How long should you leave soot before spreading on the garden.

In article a27054f0-f0cd-4e2c-9593-
,
says...
How long should you leave soot before spreading on the garden.

Good question! all the books say "untill weathered" well I feel well
weathered after about 30 mins!! I would say a winter would do the job but
maybe someone actually knows.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 9/1/09 16:24, in article ,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article a27054f0-f0cd-4e2c-9593-
,
says...
How long should you leave soot before spreading on the garden.

Good question! all the books say "untill weathered" well I feel well
weathered after about 30 mins!! I would say a winter would do the job but
maybe someone actually knows.

It's hardly scientific but my grandfather used to chuck it onto the garden
straight from the chimney - coal fire, IIRC.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 9/1/09 16:24, in article
,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article a27054f0-f0cd-4e2c-9593-
,
says...
How long should you leave soot before spreading on the garden.

Good question! all the books say "untill weathered" well I feel well
weathered after about 30 mins!! I would say a winter would do the job but
maybe someone actually knows.

It's hardly scientific but my grandfather used to chuck it onto the garden
straight from the chimney - coal fire, IIRC.
--

There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for the
garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to save
themselves the disposal problem.

"Shall I chuck the soot on yer garden missis, do it the world of good it
will"

Steve

On 9/1/09 22:32, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 9/1/09 16:24, in article
,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article a27054f0-f0cd-4e2c-9593-
,
says...
How long should you leave soot before spreading on the garden.

Good question! all the books say "untill weathered" well I feel well
weathered after about 30 mins!! I would say a winter would do the job but
maybe someone actually knows.

It's hardly scientific but my grandfather used to chuck it onto the garden
straight from the chimney - coal fire, IIRC.
--

There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for the
garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to save
themselves the disposal problem.

"Shall I chuck the soot on yer garden missis, do it the world of good it
will"

Steve



I *think* but am not sure at all, that Grandpa thought it kept slugs at bay.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

In message , shazzbat
writes

There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for the
garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to save
themselves the disposal problem.

"Shall I chuck the soot on yer garden missis, do it the world of good it
will"
Steve

Our chimney sweep offered to sell it to us!
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:32:21 +0000, shazzbat wrote:


There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for
the garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to
save themselves the disposal problem.


What does, inarguably, do is make the soil darker in colour and therefore
quicker to warm up in spring.

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , shazzbat
writes

There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for the
garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to save
themselves the disposal problem.

"Shall I chuck the soot on yer garden missis, do it the world of good it
will"
Steve

Our chimney sweep offered to sell it to us!

Did you buy it? I assume not.

And what's the going rate for a bag of soot?

Steve

On 11 Jan, 00:41, "shazzbat"
wrote:
And what's the going rate for a bag of soot?

Duno! Mine's free and come out the chimney )

As with many things in gardening, over the years 'potions' get mixed
up and we end up with various contradictions and misconceptions. Soot
wasn't used by itself, but with other ingredients such as sawdust,
prickly barley awns and ashes, making lines of it around fruit bushes
and seedbeds to keep slimy molluscs at bay. Other concoction of soot,
soap, dung, ammonia, lime and salt was used as pesticides. Another
imported from the west indies and used for century and brought to
england in the late 19th century consisted of washes made from
infusions of bitter leaves, urine, alum root, vinegar and soot, used
as pesticide too. The addition of soft soap would smother aphids and
mealy bugs. Irritant powders were made from lime, soot, sulphur and
tobacco dust to combat slugs and caterpillars. Disinfectant plasters
based on cow dung, mud, ashes and lime were painted on tree wounds and
grafts ... etc. These remedies worked, especially when based on soft
soap, which spreads, lime combined with sulphur (the basis of lime
sulphur) and tobacco (which containes nicotine) - but it was a matter
of hit and miss until the real diagnosis of mildew or leaf curl were
accurately diagnosed.

Over the years ingredients have been missed from these concoctions -
soot alone is toxic as it is! I have applied it on my path to compact
it, when I have remembered to bring a bag of it - but in general I
never use it.

ps. I can't find your address Steve, to send you the seeds - I have
emailed you but email bounced. Do email me with your address at helene
at urbed dot coop when you have a moment.

