We got freezing rain over night here, so everything is slick as sh*t. so slick that my wife couldn't even get her van up our almost flat driveway, and when she stopped she'd just slide back out into the street. Husband to the rescue, grabbed the bucket of ashes and started shoveling it out onto the driveway. Worked like a charm.
100 and 1 uses for ash
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Good idea. I save 2 metal garbage cans full and till it into the garden in the spring. I have thought about dumping some real fine ash into my broadcast spreader and applying it to my lawn before a rain.
Jeff
Jeff
We use it for the same thing, though last year I had to be careful because I was burning old lath for kindling and would occasionally miss a nail.
We don't use it in the garden much because the soil here is already pretty basic (pH > 7).
We don't use it in the garden much because the soil here is already pretty basic (pH > 7).
My dad does that at his house & it works good. If it's sunny the dark ash will melt into the ice.
I mix mine into the compost, but still need more uses. No long sloped driveway here.
Just learned from a series linked from the Greenroom that ash is also high in potasium, which is why it was commonly called Potash.
I mix mine into the compost, but still need more uses. No long sloped driveway here.
Just learned from a series linked from the Greenroom that ash is also high in potasium, which is why it was commonly called Potash.
Okay, google came through with 10 from this page: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1581470,00.html Some are common knowledge here,
Use wood ashes to:
1. De-skunk pets. A handful rubbed on Fido's coat neutralizes the lingering odor.
2. Hide stains on paving. This Old House technical editor Mark Powers absorbs wet paint spatters on cement by sprinkling ash directly on the spot; it blends in with a scuff of his boot,
3. Enrich compost. Before the organic compound get applied to soil, enhance its nutrients by sprinkling in a few ashes, says the host of radio's You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath. Adding too much, though, ruins the mix.
4. Block garden pests. Spread evenly around garden beds, ash repels slugs and snails.
5. Melt ice. TOH building editor Tom Baker finds it adds traction and de-ices without hurting soil or concrete underneath.
6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassiumm to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth,
7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting,
8. Clean glass fireplace doors. A damp sponge dipped in the dust scrubs away sooty residue.
9. Make soap. Soaking ashes in water makes lye, which can be mixed with animal fat and then boiled to produce soap. Salt makes it harden as it cools.
10. Shine silver. A paste of ash and water makes a dandy nontoxic metal polisher.
Use wood ashes to:
1. De-skunk pets. A handful rubbed on Fido's coat neutralizes the lingering odor.
2. Hide stains on paving. This Old House technical editor Mark Powers absorbs wet paint spatters on cement by sprinkling ash directly on the spot; it blends in with a scuff of his boot,
3. Enrich compost. Before the organic compound get applied to soil, enhance its nutrients by sprinkling in a few ashes, says the host of radio's You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath. Adding too much, though, ruins the mix.
4. Block garden pests. Spread evenly around garden beds, ash repels slugs and snails.
5. Melt ice. TOH building editor Tom Baker finds it adds traction and de-ices without hurting soil or concrete underneath.
6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassiumm to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth,
7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting,
8. Clean glass fireplace doors. A damp sponge dipped in the dust scrubs away sooty residue.
9. Make soap. Soaking ashes in water makes lye, which can be mixed with animal fat and then boiled to produce soap. Salt makes it harden as it cools.
10. Shine silver. A paste of ash and water makes a dandy nontoxic metal polisher.
I keep a full can of ash in the blacksmith shop. I use it to slow the cooling of cast iron after welding, bury the part deep in ash. I also use it to slowly cool tool steel if I have to soften it (anealing).
Reaching now: Some more info plagerised from many sources, all UNCONFIRMED, some decidedly DANGEROUS. Remember, ash is caustic.
