Ashes in the garden

[coaly]

Thanks for the tips. I simply plant lots since they are so cheap and have tons of semi grown at season end. I see by doing the right thing I'll have real onions.

 

[DBoon]

32" x 28' - a nice big garden.

Well, the actual garden size is 28' x 70' - about 2000 square feet. Each dug and improved trench is 32" x 28'.

 

[Brenda66]

My late neighbor who had a wood stove (split wood into his 90s, passed away at age 98) always had the greatest vegetable gardens. He used to spread ashes from the wood stove into the garden soil. I wonder if anyone else does that and is it effective? I have a small pile that I may spread into the garden before planting anything - which be this weekend.

Ashes do make for enrichment in the soil. If you use them you should see healthy plants.

 

[Stelcom66]

Well, the actual garden size is 28' x 70' - about 2000 square feet. Each dug and improved trench is 32" x 28'.

Holy smokes, that's huge! More square footage than all of my house.

 

[Stelcom66]

Ashes do make for enrichment in the soil. If you use them you should see healthy plants.

Good to know. Also like the re-use / recycling aspect of it.

 

[semipro]

Heavy metals were phased out a while ago. Now there are only a few metals used like iron oxide for some reds.
The minimal quantity of anything harmful in the ash from using newpaper to start a fire seems to be almost nil.

Newspapers are no danger in the garden

A reader wanted to know: Could she safely use old issues of the Chicago Tribune as mulch in her vegetable garden? Do we use soy-based or petroleum-based ink? We don’t blame her for being worr…

www.chicagotribune.com

Is Newspaper Safe for Your Garden? - The Permaculture Research Institute

There is an ongoing debate in the agricultural world concerning the safety, or lack thereof, of news

www.permaculturenews.org

I remain cautious. Much printing now is done overseas where standards are not as strict as they are in the U.S.
And, although the concentrations may be low their effect may still be significant given their toxicity.

 

[begreen]

I remain cautious. Much printing now is done overseas where standards are not as strict as they are in the U.S.
And, although the concentrations may be low their effect may still be significant given their toxicity.

That is reasonable for long term publications, but local newspapers are printed locally. There is too much delay in shipping for time-sensitive newspapers. Still, there is no harm in remaining cautious if concerned. Maybe switch to SuperCedars for fire-starting so that this not an issue.

 

[billb3]

Many people plant onion sets too deep and they won't do much. Yes you want to grow huge tops before Summer Solstice. I find you can grow any of the short/med/long day onions up North . I've planted all three types repeatedly and find thy just start bulbing in progression with the short days ahead of the others and the middle days ahead of the long days - about two weeks apart for each type.
I've never had good luck with sets and they also tend to go to seed being biennials. I start my own bunches in vermiculite and have 6 to 8 week plants going into soil in early May/late April. I've tried earlier in April and the ground is just too wet/cold here. I find letting them grow in vermiculite indoors with some fertilizer even though they are crowded and stressed beats rotting away in the cold. I might try low tunnels next year to try to grow some really huge ones. Ailsa Craigs I've had good luck with growing huge. I like onions that store well though, too.

 

[begreen]

Good point about planting them too deep. They need to be close enough to the surface to bulb. FWIW, I've grown from sets and had great crops. This year we grew multiple varieties from sets. All turned out well. I've also grown from onion starts and had good luck with that crop too.

 

[Montanalocal]

Try growing Highlander onion transplants. They mature 2-3 weeks earlier than my Alisa Craig and Copra here at 5000 ft. elevation in central Montana. The early maturity gives me a jump on curing with our short season.

 

[Stelcom66]

I'm looking forward to cooler weather for scallions to start growing again. This summer has been terrible (hot).