In message , shazzbat
writes

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...
In message , shazzbat

"Shall I chuck the soot on yer garden missis, do it the world of good it
will"
Steve

Our chimney sweep offered to sell it to us!

Did you buy it? I assume not.

You are correct!

And what's the going rate for a bag of soot?
Steve

I don't think I even asked, it was many years ago, but I must get the
chimney swept again, as I sometimes have an open fire with logs in
winter.

The last time it was swept was by a wood pigeon which dropped down the
chimney and dislodged quiet a lot of soot. I managed to reach up
and grab its legs, threw an old towel round it and dropped it outside on
the lawn.
I moved towards it to check it over, and it took off almost vertically.

Then I went in and cleaned up the mess in the fireplace.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

In message , Derek Turner
writes
On Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:32:21 +0000, shazzbat wrote:


There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for
the garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to
save themselves the disposal problem.


What does, inarguably, do is make the soil darker in colour and therefore
quicker to warm up in spring.

I would expect it to improve the texture of the heavy, clay soil in this
area. BICBW.
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

"Gordon H" wrote in message
...

The last time it was swept was by a wood pigeon which dropped down the
chimney and dislodged quiet a lot of soot. I managed to reach up and
grab its legs, threw an old towel round it and dropped it outside on the
lawn.

Been there, done that, accompanied by a *very* interested cat.

I moved towards it to check it over, and it took off almost vertically.

Don't they just! And the amount of feathers they shed in the process is
amazing.

My Dad used to dig soot into our garden in London back in the 50s/60s.
Don't know why or if it did anything, but he got good crops and lots of
flowers each year.

--
Kathy

It's pointless to try and discuss ethics with a spider.

wrote in message
...
On 11 Jan, 00:41, "shazzbat"
wrote:
And what's the going rate for a bag of soot?

Duno! Mine's free and come out the chimney )

As with many things in gardening, over the years 'potions' get mixed
up and we end up with various contradictions and misconceptions. Soot
wasn't used by itself, but with other ingredients such as sawdust,
prickly barley awns and ashes, making lines of it around fruit bushes
and seedbeds to keep slimy molluscs at bay. Other concoction of soot,
soap, dung, ammonia, lime and salt was used as pesticides. Another
imported from the west indies and used for century and brought to
england in the late 19th century consisted of washes made from
infusions of bitter leaves, urine, alum root, vinegar and soot, used
as pesticide too. The addition of soft soap would smother aphids and
mealy bugs. Irritant powders were made from lime, soot, sulphur and
tobacco dust to combat slugs and caterpillars. Disinfectant plasters
based on cow dung, mud, ashes and lime were painted on tree wounds and
grafts ... etc. These remedies worked, especially when based on soft
soap, which spreads, lime combined with sulphur (the basis of lime
sulphur) and tobacco (which containes nicotine) - but it was a matter
of hit and miss until the real diagnosis of mildew or leaf curl were
accurately diagnosed.

Over the years ingredients have been missed from these concoctions -
soot alone is toxic as it is! I have applied it on my path to compact
it, when I have remembered to bring a bag of it - but in general I
never use it.

ps. I can't find your address Steve, to send you the seeds - I have
emailed you but email bounced. Do email me with your address at helene
at urbed dot coop when you have a moment.

Ok, done that now.

Steve

On 16 Jan, 15:12, "shazzbat"
wrote:
Ok, done that now.

Steve - got nothing. Can you try again, helene at urbed dot com
(replace coop with com). Looks like I've got some gremlins in the
system )

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Jan 2009 22:32:21 -0000, "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
. ..
On 9/1/09 16:24, in article
,
"Charlie Pridham" wrote:

In article a27054f0-f0cd-4e2c-9593-
,
says...
How long should you leave soot before spreading on the garden.

Good question! all the books say "untill weathered" well I feel well
weathered after about 30 mins!! I would say a winter would do the job
but
maybe someone actually knows.

It's hardly scientific but my grandfather used to chuck it onto the
garden
straight from the chimney - coal fire, IIRC.
--

There's a body of opinion that holds that soot doesn't do anything for the
garden, and that chimney sweeps started, and perpetuate the myth to save
themselves the disposal problem.

"Shall I chuck the soot on yer garden missis, do it the world of good it
will"

It's banned for organic vegetables.

Why?