Fertilizer
Ash contains potash (potassium carbonate), phosphate, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc and can be quite beneficial as a natural fertilizer... sometimes. Wood ash increases the pH or alkalinity of soil, so use sparingly. The University of North Carolina Cooperative Extension recommends using wood charcoal mixed with wood ash as an amendment to garden soil. Charcoal helps bind soil nutrients, including potash provided by wood ash, to keep them from leaching from the soil. Some references to mixing with urine as an enhanced fertilizer.
I've just now learned that Ash in contact with fresh greens in compost can actually turn nitrogen to ammonia. Better to add to finished compost befor spreading or just add sparringly when you're putting lots of browns in (like the fall leaves).
How to make Lye with Ashes: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lye Be Careful.
11. As a spot remover on wood furniture. Mix it in with a small amount of water until you create a paste. Rub over rings left by water glasses or hot beverages, and follow up with a furniture polish. Test on a small area first.
12. In the chicken yard (keeps down the smell and insects) chickens will dust bathe in them too.
13. Can be used as leavening for bread by putting the ash in a box, mixing plenty of water in and catching it in a pan below the box.
14. Concrete additive
15. Mine tailing rehabilitation-alkaline wood ash neutralizes acidic mine tailings and adds fertilizer values promoting growth and rehabilitation.
16. Oil and Acid Spill Cleanup. Very absoptive.
17. Ingredient in creating potasium nitrate for gunpowder.
18. You can make an effective stove or furnace cement from a mixture of wood ashes and common salt that has been mixed with enough water to make a thick paste that is spread over any holes or leaks that have formed on the body of the stove or furnace. When the things heats up the cement sets on the leak sealing the leak. It can also be used to join lengths of stove pipe, or in most applications where fireclay is used. More wood ash cement info @ (broken link removed)
19. Making "Century Eggs". Yep, edible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg
20. Used as a component in some ceramic glaze recipes.
21. Ashes > lye = ingredient for making biodiesel.
22. For drawing out insect hairs and stingers. And with that it relieves the itch/sting.
23. Helps blood to clot from cuts.
24. As an antacid.
25. Foot powder to kill fungus.
26. With dried corn to make Aztec dish "nixtamal"
27. Fire Extinguisher (really? not in my insert...)
28. Melt ice-dams on the roof.
29. If you wrap a dry cured ham in cheese cloth and bury it in wood ashes, it will keep for up to 3 months without refrigeration. Yum!
30. Used in tanning hides.
31. To unclog drains.
32. Put wood ash on fresh wood when pruning trees - to help the tree heal.
33. Insulation.
34. Can etch aluminum.
35. Can slow corrosion on steel.
36. To clean greasy pans when camping.
Fertilizer
Ash contains potash (potassium carbonate), phosphate, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc and can be quite beneficial as a natural fertilizer... sometimes. Wood ash increases the pH or alkalinity of soil, so use sparingly. The University of North Carolina Cooperative Extension recommends using wood charcoal mixed with wood ash as an amendment to garden soil. Charcoal helps bind soil nutrients, including potash provided by wood ash, to keep them from leaching from the soil. Some references to mixing with urine as an enhanced fertilizer.
I've just now learned that Ash in contact with fresh greens in compost can actually turn nitrogen to ammonia. Better to add to finished compost befor spreading or just add sparringly when you're putting lots of browns in (like the fall leaves).
How to make Lye with Ashes: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lye Be Careful.
11. As a spot remover on wood furniture. Mix it in with a small amount of water until you create a paste. Rub over rings left by water glasses or hot beverages, and follow up with a furniture polish. Test on a small area first.
12. In the chicken yard (keeps down the smell and insects) chickens will dust bathe in them too.
13. Can be used as leavening for bread by putting the ash in a box, mixing plenty of water in and catching it in a pan below the box.
14. Concrete additive
15. Mine tailing rehabilitation-alkaline wood ash neutralizes acidic mine tailings and adds fertilizer values promoting growth and rehabilitation.
