I have just swept my chimney and have a rather
large bag of soot.
When I was a lad I heard about people using soot
on there gardens and allotments.
Is this still a good thing to do and if so how should it
be used ??
I don't want to dump it if it can be of use on the allotment.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Wally

On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, Wally wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather large bag of soot.

Soot from burning coal or wood?

Coal soot is likely to have quite high concentrations of heavy metals so
I'd be wary of using it on the veg patch.

Other than that others may have better knowledge, it's mostly carbon so
not exactly a plant nutrient but may help condition the soil.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, Wally wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather large bag of soot.

Soot from burning coal or wood?

Coal soot is likely to have quite high concentrations of heavy metals so
I'd be wary of using it on the veg patch.

Other than that others may have better knowledge, it's mostly carbon so
not exactly a plant nutrient but may help condition the soil.


The idea of soot being good for the garden was an invention by chimney
sweeps to solve their disposal problem.

Steve

On 19/11/2012 21:23, shazzbat wrote:
"Dave wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, Wally wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather large bag of soot.

Soot from burning coal or wood?

Coal soot is likely to have quite high concentrations of heavy metals so
I'd be wary of using it on the veg patch.

Other than that others may have better knowledge, it's mostly carbon so
not exactly a plant nutrient but may help condition the soil.


The idea of soot being good for the garden was an invention by chimney
sweeps to solve their disposal problem.

Steve





I'm not so sure. When I was little, there was always a heap of soot
down at the allotments where my father's plots were. I know my father
used it knowledgeably, as did other plot holders. I can't remember
whether it was to help blanch celery, or to deal with fungal diseases,
or something else. It was certainly valued. I wish he were still alive
to ask.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On 19/11/2012 22:35, Spider wrote:
On 19/11/2012 21:23, shazzbat wrote:
"Dave wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, Wally wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather large bag of soot.

Soot from burning coal or wood?

Coal soot is likely to have quite high concentrations of heavy metals so
I'd be wary of using it on the veg patch.

Other than that others may have better knowledge, it's mostly carbon so
not exactly a plant nutrient but may help condition the soil.


The idea of soot being good for the garden was an invention by chimney
sweeps to solve their disposal problem.

Steve





I'm not so sure. When I was little, there was always a heap of soot
down at the allotments where my father's plots were. I know my father
used it knowledgeably, as did other plot holders. I can't remember
whether it was to help blanch celery, or to deal with fungal diseases,
or something else. It was certainly valued. I wish he were still alive
to ask.


One use for fresh soot was to put around young plants; taking cane not
to get to close to them; then when slugs tried to cross it they were
killed. That was before slug pellets.
We always used it on freshly dug ground over the winter.

On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, "Wally"
wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather
large bag of soot.
When I was a lad I heard about people using soot
on there gardens and allotments.
Is this still a good thing to do and if so how should it
be used ??
I don't want to dump it if it can be of use on the allotment.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Wally



Loads of info if you search
http://www.bing.com/search?q=use+of+...2-21&sp=-1&sk=


"the victorians used soot as they said it is as rich as manure untile
the second world war the carts and lorries taking vegetables down to
covent garden market would take back soot from the capital for the veg
fields. "
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

On 20/11/2012 08:57, David Hill wrote:
On 19/11/2012 22:35, Spider wrote:
On 19/11/2012 21:23, shazzbat wrote:
"Dave wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, Wally wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather large bag of soot.

Soot from burning coal or wood?

Coal soot is likely to have quite high concentrations of heavy
metals so
I'd be wary of using it on the veg patch.

Other than that others may have better knowledge, it's mostly carbon so
not exactly a plant nutrient but may help condition the soil.


The idea of soot being good for the garden was an invention by chimney
sweeps to solve their disposal problem.

Steve





I'm not so sure. When I was little, there was always a heap of soot
down at the allotments where my father's plots were. I know my father
used it knowledgeably, as did other plot holders. I can't remember
whether it was to help blanch celery, or to deal with fungal diseases,
or something else. It was certainly valued. I wish he were still alive
to ask.


