What do I do with ash from a bon fire?

           Well the title of this blog was actually messaged to me from Will in American Fork, UT.  So I figured why not lets touch on this subject.  Everyone loves a good bon fire, but afterwards there is that pesky ash just sitting there as an eye sore to everyone.  So before you can do anything with this ash you need to make sure that it is not hot.  You can do this pour water over the ash, if it sizzles then it is still hot, if it doesn't then it is ready to be used.

 

            Ash from a wood fire contains Potassium Carbonate (aka potash) and Calcium Carbonate.  These two elements are great for enriching soil.  You can take the ash and spread it around your yard or your garden.  Some people even fertilize their pecan trees with the ash from a wood fire.  I knew one farmer who would store all of his ashes from his wood burning stove and in the spring when he was tilling up his garden plot, he would spread the ashes around the plot and then till the ashes into the ground.  And he produced some of the biggest tomatoes I had ever seen. 

 

            You can use the ash to neutralize acidic soils.  If your plants don't need an acidic soil, meaning a pH of 6 or lower, then spread your ashes around them.  It is good to keep your soil between a pH level 6 and 7.5.  If below 6, then the plants will not receive the right amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  And if above 7.5, then the plants will not receive the right amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.  So ash can help stabilize the soil for you.

 

           In states that do have freezing weather, you can use the ashes to melt ice and snow.  This is effective due to the potash in the ashes.  And this has three huge benefits: 1) potash doesn't corrode or helps the breaking of metal and concrete, 2) it does not add salt to fresh water when there is run off from the melting ice, and 3) it helps create traction for vehicles.

 

           A few other things that wood ashes help with are enriching compost, removes oil stains on concrete, deters pests like slugs and snails, and it helps get rid of odors.  So there are several different things that can be done for the unappealing ash pile after a bon fire.  Use them and you might be amazed at what your garden and yard might grow into.  Enjoy my friends.