Firewood ashes

gtractorfan

Well-known Member
The firewood topic comes up quite a bit. Those of you that burn firewood, what do you do with your ashes? I dump mine on a pile out back and spread them on the lawn in the spring to get rid of them. Doesn't appear to affect the grass. I made the 'tool' to remove ashes from the stove, like that it keeps the dust contained.
a257826.jpg

a257827.jpg

a257828.jpg
 
I spread some of them on the garden area the rest I just toss on the Blackberry and Blueberry bushes.
 
Wood ash has many micro-nutrients plus it is alkaline so adding them to a garden that needs lime will accomplish neutralizing and add nutrients. One of the wood processing plants here burns wood and that wood ash is sought after for that reason.
 

As a firefighter I will tell you DO NOT dump them on your compost pile!!! Compost piles are usually out back requiring humping hose though snow. This can make the firefighters UGLY. ALWAYS be aware of the possibility of the wind blowing live embers. Know that ashes have started MANY MANY fires, and that the ashes were ALWAYS COLD. I recommend a trash barrel, then spread them on the lawn in the spring. It will reduce the amount of lime that you need.
 

I either dump them on the lilac bush we toss our doggie doo into (gotta put it someplace and the lilac seems to like it) or I spread it on the fields by tossing it in the manure spreader.

And yes, like the vast majority of people, I'm smart enough to only throw dead ashes anywhere... :roll:
 
I always keep a few 5 gal buckets for when the driveway is icy and I'm careful not to put anything with nails in the stove. I have one metal bucket for when I empty the pan in case of hot embers.
 
our ashes we dump into old steel oil barrels to around a foot from the top, let em sit out back uncovered for a few months to get water through em good(so they good and cold). then dump em on a pile in the woods...we burn almost anything and are to lazy to pull ALL the nails before firing, can't spread anywhere so make a pile and let em rot down.
 
All the ashes from my stove go thru a grate and there's no unburnt chunks. If there were chunks the augur wouldn't work.
 
(quoted from post at 12:08:47 02/21/18) On my place nothing grows where ashes have been placed. We have to carry them to a dump where we burn our household trash.

What are you burning??? Ashes always help anything that I put them on. Or maybe it is application rate.
 
Have you ever seen corn or beans that are plant where a brush pile was burn't. They will be taller and produce heavier than rest of field.
 
When I spread mine I do it if there is a heavy frost, raining or snow on ground and make sure wind is not blowing towards any building.
been doing this for 50 years and nothing has caught on fire.
 
What about the recovery of a forest after a fire? Seems things really come back strong. Surely ashes are part of the recovery process.
 
I always keep a couple of metal trash cans full of cold ashes to put on the hill where my driveway hits the local road. They really take care of the ice or packed snow.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top