16. Oil and Acid Spill Cleanup. Very absoptive.
17. Ingredient in creating potasium nitrate for gunpowder.
18. You can make an effective stove or furnace cement from a mixture of wood ashes and common salt that has been mixed with enough water to make a thick paste that is spread over any holes or leaks that have formed on the body of the stove or furnace. When the things heats up the cement sets on the leak sealing the leak. It can also be used to join lengths of stove pipe, or in most applications where fireclay is used. More wood ash cement info @ (broken link removed)
19. Making "Century Eggs". Yep, edible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_egg
20. Used as a component in some ceramic glaze recipes.
21. Ashes > lye = ingredient for making biodiesel.
22. For drawing out insect hairs and stingers. And with that it relieves the itch/sting.
23. Helps blood to clot from cuts.
24. As an antacid.
25. Foot powder to kill fungus.
26. With dried corn to make Aztec dish "nixtamal"
27. Fire Extinguisher (really? not in my insert...)
28. Melt ice-dams on the roof.
29. If you wrap a dry cured ham in cheese cloth and bury it in wood ashes, it will keep for up to 3 months without refrigeration. Yum!
30. Used in tanning hides.
31. To unclog drains.
32. Put wood ash on fresh wood when pruning trees - to help the tree heal.
33. Insulation.
34. Can etch aluminum.
35. Can slow corrosion on steel.
36. To clean greasy pans when camping.
Some good information there on ashes. Thanks for posting that.
On melting ice and snow; the reason is that dirty snow melts quicker than clean snow because it soaks up the heat from the sun. Clean stuff doesn't soak up that heat. That is also why you see those rings around the trees in the spring. The heat of the sun is soaked up in the tree.
On melting ice and snow; the reason is that dirty snow melts quicker than clean snow because it soaks up the heat from the sun. Clean stuff doesn't soak up that heat. That is also why you see those rings around the trees in the spring. The heat of the sun is soaked up in the tree.
Also the salts in ash change the melting point of water slightly - same principal as spreading rock salt on drive ways.
works great if ya sprinkle it over dog crap :cheese:
always have some for the walkway in winter, comes in the house but who cares ;-) as long as ya dont break a hip !!
loon
always have some for the walkway in winter, comes in the house but who cares ;-) as long as ya dont break a hip !!
loon
I have used a thick coat to kill unwanted plants.
I use it as a pottery glaze ingredient
I have used it in curing deer hide
I use it as a pottery glaze ingredient
I have used it in curing deer hide
Don't put ash on your veggie garden. Trust me, more trouble than it's worth. Ash needs a few years breaking down in moderation in the compost pile.
ps. It works great at Cone 10, AP.
ps. It works great at Cone 10, AP.
mainstation, we've put ash on our garden ever since we burned wood. There is no problem.......so long as you spread it thin. If you just dump it in the garden, then it certainly is bad. Spread it thin like you would lime and it works nicely. Around these parts we call it poor man's lime.
loon said:
What is on the walkway . . . dog crap or ashes?
Just kidding . . . I often sprinkle ash on my driveway . . . but by the time I get inside most of the ash has come off . . . thanks to a couple of rugs that catch the stuff . . . plus we take the shoes off in the MudRoom.
mainstation said:
Yup- I'm doing woodfire, so cone 10 is a puddle anyway
I have used it in the garden for many years, as well as in my compost pile. never an issue- but we have acidic soil here and I don't go too thick with it.
I have never had luck with Stove ash in the veggie garden. I compost it but use the compost for shrubs and flowers. The field to the west of my property pastures 5 horses so I use them to keep the veggie garden fresh.
I can see it as a neutralizing agent, but in moderation .
I can see it as a neutralizing agent, but in moderation .
It has lots of potassium and calcium as well. Calcium loving plants usually do not need supplemental calcium, however- calcium issues are usually due to pH problems, or to uneven watering. Blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers is all due to uneven (dry then too wet) watering causing a calcium problem: no amount of ash or eggshells will fix it, but mulch might.
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