brush grinder to break it down, is a better
way to dispose of it. I frequently scatter ashes over the top of my
compost heap. Not an ideal solution, but it seems to help cut the
alkalinity enough and helps enrich the compost.

And, FWIW, brush and yard waste in Austin is trucked to Hornsby Bend,
where
it's mixed with sewage sludge to make Dillo Dirt. It doesn't get
landfilled. See: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/dillo.htm

Cool! I don't live in the city and hence don't have city services. I hope
the non-city contract waste disposal services take their yard waste to
Hornsby too. Most people where I live either make brushpiles and burn them
in the fall or rent chippers to make brush (mostly tree trimmings) into
mulch, though I do occasionally see bundles of yard waste left out for the
weekly trash pickup. Hornsby Bend looks like a really interesting facility.

And, FWIW, brush and yard waste in Austin is trucked to Hornsby Bend,
where
it's mixed with sewage sludge to make Dillo Dirt. It doesn't get
landfilled. See: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/dillo.htm

Cool! I don't live in the city and hence don't have city services. I hope
the non-city contract waste disposal services take their yard waste to
Hornsby too. Most people where I live either make brushpiles and burn them
in the fall or rent chippers to make brush (mostly tree trimmings) into
mulch, though I do occasionally see bundles of yard waste left out for the
weekly trash pickup. Hornsby Bend looks like a really interesting facility.

And, FWIW, brush and yard waste in Austin is trucked to Hornsby Bend,
where
it's mixed with sewage sludge to make Dillo Dirt. It doesn't get
landfilled. See: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/dillo.htm

Cool! I don't live in the city and hence don't have city services. I hope
the non-city contract waste disposal services take their yard waste to
Hornsby too. Most people where I live either make brushpiles and burn them
in the fall or rent chippers to make brush (mostly tree trimmings) into
mulch, though I do occasionally see bundles of yard waste left out for the
weekly trash pickup. Hornsby Bend looks like a really interesting facility.

Thanks for clearing the Ph scale question. I thought the higher the
Ph, the more acid. Considering I have to use well water (very
alkaline) when it doesn't rain (it doesn't), the soil is probably
already more alkaline. However, I add a lot of composted live oak
leaves each year, and last year, a trailer full of horse manure. Plus
I'll put Ironite on it to balance out the soil + well water.

Still, I should have it tested.

In areas with acid soil, fireplace ashes could help raise the pH and
might be beneficial. You might have read advice not written locally.

-Nancy

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 11:05:15 -0500, "dt" wrote:


B.Server wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 04:29:08 GMT, "Alternate Personality"
wrote:



Burning's a waste; if you can't compost it, build a brushpile. Birds and
small critters will love it.

The ashes are from my BBQ pit and occasional bamboo that the city will
not take.

"dt" wrote in message
...
Burning's a waste; if you can't compost it, build a brushpile. Birds and
small critters will love it.

Nice to say if you live in the city. Living in the country and also being a
member of the volunteer fire department, I can tell you that those
brushpiles become a fire hazard around this time of year. I leave a few and
burn the rest -- no choice!

On Tue, 1 Jul 2003 02:13:18 -0500, "Robbin" wrote:


"dt" wrote in message
...
Burning's a waste; if you can't compost it, build a brushpile. Birds and
small critters will love it.

Nice to say if you live in the city. Living in the country and also being a
member of the volunteer fire department, I can tell you that those
brushpiles become a fire hazard around this time of year. I leave a few and
burn the rest -- no choice!


I would hazzard a guess that very few of them spontaneously combust.
Just guessing, but I'd bet a whole lot more of them cause problems
when some moron tries to burn his brush on a breezy, dry day in
mid-summer than from roving brushfires. Left alone, they are less of
a problem.