[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Ashes





In a message dated 11/20/99 2:38:36 AM, newman@bcinternet.net writes:

<<I'd appreciate any input on this little question.

I have a wood stove and have been putting the ashes on my vegetable garden. I
understand they are quite rich in potassium. I use newspaper to start the 
fire. How
much of a contaminant is the lead (or anything else) in the newsprint?

Jeffrey in central British Columbia>>

Decades ago, Organic Gardening magazine did a study of mulch using 
newspapers.  This was at a time when use of lead-based inks was common.   
Despite incorporation of large amounts of newspapers into the soil, they 
could not find any measurable increase in soil lead or in lead uptake of a 
variety of vegetables.  Don't worry.

Apply ash to soil gingerly, in repeated small applicatons.  It is basically 
chemical fertilizer and has an immediate alkaline reaction.   Do NOT apply 
ash to compost piles, manure piles or home shitters of various sorts (e.g., 
outhouses, composting toilets) as it will drive off nitrogen into the atmosphe
re.   Ash also has insecticidal properties when dusted on crop leaves, for 
example in control of damage by striped cucumber beetles.

Avoid use on ericaceous plants such as azaleas or blueberries.  Because it 
has a lye-like property, it can be used to callous "seed" potatoes after 
cutting so you can plant them very soon after you have cut them.  (Potatoes 
tolerate acid conditions but grow best at pH of 6.5.  They are grown in acid 
conditions to ihnibit scab disease.   The ashes will not hurt them and will 
supply some of the potassium that they need.)

Wood ash contains valuable trace minerals and I use it under inoculated 
legumes to feed the rhizobia that fix nitrogen in the roots of the legume 
crop.  You will get a huge increase in N fixation if you do this. 

enough for now.

For Mother Earth, Dan Hemenway, Yankee Permaculture Publications (since 
1982), Elfin Permaculture workshops, lectures, Permaculture Design Courses, 
consulting and permaculture designs (since 1981), and annual correspondence 
courses via email. Our online course began Oct. 24, late registrations 
accepted.  Copyright, 1999, Dan & Cynthia Hemenway, P.O. Box 52, Sparr FL 
32192 USA.  Internships. YankeePerm@aol.com  

We don't have time to rush.

A list by topic of all Yankee Permaculture titles may be found at 
http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/ypc_catalog.html
Elfin Permaculture programs are listed at the Eastern Permaculture Teachers 
assn home page: http://home.ptd.net/~artrod/epta/eptahmp.html