I've been dumping mine in my garden spot for years. It doesn't do much good but it makes them go away as they get turned into the soil in the spring.
Where do you dump your Ashes
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Last year was my 1st year burning hard and i had a fair amount of ashes and dumped them a few places on the lawn. Big mistake. Those spots were dead most of the summer (they did finally come back after a lot of rain). Be careful. So far this year I just dumped mine in a pile in a spot nothing is going to get damage..i'll figure out what to do with them this spring.
Hand trowel into old metal painter's bucket. Use trowel to throw up in air over lawn to distribute. And cover myself in ashes even trying to throw ashes downwind. 
lmao... I just throw the whole bucket of ashes into the air and run like hell...... I always try to be up wind but i have been chased by ash on more then one occasion!Hand trowel into old metal painter's bucket. Use trowel to throw up in air over lawn to distribute. And cover myself in ashes even trying to throw ashes downwind.
CincyBurner
Minister of Fire
Ashes go outside into an ash can with lid set on concrete pad to cool down several days, after which I wait for a not too windy evening with rain in forecast. (The neighbors no longer appreciate sight of drifting wood ash, even if they'd pay for it as a component of their turf fertilization).
Much goes in turf, a little goes in compost. if conditions are bad some goes on drive & walk, where I don't walk, but our mailman does.
Much goes in turf, a little goes in compost. if conditions are bad some goes on drive & walk, where I don't walk, but our mailman does.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Funny that I'm reading this, as my idea from yesterday is shedding some light, my normal routine is to scoop out of the stove and into a metal ash bucket, wait for the coals and stuff to cool, after a few days I just dump in a big swoosh into the woods ( the dust hitting the ground looks cool lol) I'm about to bight into some walnut wood mixed with ash & oak, walnut ash is a natural growth inhibitor for small ground plants, my plan it to start emptying the ash into spots that have thorn bushes growing that I can't get rid of, hopefully I can naturally slow these vine thorns down some by doing this.
Mine go onto a steel drum in the shed. Then used on the driveway for traction. Cheaper than salt. I live on a hill, and almost daily pull trailers up and down it. So I have to stay on top of keeping it from being too slippery
I spread them over my veggie patches or put them in the compost. The garden doesn't seem to mind all the nails that end up in there from the fence palings and pallet wood.
Beer Belly
Minister of Fire
Mine go into a metal can. Then when it’s half filled, I fill the other half of the can with water and stir. I let that sit for about two days, then I bury them. Trust me, do not mess around w them. I had a fire. A big one. After I thought they were cool after a week or so. They obviously were not.
It is crazy how long they can stay hot for. Mine go in a can which gets set on concrete out by the cat box, sits for a week, then gets dumped in the compost pile.
Mine go into a small metal garbage can, stored in the yard for weeks. Maybe 15 gallon size. Lite enough to carry out to my woods ash pile. The pile is 20 years old. Maybe 6' diameter and 4' high. So the new ash goes on top of wet ash. I don't see an issue with starting a fire. Beware the coals will be dormant in the ash for weeks. exposed to air they will relite.
I haven't used ash in the driveway. I think I would be tracking black coals into the house. But If it was out away from the house it might be ok.
I haven't used ash in the driveway. I think I would be tracking black coals into the house. But If it was out away from the house it might be ok.
I've used the ash in the past to gain traction for a vehicle stuck in our uphill driveway. It definitely helped. Fortunately, this is a rare event.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
Hi,
new member here dredging up old threads writing far too much
Since deciding last year to supplement/ decrease our dependence upon electric oil-filled type heaters (Dimplex and Delongi), I'm running a modern, high efficiency 8KW Panadero Delice/ Dover stove. I mean, in 2021 we had decided to go all gas and then world events made the cost of propane gas skyrocket...so we went wood, cuz we have lots of wood.
Ashes disposal is a real issue and I've wondered what others do in an effort to arrive at a workable solution.
So it's
1- what to do with the hot ashes
and
2- best way to dispose or compost of the extinguished ashes and coals
1: what I do with hot ashes:
daily, I empty the ashtray into a metal bucket;
and immediately add to a 40 liter galvanized can that I have behind the house which sits on cement and use a slightly larger galvanized can as a lid which is quite heavy.
It takes about a month of burning 24/7 to fill up the 40 liter can.
Then I have a 50L plastic garbage can which has (assumed) extinguished ashes about half full. I dig a hole in the center of the "cold" ashes, and with a small planting type shovel or grain scoop and put "hot" ashes into the hole in the plastic bucket, ensuring no hot ashes touch the plastic.
2: so what to do with plastic can once it's full?
My property is about 4 acres in French farmland.
-Filling holes in the ground: I had an apple orchard at the end of its life when I bought the place and the old trees now long gone, I had filled in a few stump holes with ashes. Big mistake; ashes dry hard as cement. I also filled in several post holes. So I have stopped doing this.
-Adding to burn pile area: I've done this in several places, but I've really decreased my brush burning and have been taking to the dump the last couple years. I've go e back to burning in cans, but it's just too time consuming to burn brush waste.
-Spreading directly on the dirt/ grassy fields. I've read this to make the soil too alkaline.
-Adding to compost: I have a large compost and have been adding ashes to it. Yes, this is an excellent solution; the alkaline of ashes nullifies the stench of the acid-based, rotting compost. BUT, I have much more ashes than compost and my compost is going out of Ph balance with too much ash.
-Know someone who needs to fill a massive hole. I do have this option; I haven't asked him yet, but I'm sure he'll say yes.
