What do you do with your ashes?

[DwightD123]

Does anyone expect they help to solidify a gravel drive? I am thinking it might make the soil under the rock more stabil. Thoughts?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I also mix my ash with leaves in a compost pile. Leaves are acidic when they rot so the ash does a good job of neutralizing the ph. The ash/rotted leaf mix seems to produce better yields from my garden than manure or any type of synthetic fertilizer, especially on crops like squash and pumpkins. I always make an ash pile next to the leaf pile, on the downwind side, since a few years ago when I dumped hot ashes directly on the leaves and ended up with a leaf pile that smoldered over several weeks. I mix the piles together in the spring with the loader.

Me too. Since I live in Western Oregon, I don't worry about anything catching on fire in the winter. The ashes neutralize the acid in the leaves and the combo produces primo compost. It helps to add a little nitrogen for the composting bugs.

 

[ArtMech]

I have a wood burnign add-a-furnace and am wondering if there is something better to do that to dump the ashes in an unused corner on the property. Any ideas?

I'm using the ash to neutralize the acidity (Ph) of the soil of my gardens. It helps very much in case of ecological kind of agriculture.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I have a 55 gallon steel drum I save mine for most of the winter dry. I have a screenthe filter out the charcoals they go in the the garden as biochar and the ashes will go into my 10 foot Gand spreader to be spread on the feilds. Works great.

 

[2wheeledwarrior]

Whoa...I didn't expect 4 pages of replies, but this is awesome. Hot ashes will be going on the driveway this winter! I live in Michigan and get lake effect snow (which means a lot more snow than most of Alaska) and it's pretty icy snow, too. Ours, however, melts a few times through the winter (unlike Alaska).
I'll make sure to put some cold ashes with the leave piles that will be the start of next years compost. THanks!

 

[USNative]

Some spread ashes around the base of their trees to ward off bugs that can damage their trees. May not work on all species of trees but something worth checking into. I am going to check in to using them to combat the pine beetles which are destroying many of the pine trees in the Northwest. I have a few nice little pines on our place and would hate to see the beetles take them.