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ash from the barbecue - good for the garden?

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TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: ash from the barbecue - good for the garden?
    Posted: 26 April 2011 at 14:14

i'm sure we've batted this topic around a little before, but if so, i can't recall -

naturally, doing a lot of barbecue, we end up having a lot of ash, and i usually spread it around on our garden plot, which will hopefully be tilled this weekend, or possibly next. we also spread it out over the lawn quite a bit.
 
is there a point where there's too much of a good thing?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 April 2011 at 14:33
Yes, actually. The ash from briquettes and wood will turn your soil very "base" or alkaline in short order when you are putting it in a compost heap or a garden. I 've learned that the hard way. Nothing wrong with putting "some" in your garden soil over the winter, but be careful. One time application from a long -burn SnP (say brisket, wood only) for an entire year. Any more and you are going to have to correct the soil if you want a better vegetable garden.
 
If your ash includes briquettes, you are introducing a lot of other stuff as well, not necessarily bad, but certainly not what you want in your vegetable garden. My experience says stay away from doing that at all and if you are going to put ash anywhere, put it into a compost heap where it will have a few years to combine and dissolve.
 
A couple years back I stopped putting ash in either my vegetable garden or compost heap once I learned more about the decomposition and pH and resultant "stuff". I now have an "ash pit" or hole where I put it, or once cooled, send it to the landfill.
 
If your lawn is too acidic, then sure sprinkle the ash over it in the spring and let it combine over the summer. It can only help.
 
What I would recommend, is taking some scoops of your lawn soil, or garden, to the county extension service and have it analysed and they will give you a chemical breakdown of exactly what you need for under $10.
 
I do this every other year and it is a fantastic service from our tax dollars.
 
 
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HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 February 2012 at 10:43
To give you an idea how little you need. Alliums, like garlic, are heavy feeders. Basic fertilizer for them is blood meal, bone meal, and wood ashes. But you only spread this at the rate of one cup of each per ten row feet
 
And I agree with the guest above; there are two many additives in briquettes that I don't want in my garden.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DaveOmak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 March 2012 at 00:57
I put all my ash from the BBQ and pellet stove in my garden....  The alkalinity, I offset it with ammonium sulfate...   The way I figure it... the trees grew for many years and extracted minerals that my veggies would love for me to eat....  they just need a little help from the sulfur to break them down.... It would be nice to do all this organically....  Intensive gardening calls for a little help...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marissa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 March 2012 at 07:42
My family farm is on crazy acidic soil (about 5.0) so all the ash from the fireplaces goes out on the areas that are being newly cultivated. Once you have a good pH though, you want to stop adding the ash. At my house in town, I already have alkaline soil (7.5-8.0) so I'l still trying to figure out what to do with the ash...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Aspen Hill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 March 2012 at 18:42
I do put some ashes in the compost pile but, most of it gets used on the driveway to melt snow.
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