OWB - Methods of ash disposal/possible uses

[roadrunner36]

Just wondering how people deal with the wood ash produced by a larger OWB.  I don't have anywhere 'handy' around the OWB

[lopet]

I ve seen people using wheelbarrows. Two mini oil barrels with the lid removed , work for me. Once they're full, they get dumped in the loader bucket and disposed . The destination depends if it's  "clean" ash or "nailed" ash.   

[landscraper]

Hardwood ash goes on my gardens (close to tomatoes, far from potatoes).  I get 8-10 wheelbarrow loads of ash per winter.  My blower pushes air over the ash pan first and then up through the grates so there's rarely anything left but fine powder.  Pine ash goes to fill holes or on the gravel farm drive out back behind the house.  All ash wet and cold of course.

[r.man]

I have been putting mine in non driving areas because of nails but this year I made a screen to remove debris and plan on putting the ashes on the field. Our area is acidic so the ashes are a help.

[VTwoodworker]

I purposely do not burn any trash, painted lumber, stuff with nails, or treated lumber so all of the ashes can go on the gardens and lawn.  I burn about 15 cord of wood each year and make about one 5 gallon pail a week.  My soil tends towards acidic and it really helps.

I takes only about 5 extra minutes a week during the cleaning to walk the ashes directly to the garden and scatter them on top of the snow.  The direct spread eliminates worry about storing ashes.  If I try to store them it seems like they are either hot or frozen in the bucket.

[thecfarm]

I put mine in galvanized trash cans. Left over from the feed days of goats,horses and chickens. I have 3 that I fill up. I have a dirt driveway,so I put them on there,as needed. Helps to draw the sun and traction too,it's all uphill.

[gspren]

  I dump the ash pan into a small galvanized trash can and then usually wait 5-6 days before spreading on the fields and pasture. When there is snow cover I may spread the same day or like thecfarm put some on the driveway to help melt it. I don't use any near the house and buildings cause my dog eats it.

[doctorb]

I shovel it into a galvanized trash can and let it sit for a minimum of 5 days.  As I have heard that too much ash can be detrimental to the garden, I tend to use commercial fertilizers and Leaf Gro to "boost" the plants,  Therefore I don't put it in the garden.  I use contractors disposal bags and place it out with our garbage for pickup.  Certainly can't hurt the landfill dump site.

[Gary_C]

Here from Wiki is a good description of what's in wood ash. Bottom line is that it's never wrong to recycle wood ash back to the soil to be reused by plants, grasses and trees. The only drawback to ash for the soil is that it contains no nitrogen so you have to supplement with other sources of nitrogen for best growth.

Measurements

Typically between 0.43 and 1.82 percent of the mass of burned wood (dry basis) results in ash. Also the conditions of the combustion affect the composition and amount of the residue ash, thus higher temperature will reduce ash yield.

Much wood ash contains calcium carbonate as its major component, representing 25 or even 45 percent. Less than 10 percent is potash, and less than 1 percent phosphate; there are trace elements of iron, manganese, zinc, copper and some heavy metals. However, these numbers vary, as combustion temperature is an important variable in determining wood ash composition. All of these are, primarily, in the form of oxides.

Uses

Wood ash is commonly disposed of in landfills, but with rising disposal costs, ecologically friendly alternatives are becoming more popular.

For a long time, wood ash has been used in agricultural soil applications, as it recycles nutrients back to the land. Wood ash has some value as a fertilizer, but does not contain nitrogen. Because of the presence of calcium carbonate, it acts as a liming agent and will deacidify the soil by increasing its pH.

[DDDfarmer]

I spread it on the manure pile, then in turn it gets spread over the fields. 

Have been watching for an old fuel tank to cut up and turn into a storage tank for the ashes. Then I could spread on the fields that would benefit the most.  5-10 gallons a week over the winter really add up.

[garret]

On the yard, woods and garden for the last 30 years, no problems.  Unburned charcoal good soil amendment.  After all, this is what is left after a forest fire.  Nature knows best.

[roadrunner36]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. 

[landscraper]

I've never heard about ash being bad for a garden, moderation in all things I suppose.





I don't use chemical fertilizer in my gardens, just manure, mulch, lime (and the aforementioned ash).  The zuchinni is real, it was hiding under a big leaf and got missed for a couple days and kept growing.  It tasted identical to a normal size one, I was expecting to have lost flavor from overgrowing but it was good.

[Logging logginglogging]

I also use it in my garden and in my driveway all winter since its just hardwood ash with no nails in it. It gives great traction on the ice.  I also dump it in "low spots" I want to level out in the woods.
As for the garden, it works great in the garden, I would never want to poison my family with commercial products made by Monsanto!! I use Ash, Cow Manure, Chicken Manure, Compost and lime.

Do NOT ever have ash in a bucket that water can get in and a pat or person could drink it. Lye is a byproduct of wood ash and water!! But it works for cleaning products and Biodiesel catalyst!!

[Tom L]

I saw a program on tv, where they mixed ash with water and used it to soak a cowhide, after a few days in the slurry, the hair came off real easy and they saved the skin for raw hide.
I just spread it around the border of fences , it helps to keep the weeds down

[garret]

Fresh wood ash contains alkali and alkaline earth metal oxides.  Leached with (hot) water it produces very caustic solutions that are a source of caustic potash/soda ash for soap making, gunpowder, etc.

Try this:  Place some fresh wood ashes in a coffee filter and steep with a small quantity of hot water.  The pH of the resulting solution is very high ~14.  If you place your fingers in this liquid they will feel soapy.  That is because it is turning the fatty acids in you skin oils into soap (saponification).  Please exercise caution-the solution is injurious to tissue; avoid getting it into the eyes!  And we don't even think twice about wind blown ashes getting into our eyes (tears tend to buffer the adverse effects).

[OneWithWood]

I remove the ash from my OWB by filling the bucket on my tractor and then putting it on a large mulch pile the also contains grass clippings,
vegetable waste from the kitchen and sawdust from the mill.  After a year or so I have very nice loamy soil.

[hoardac]

I have some 55 gallon drums I cut in half lengthwise because its easier to shovel into and put it on my forklift tines near the OWB when it gets full I put it off to the side and put another one there. In the spring I put it in the garden when I am tilling. It works very well and I just check my PH with the little PH checker to make sure it is around 5.5 to 6.5
I get plenty of food and weeds so I know it works good.