what can I do with my fire ash?

[pinkdolly]

We have an open fire. We burn both wood nad coal on it and I use firelighters to light (not sure if that is important).

Up to now I have been throwing the ash out but am thinking there must be something better for it. Have read a little about people putting wood ash on their plants, but what can you do the same with a combination of coal and wood.

Thanx for your ideas.

Pink

I am so sorry pinkdolly, I am very tired and read your title as what can I do with my fine ass and just had to click and see what it was all about, I got as far as we have an open fire before I realised it was not to be what I had misread it to be.
Can it not go on compost btw ash that is not ass.

as far as I know you shouldn't use coal for plants, not sure why, but wood ash is great, waiting for someone more knowledgeable to come along to say why. Sorry!

I mix in my wood ash with my compost. Its one of the reasons we don't use coal.

According to DH - if you only use hardwood, you can turn it into lye.

Make lye
journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html

then...

Make soap
www.idea-queen.com/homemade-soap-recipes.html

Compost definitely!

if you use coal or anthracite you can't do much with it. I wrote to the RHS to ask!

We put woodash on compost heap or directly on vegetable beds.

Coal ash apparently contains too much iron and sulphur to use on the garden

No to coal ash.

Wood ash is particularly good for stone fruit trees apparently - spread on the ground beneath the tree but avoid the ash touching the bark. I don't apply it all the time! The cherry tree gets maybe 5 or 6 applications in a winter.

We spread wood ash on soil that's waiting to be planted with veg that you would usually spread compost on - e.g. cabbages.

tbh I would be a bit wary of firelighters as well.

I read that some people were using ash to grit paths during the cold snap but have no idea how effective it might be.

We burn mostly coal and some wood. DH spreads the ash on the gravel path on the side of the house in the hopes that it will help keep it weed-free.

yup, good for putting on icy paths when the council has not bothered.