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Wood ash

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JimS

Member
We are chipping trees from the fires in Sonoma, CA. We were told by the place we are taking the chips that composts them that
they cannot take chipped charred chips/wood as it has zero fertilizer qualities. This struck me as odd. I thought charcoal or
carbon in the soil was good. Isn't potash an important element too? The EPA is placing wattles around burned trees saying ash
running into the water way is a toxic. I would have thought fire and ash were a pretty natural thing.
 
A thoughts on the issues raised:

1. The old way of making soap was to pass water through hard wood ashes with creates lye (NaOH). This is a relatively strong base and will create soap from fats so yes this could be a potential toxin.
2. Charcoal does not rot or break down. The char is a natural preservative. Wood has to be completely burned to ash to release the nutrients. Google Biochar for info on using charcoal to help improved dense soils in developing countries.
 
When our barn burned in 1964,they told Dad to spread the ashes in the field because of the potash. I don't know? Maybe it was from the burned hay or something.
 
There isn't much carbon left in white ash, if any. In charred wood, it is mostly carbon. White ash, like you get from a fire place, is all metal oxides and calcium carbonate. All metal oxides are basic when mixed with water and will raise the pH if added to compost or soil and can be used to offset the pH lowering effects of organic material. I don't see why they would mind white ash in their compost.
 
The paper mill in International Falls MN hauls out it's ash by the semi load, gives it to farmers, even spreads it, and it makes some incredible hay crops! I'm not sure what the difference would be, they burn some biomass, and some by-products of making paper, I will ask our son.
 
That's strange that put mine on yard and has done no damage to grass. I have burnt a number of brush piles and planted beans or corn where pile was burnt and crop grows taller and greener than the rest of the field and produced heavier.
 
I used it for years before I retired. 2.5 tones of ash = 1 ton of lime and get potash and other plant foods too in small amounts. The very best combination for fescue is woodash and chicken litter. Our ash came from power plants. Not a complete burn. Ash is black. Started out all pine wood being chipped. Now most every logger has a chipper so they burn pine and hardwood chips.
 
No utility poles. I burn mostly white oak and hickory. Every once in a while I might use some kindling wood that is pressure treated pine.
 
A little fire chemistry. Combustion (burning) is the destruction of wood that occurs when heat and oxygen consume flammable material and reduces it to smoke (CO2) and the minerals that don't burn AKA ash. Charcoal is made through pyrolysis which reduces wood to just carbon under heat without air because complete combustion would turn it into smoke, not charcoal. You can even make charcoal in a vacuum. No smokey CO2, no problem.
 
It may be a resale concern for them. If I bought mulch and it smelled like burnt wood I would ask what's in it. Just my thought.
 
(quoted from post at 18:00:35 12/05/17) We are chipping trees from the fires in Sonoma, CA. We were told by the place we are taking the chips that composts them that
they cannot take chipped charred chips/wood as it has zero fertilizer qualities. This struck me as odd. I thought charcoal or
carbon in the soil was good. Isn't potash an important element too? The EPA is placing wattles around burned trees saying ash
running into the water way is a toxic. I would have thought fire and ash were a pretty natural thing.
Click to expand...

Buncha horse puckey. About what I'd expect from EPA.
 
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