Ashes

Joshie · #1 04/07/12, 12:10 PM

We burn our paper garbage. For those of you with these ashes, how do you get rid of them? I looked online and they said that you can use wood ash sparingly in gardens but I don't know what to do with paper/cardboard ashes. We burn only paper and cardboard, nothing else.

PD-Riverman · #2 04/07/12, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshie

We burn our paper garbage. For those of you with these ashes, how do you get rid of them? I looked online and they said that you can use wood ash sparingly in gardens but I don't know what to do with paper/cardboard ashes. We burn only paper and cardboard, nothing else.

I dig a hole/pit in the ground as deep and wide as comfortable digging. I burn in this hole for years and when its about full I throw some dirt over it, level and dig another hole. Been working good for over 40 years for me. If needed to keep them from blowing across the yard once the fire is out, just spray them in the hole with a little water---they will not go any where then.

Bearfootfarm · #3 04/07/12, 12:56 PM

Quote:

I looked online and they said that you can use wood ash sparingly in gardens but I don't know what to do with paper/cardboard ashes.

It's all the same thing, since paper and cardboard are made from wood.
It takes HUGE amounts to make a real difference in your soil

CesumPec · #4 04/07/12, 03:57 PM

You can compost the paper and cardboard, or use it as a sheet mulch in the garden to control weeds, or use the ash just about anywhere in your yard, compost pile, flower beds, or garden. Unless you have an unusual amount of household generated paper, you aren't going to create enough ash to cause a problem. Just spread it out and don't clump it in piles.

I can't think of an alkaline loving plant at the moment, but those are the only ones the ash might bother.

Forerunner · #5 04/07/12, 05:27 PM

I'd compost it, too. Paper generally doesn't burn clean enough in the average burn barrel to be considered clean ash.

Paquebot · #6 04/07/12, 08:06 PM

Cardboard probably averages around 500:1 C:N ratio. Paper can be up to 800:1. Not much of anything to either except carbon. The only thing that would be harmful in wood ashes is potassium and that's very minimal in paper. So, what ain't there can't hurt anything.

Martin

ronbre · #7 04/08/12, 08:20 AM

paper and cardboard are wood, you can use them sparingly on lawn or woods or garden where there is no problem with acidity..if you have to keep an area acidic, like for blueberries or pines or rhodies..than you won't want to use them there ..but anywhere else they can be broadcast finely anywhere..and some plants just love ash..

however..have you considered shredding more of your paper, and using it as mulch or compost? it is better for the atmosphere and makes a decent addition to compost..and mulch if it is mixed about 1 to 3 to other things like hay or grass clippings, etc.

I shred almost all my junk mail, newspapers and lighter weight cardboard..for my gardens (it isn't beautiful though)

Paquebot · #8 04/08/12, 08:46 AM

Paper ashes would have only minuscule amounts of potassium due to processing the wood into paper. Cardboard ashes would have a little more due to it being a more crude process. For C:N ratio purposes, cardboard and sawdust are considered to be about the same.

Martin

Harry Chickpea · #9 04/08/12, 11:00 AM

The thing I would be slightly concerned about - enough to keep it out of the garden, but not out of flower beds or the lawn - is that color printed material has a lot of funky pigments used to get those colors. For an adult, if the elements in them got into a vegetable, no big deal. For a pregnant mom or baby, I'm not so sure, so would err on the side of caution. Risk possibility is likely way down there--- .00001% or less, but it is one easily avoided.

Alice In TX/MO · #10 04/08/12, 03:08 PM

I dump the barrel out, set it back up, and spread out the ashes right there.

**highlands** · #11 04/08/12, 03:21 PM

Wood ash is good for the soil. Also great for melting the snow off the fields in the spring.

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Big Dave · #12 04/08/12, 07:45 PM

Recycle it. Save it and find some one to sell it to. After you have a pile a few feet deep then what? If you recycle you can make $$$$ and not have that problem or others that may arise.

Steph in MT · #13 04/08/12, 08:15 PM

If you have poultry- they'd probably love it to dust bathe in.

Paquebot · #14 04/08/12, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Recycle it. Save it and find some one to sell it to. After you have a pile a few feet deep then what? If you recycle you can make $$$$ and not have that problem or others that may arise.

About 10 years ago on the Soil and Compost Forum of Garden Web, someone started a thread asking anyone to suggest a material for composting and then someone could come up with a reason to not use it. In the end, there was nothing which was 100% safe. Someone always found fault in anything.

Martin

Joshie · #15 04/08/12, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Recycle it. Save it and find some one to sell it to. After you have a pile a few feet deep then what? If you recycle you can make $$$$ and not have that problem or others that may arise.

No way to recycle it. We're in the middle of nowhere. I guess I'll just put it in a hole near the other decomposing stuff. I've hesitated to put it in the garden because of the inks and coatings on boxes. From what you guys have said, it sounds like it'll be OK to put it in the garden in time. Thanks!

Paquebot · #16 04/08/12, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshie

From what you guys have said, it sounds like it'll be OK to put it in the garden in time. Thanks!

Yep, paper ash is virtually worthless and totally harmless. You could recover some of the carbon by shredding paper and composting it rather than burning but you'd need a lot of nitrogen to do that. May be some good to the ashes but it ain't been determined yet.

Martin

Elsbet · #17 04/08/12, 10:55 PM

We don't bother burning it. Paper, like the ad fliers, and cardboard boxes go directly into the garden as is. We break the boxes down so they are opened up fully and lay them down the part of the garden row we walk in. We cover them with coffee grounds and pine needles, or straw, or whatever we have. Weeds won't grow up through, and it provides safe "housing" for worms in the garden that birds can't get to, plus it holds the moisture in the ground during dry spells. We get HUGE bags of coffee grounds from Starbucks- my DH stops there every morning after work to pick them up. (I don't think we've ever bought anything from Starbucks, but probably get more coffee than dedicated coffee drinkers from them would have in a lifetime, lol.) anyway, the used coffee filters go right in as is, too. If you are burning papers with personal information on them, I wouldn't hesitate to spread the ashes on the garden, and if you have roses, I've heard they like wood ash, too.

haypoint · #18 04/09/12, 03:54 PM

Ashes have a high Ph number. I use mine to neutralize the soil.

libby · #19 04/10/12, 11:32 AM

Save it up in a barrell and use it to make soap! All you need is some nice lard and you are set.