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Bonfire ash a soggy mess
Had a big bonfire the other day and then the rains came. Bonfire ash as in
heading. Will it lose anything as it dries out? We normally put it into the compost heap bit by bit or mix it with the compost as we sieve that out of the compost heap. Suggestions welcome. Mike --------------------------------------------------------------- www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com www.rneba.org.uk www.nsrafa.org |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
"'Mike'" wrote in message
... Had a big bonfire the other day and then the rains came. Bonfire ash as in heading. Will it lose anything as it dries out? We normally put it into the compost heap bit by bit or mix it with the compost as we sieve that out of the compost heap. Suggestions welcome. Wood ash, AKA "Lye" is what you need to manufacture your own soap. |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
"'Mike'" wrote in message ... Had a big bonfire the other day and then the rains came. Bonfire ash as in heading. Will it lose anything as it dries out? We normally put it into the compost heap bit by bit or mix it with the compost as we sieve that out of the compost heap. Suggestions welcome. How dtd you get a bonfire going with wood still saturated even before the current rain? Tried a bonfire a few days ago but no way would any wood burn. Just smouldering then even that ceased after10 minures or so. |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
"Frank Booth" wrote in message
o.uk... "'Mike'" wrote in message ... Had a big bonfire the other day and then the rains came. Bonfire ash as in heading. Will it lose anything as it dries out? We normally put it into the compost heap bit by bit or mix it with the compost as we sieve that out of the compost heap. Suggestions welcome. How dtd you get a bonfire going with wood still saturated even before the current rain? Tried a bonfire a few days ago but no way would any wood burn. Just smouldering then even that ceased after10 minures or so. ================================================ From the bottom up ...... A bag of shredded paper from the shredder. The screwed up separated sheets of a couple of Radio Times. A couple of cardboard boxes torn up. Dry kindling wood. Dry twigs and small branches shed by the tees in the wind. Some plain wood from an old 'Bee Hive Compost Bin' which had rotted. Dry/Damp leaves. Bigger and slightly wetter 'stuff'. The heat from the dry stuff at the bottom soon dries out the damper stuff and eventually dries the wetter stuff by the time the fire gets there. When the flames and heat eventually die right down, I cover the whole lot in the damper wetter stuff and let it get on with itself. Still in the following morning. Mike --------------------------------------------------------------- www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com www.rneba.org.uk www.nsrafa.org |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
"'Mike'" wrote in message ... Had a big bonfire the other day and then the rains came. Bonfire ash as in heading. Will it lose anything as it dries out? We normally put it into the compost heap bit by bit or mix it with the compost as we sieve that out of the compost heap. Suggestions welcome. Mike Just fling it on your heap. Surely your heap gets rained on.? I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
... "'Mike'" wrote in message ... Had a big bonfire the other day and then the rains came. Bonfire ash as in heading. Will it lose anything as it dries out? We normally put it into the compost heap bit by bit or mix it with the compost as we sieve that out of the compost heap. Suggestions welcome. Mike Just fling it on your heap. Surely your heap gets rained on.? I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok ================================================== That's what I thought but it seems to be such a soggy mess now and I feel sure it will take some sorting out and 'separating'. As far as the ash from the log fire is concerned, that is scattered from the tray so it is always dry. Thanks again. Mike --------------------------------------------------------------- www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com www.rneba.org.uk www.nsrafa.org |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
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Bonfire ash a soggy mess
On 26/01/2014 17:18, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In article , says... I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok So do I, except for the egg shells. I've found that even after 2 years, they do not seem to rot and are still identifyable. Calcium carbonate doesn't rot but if you smash them down a bit harder with a spade they are no longer idenifiable as egg shells. It is all good drainage and a source of calcium in the soil. I tend to put wood ash on the fruit trees and bushes for maximum benefit. Onions seem to like it too. The original wet ash will have lost some of its soluble potash content and you may find that the grss that regrows where the bonfire was will be rather more lush than neighbouring grass as a result. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
"Martin Brown" wrote in message ...
On 26/01/2014 17:18, Roger Tonkin wrote: In article , says... I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok So do I, except for the egg shells. I've found that even after 2 years, they do not seem to rot and are still identifyable. Calcium carbonate doesn't rot but if you smash them down a bit harder with a spade they are no longer idenifiable as egg shells. It is all good drainage and a source of calcium in the soil. I tend to put wood ash on the fruit trees and bushes for maximum benefit. Onions seem to like it too. The original wet ash will have lost some of its soluble potash content and you may find that the grss that regrows where the bonfire was will be rather more lush than neighbouring grass as a result. -- Regards, Martin Brown ================================================== == No fear of any grass growing again here, it's in its own concreted area with concrete block walls!! Mike --------------------------------------------------------------- www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com www.rneba.org.uk www.nsrafa.org |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
In article ,
says... On 26/01/2014 17:18, Roger Tonkin wrote: In article , says... I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok So do I, except for the egg shells. I've found that even after 2 years, they do not seem to rot and are still identifyable. Calcium carbonate doesn't rot but if you smash them down a bit harder with a spade they are no longer idenifiable as egg shells. It is all good drainage and a source of calcium in the soil. I find eggshells completely "disappear" in the compost, if you crunch the shells in your hand before tossing them in the kitchen bin. Also prevents witches putting to sea in the shell which must be a good thing. I tend to put wood ash on the fruit trees and bushes for maximum benefit. Onions seem to like it too. So do clematis. Janet |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
On 26/01/2014 17:18, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In article , says... I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok So do I, except for the egg shells. I've found that even after 2 years, they do not seem to rot and are still identifyable. I don't compost egg shells, either. Apart from their tendency to persist rather than break down, I worry it would make the compost too alkaline for use with acid-loving plants. Egg shells are probably better kept to use crushed around the base of Clematis, providing snail protection as well as increasing alkalinity. -- Spider. On high ground in SE London gardening on heavy clay |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
In article ,
Spider wrote: On 26/01/2014 17:18, Roger Tonkin wrote: In article , says... I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok So do I, except for the egg shells. I've found that even after 2 years, they do not seem to rot and are still identifyable. I do. And bones, and seafood shells. The only ones that are nearly immortal are oyster shells. I don't compost egg shells, either. Apart from their tendency to persist rather than break down, I worry it would make the compost too alkaline for use with acid-loving plants. It doesn't! Egg shells are probably better kept to use crushed around the base of Clematis, providing snail protection as well as increasing alkalinity. A reasonable use for them, though I don't bother. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
On 27/01/2014 15:13, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Spider wrote: On 26/01/2014 17:18, Roger Tonkin wrote: In article , says... I put ash from my woodburner, teabags, eggshells, veg peelings,chicken muck on my heap and after a year into my veg patch. Seems to work Ok So do I, except for the egg shells. I've found that even after 2 years, they do not seem to rot and are still identifyable. I do. And bones, and seafood shells. The only ones that are nearly immortal are oyster shells. I don't compost egg shells, either. Apart from their tendency to persist rather than break down, I worry it would make the compost too alkaline for use with acid-loving plants. It doesn't! Egg shells are probably better kept to use crushed around the base of Clematis, providing snail protection as well as increasing alkalinity. A reasonable use for them, though I don't bother. Regards, Nick Maclaren. If you keep chickens then recycle the shells. dry them in the oven so there is no taste of egg then just crush them and use as poultry grit. |
Bonfire ash a soggy mess
In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says... If you keep chickens then recycle the shells. dry them in the oven so there is no taste of egg then just crush them and use as poultry grit. I would advise against that, eating their own shells can lead to shell-pecking in the nest box. Better to give them oyster grit. Janet |
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