pellet/wood stove ash (floor, garden, farmers)

[namder1]

Not the most important topic ever but I am curious what others do with their ashes? I put a lot of mine in my garden spot and in the winter on the driveway if its icy. Any other uses?

[221B]

Originally Posted by namder1

Not the most important topic ever but I am curious what others do with their ashes? I put a lot of mine in my garden spot and in the winter on the driveway if its icy. Any other uses?

Whoa, good question…!

[beltrams]

I've put them on the garden. Ashes raise soil pH and potassium levels. One application usually holds for several years, so I don't overdo it. (When I do put them in the garden I'd say I put maybe half a pound to a pound every 100 sq feet or so and I have the soil tested every few years.) Happily, there are lots of other areas that could use a pH boost and potassium such as the lawn, pasture areas, and then, if they've all had their fill, I spread ashes back in the woodland itself, since it's only fitting to return all those tree nutrients that wouldn't burn back to the forest floor from which they originally came from.

Honestly, even though I burn about 4 cords of wood a year, I still don't have enough ash to treat all the areas I'd like to.

Tossing wood ashes in the trash is a huge waste of forest floor nutrients if you ask me.

Edited to add: There are, however, a few places you don't want to spread ashes - namely near plants that like acidic soil such as blueberries, cranberries, potatoes, and acid-loving ornamentals. With potatoes, however, this isn't an absolute. When I plant potatoes in the garden, I simply try to avoid areas that have had ashes in the past couple of years. But DO keep heavy ash applications away from blueberries especially. Low bush blueberry farmers actually burn over the bushes every few years to renew the bushes, but the amount of ash returned to the soil in this way is trivial compared to wood stove ash dumping I am guessing.

[Submariner]

We save our wood ash in steel drums; so we have it available to us when we want it.

It is valuable as a soil amendment and for making soap.