One use for fresh soot was to put around young plants; taking cane not
to get to close to them; then when slugs tried to cross it they were
killed. That was before slug pellets.
We always used it on freshly dug ground over the winter.


Yes, David and Sacha, I seem to remember him mentioning that, but I
don't think it was his primary use. He really knew what he was doing
and was glad to use it. I think he missed it when central heating
became the norm.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"Spider" wrote in message
...

snip

Yes, David and Sacha, I seem to remember him mentioning that, but I don't
think it was his primary use. He really knew what he was doing and was
glad to use it. I think he missed it when central heating became the
norm.

--
Spider

All this talk of soot awakened something in the 'race memory'. At the end of
the last war (WW2) we had an allotment and were all 'Digging for victory'.
Soot
was in great demand for the cultivation of onions and I have just got out
one of
Father's bibles - 'The New Vegetable Grower's Handbook' by Arthur J. Simons
published in 1945 in which he says about soot - 'So far as Onions are
concerned,
there is no finer nitrogenous fertiliser than household soot at least a year
old,
applied in February at the rate of 8ozs per saquare yard.'

So there you are, my memories of piles of soot, weathering at the end of
each plot were correct.

Phil

Thank you all for your replies
all read with interest

Wally

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2012-11-20 12:16:17 +0000, "Phil Gurr" said:


"Spider" wrote in message
...

snip

Yes, David and Sacha, I seem to remember him mentioning that, but I
don't
think it was his primary use. He really knew what he was doing and was
glad to use it. I think he missed it when central heating became the
norm.

--
Spider

All this talk of soot awakened something in the 'race memory'. At the end
of
the last war (WW2) we had an allotment and were all 'Digging for
victory'.
Soot
was in great demand for the cultivation of onions and I have just got out
one of
Father's bibles - 'The New Vegetable Grower's Handbook' by Arthur J.
Simons
published in 1945 in which he says about soot - 'So far as Onions are
concerned,
there is no finer nitrogenous fertiliser than household soot at least a
year
old,
applied in February at the rate of 8ozs per saquare yard.'

So there you are, my memories of piles of soot, weathering at the end of
each plot were correct.

Phil

Lovely, Phil, thanks. Grandpa certainly grew a lot of his own veg at the
bottom of the garden but I sort of think I remember him putting it round
roses, too. So it seems to have been an all-round popular addition to the
battery of garden 'accessories'!

Sacha, it was the sulphur compounds in the soot which were valuable for
roses.
They were an excellent protection against blackspot which was never seen in
towns with all the smoke pollution. Nowadays with clean air, blackspot is
rife!

Phil

On Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:59:10 +0000, Sacha wrote:

Yes, I can recall being told that in the days when city air was really
horrible, roses thrived!

Yeah but there were a lot more horses about as well. B-)

Our cool and damp winters don't do anything any favours. Below freezing
most of the time rather than just above would be so much nicer.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Wally" wrote in message
...
I have just swept my chimney and have a rather
large bag of soot.
When I was a lad I heard about people using soot
on there gardens and allotments.
Is this still a good thing to do and if so how should it
be used ??
I don't want to dump it if it can be of use on the allotment.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Wally


My grandfather used to lay soot aside for a year and then dig it into the
garden. He was superb at growing vegs.
and flowers

"Spider" wrote in message
...
On 19/11/2012 21:23, shazzbat wrote:
"Dave wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:23 -0000, Wally wrote:

I have just swept my chimney and have a rather large bag of soot.

Soot from burning coal or wood?

Coal soot is likely to have quite high concentrations of heavy metals so
I'd be wary of using it on the veg patch.

Other than that others may have better knowledge, it's mostly carbon so
not exactly a plant nutrient but may help condition the soil.


The idea of soot being good for the garden was an invention by chimney
sweeps to solve their disposal problem.

Steve





I'm not so sure. When I was little, there was always a heap of soot down
at the allotments where my father's plots were. I know my father used it
knowledgeably, as did other plot holders. I can't remember whether it was
to help blanch celery, or to deal with fungal diseases, or something else.
It was certainly valued. I wish he were still alive to ask.

My grandfather always dug soot in. He grew great vegetables.