I mean, otherwise we're throwing the cold ashes in the trash? And in my area, the trash is about to become more highly regulated than ever before.
Frankly, I don't have a perfect solution yet.
new member here dredging up old threads writing far too much
Since deciding last year to supplement/ decrease our dependence upon electric oil-filled type heaters (Dimplex and Delongi), I'm running a modern, high efficiency 8KW Panadero Delice/ Dover stove. I mean, in 2021 we had decided to go all gas and then world events made the cost of propane gas skyrocket...so we went wood, cuz we have lots of wood.
Ashes disposal is a real issue and I've wondered what others do in an effort to arrive at a workable solution.
So it's
1- what to do with the hot ashes
and
2- best way to dispose or compost of the extinguished ashes and coals
1: what I do with hot ashes:
daily, I empty the ashtray into a metal bucket;
and immediately add to a 40 liter galvanized can that I have behind the house which sits on cement and use a slightly larger galvanized can as a lid which is quite heavy.
It takes about a month of burning 24/7 to fill up the 40 liter can.
Then I have a 50L plastic garbage can which has (assumed) extinguished ashes about half full. I dig a hole in the center of the "cold" ashes, and with a small planting type shovel or grain scoop and put "hot" ashes into the hole in the plastic bucket, ensuring no hot ashes touch the plastic.
2: so what to do with plastic can once it's full?
My property is about 4 acres in French farmland.
-Filling holes in the ground: I had an apple orchard at the end of its life when I bought the place and the old trees now long gone, I had filled in a few stump holes with ashes. Big mistake; ashes dry hard as cement. I also filled in several post holes. So I have stopped doing this.
-Adding to burn pile area: I've done this in several places, but I've really decreased my brush burning and have been taking to the dump the last couple years. I've go e back to burning in cans, but it's just too time consuming to burn brush waste.
-Spreading directly on the dirt/ grassy fields. I've read this to make the soil too alkaline.
-Adding to compost: I have a large compost and have been adding ashes to it. Yes, this is an excellent solution; the alkaline of ashes nullifies the stench of the acid-based, rotting compost. BUT, I have much more ashes than compost and my compost is going out of Ph balance with too much ash.
-Know someone who needs to fill a massive hole. I do have this option; I haven't asked him yet, but I'm sure he'll say yes.
I mean, otherwise we're throwing the cold ashes in the trash? And in my area, the trash is about to become more highly regulated than ever before.
Frankly, I don't have a perfect solution yet.
That could be true if there is a lot of limestone already in the area but it would take a whole lot more than the stove produces to make a major change over a few acres. What is the pH of the native soil?
Sounds like the pile has gone anaerobic, it's probably too wet or imbalanced. A healthy aerobic compost pile doesn't smell bad.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
Natural pH? Granite, sedimentary rock in red clay; so acid- certainly not alkaline!
well, compost is my mother-in-law's area, she's the gardener...we do what we can
there's no science going on...just following the nose
aaaand it is exceptionally wet here; I have never seen a wetter year than 2023
this compost pile is in a plastic container
photos to come
I remember a post with pics last year where someone put their "cold" ashes in their plastic garbage can. Ended up with a garbage can fire as the ashes weren't cold enough.
I use a small galvanized can with a lid on my concrete front porch. I empty it in my garden spot, by spring it's leached into the soil and turned in when I plow.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
I've got two plastic cans with cold ashes...one sitting in the garden from last year
this year's can just got a few scoops put in last night
it is very wet here
these can lids are on nice and tight...but obviously unwise
I'm much more concerned the ruin next door will collapse than experiencing any fire damage...did I say it's wet here yet ;-P
pics to come soon
this year's can just got a few scoops put in last night
it is very wet here
these can lids are on nice and tight...but obviously unwise
I'm much more concerned the ruin next door will collapse than experiencing any fire damage...did I say it's wet here yet ;-P
pics to come soon
They go into a 5 gal pail and anytime it's going to rain I empty it onto the burn pile ashes.
I don't clean ashes out the stove more than once every two or three weeks. The frequency obviously depends on the size of the stove, how much wood you are burning, and what species, so your results may be very different.
The ashes go in a 10 gallon covered metal can, which then goes outside in a larger metal can with a lid. I leave then there for at least 4 or 5 days, and usually longer. I've got two pairs of cans in case I need to clean again before the first set has aged enough.
Once the 10 gallon can has been outside long enough and is at outside temperature, the ashes are spread over garden space. I've got a few acres available, so they go in a different section each time. There are some plant species that don't tolerate ashes, but it's easy enough to look up whatever you are growing. I avoid my blueberries. Most plant species that I grow thrive on the minerals in the ashes, and it helps reduce the slug population a little.
The ashes go in a 10 gallon covered metal can, which then goes outside in a larger metal can with a lid. I leave then there for at least 4 or 5 days, and usually longer. I've got two pairs of cans in case I need to clean again before the first set has aged enough.
Once the 10 gallon can has been outside long enough and is at outside temperature, the ashes are spread over garden space. I've got a few acres available, so they go in a different section each time. There are some plant species that don't tolerate ashes, but it's easy enough to look up whatever you are growing. I avoid my blueberries. Most plant species that I grow thrive on the minerals in the ashes, and it helps reduce the slug population a little.
When I lived in the city it went on the sidewalks as grit.
I’m the suburbs it goes on the garden. In the country, the base of a small tree.
I’m the suburbs it goes on the garden. In the country, the base of a small tree.
Metal garbage can until summer time then I put it out in piles for my chickens to take dust baths. They seem to really like it.
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