Wood Ashes

[doak]

Do you think Wood Ashes would sell?
I am producing about 1&1/2 gallons a day. Running the big wood heater 24/7.
What say Ye? :)doak

[David LaFerney]

Sure - Put it in a small package, charge plenty, stamp "Organic" on it - and sell it through a "boutique".

[Natalie]

Bio char is very good for the garden, if you are burning this stuff on low for a longer time then you will produce more of a biochar than ash that people that are educated about it should buy.
If not, educate them about it.
Even ash is useful for things like a dustbath for chickens.
If I were you I would look up all the things that ash is good for and print it out to help you sell it but otherwise go for producing biochar if you can as that is better than ash for your gardens.

[Brian D. Bray]

Wood ash is good for a number of things; dust bath for birds, composting (can also be used in place of the vermiculite in potting soil),  soap making (wood ash = lye), cat litter, and a bunch more.  Package it in 5lb packages and sell as organic at $1.00 lb, adding some of the uses might help sell it.

[Scadsobees]

I put ash on my garden like my dad did too, and I was wondering how much I can safely put on it? (I do burn on low, but its all white ash)
Once I put some on a hydrangea and the dumb thing up and died on me, so I'm a little shy of too much from now on.  My garden is 30x30 and I get maybe 3 gallons of ash in 2 weeks or so.

[Kathyp]

i think they like an acid soil.

[Natalie]

For hydrangeas they can go either way with alkaline or acidic soil depending what color you want the blooms to be, pink or blue.
I add different things depending what color I want them to be.
You may be adding too much ash all together if it died on you right after using the ash.
I personally have never used regular wood ash so I am not sure how much you should be using but I saw a post on a garden forum that cautioned against using too much of it.
I also heard that at a garden workshop I took last summer.
I have used bio char which is just wood burned much slower on a lower temp so instead of ash you get this black char, small, black and shiny pieces and it doesn't wash away like ash.
Maybe you should do a soil test before using ash this year just to be sure it needs it.

[Brian D. Bray]

I put ash on my garden like my dad did too, and I was wondering how much I can safely put on it? (I do burn on low, but its all white ash)
Once I put some on a hydrangea and the dumb thing up and died on me, so I'm a little shy of too much from now on.  My garden is 30x30 and I get maybe 3 gallons of ash in 2 weeks or so.

Putting wood ash on your garden is the same as adding a bag of lime.  Rendered wood ash produces lye.  So the wood ash will sour the soil a bit, good for blueberries.

[treeoflife]

You don't want to put wood ashes on blueberries. Ashes SWEETEN the soil, blueberries need acidic soil.

[doak]

A big yes, you have to use according to what plant you have and as a soil amendment. :)doak

[iddee]

I use a teaspoon of hardwood ash mixed with a can of dog or cat food for worming them. You won't find a better wormer.

[doak]

We use to put some in the pig slop now and then. :shock: :)doak

[annette]

Well when I was in India, the local village people would wash their dishes with the ashes (mixed with a bit of water, looks like a mud) and also when leaving the latrine, there was always a pile of ashes to use to wash ones hands.(again mixed with water)

I saw them disinfect a dog's wounds with ashes.

[Brian D. Bray]

Wood ashes pulls the pus from infections.  My Grandmother used to treat my feet, when I stepped on nails and the like, with wood ashes and turpentine.  The later was the disinfectant.  Always lost a couple layers of skin when the poultice was removed but I never got tetanus.

[skflyfish]

I experimented this year making hominy from hard wood ashes and corn and it worked quite well.

One cup of finely sifted wood ashes to one cup of shelled corn and plenty of water. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours and let sit overnight. Rinse well the next day and rub any remaining skins off. Simmer in clean water for an hour.

It made excellent Native corn soup, with the Masa flavor it gives. I have also dried them and ground them in a Corona mill for grits.

Be sure to sift quite well and fine. Those charcoal chunks can be real annoying. :-D