Asked on Mar 25, 2012
What to do with firepit ashes.
by
Carol M
+8
We have a garbage can full of ashes from our firepit. Is spreading them on the garden a good idea? We're trying to find an ecofriendly way of disposing them.
10 answers
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You should do a soil test first, Carol, as wood ash will raise the pH. The University of Iowa recommends applying no more than 20 pounds (about a five gallon bucket) of wood ash to 1000 square feet of lawn and gardens in late winter or early spring where the pH is below 7.0.
Douglas Hunt
on Mar 25, 2012
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We add ours tro our compost pile which also has a good amount of chicken manure and straw as well as organic scraps
Kathleen S
on Mar 25, 2012
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Thanks so much!
Carol M
on Mar 25, 2012
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You're welcome, Carol.
Douglas Hunt
on Mar 25, 2012
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I knew some people who put the ashes around their raspberry bushes for the winter. They had a good crop of raspberries too.
Twila M Moberly
on Jul 02, 2015
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I use my wood ashes in my chicken coop for my chickens to take a dust bath so on the off chance you can't find anything to do with them you can always offer them to anyone that has a chicken coop and they probably love to have them
Pamela Scruggs
on Jul 10, 2015
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wood ashes are great for the grass.
Janet
on Aug 30, 2015
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One important thing to think about before throwing them in the garden or giving them to the chickens is: it depends on what you burned in your fire pit. Some people throw in their plastic coated plates and cups, printed paper, trash, etc. It's mighty tempting, since it all appears to disappear into the fire! You might not want to put all those chemicals into what you will eventually eat.
Ellen
on Sep 19, 2015
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I dump my fireplace ashes on the area where I plan to plow up the space for my vegetable garden. I turn the soil w/a roto-tiller & include lime to sweeten the soil & fertilizer - a good 3 months before planting. I turn it again in about 6 weeks. The ashes help to keep the Georgia Red Clay from clumping.
Robert Young
on Apr 02, 2016
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Wood she's also help kill unwanted insects. Great for plants you can even make soap out of them. Good, good stuff. 😊
Karen Udensi
on May 14, 2016
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