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fire / coal ash toxic or not? [56k warning]
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Posted by achoo (My Page) on Sat, May 13, 06 at 9:23
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RE: fire / coal ash toxic or not? [56k warning]
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| Ash may or may not be toxic, but all ash is caustic (very alkaline). Ash is rich in certain plant nutrients and can be a useful addition to some acid soils. Use only small quantities at a time because it will burn the plants if you put on too much. Very hot burns, such as coal and ovens, produce a more caustic ash than a simple wood fire. All ashes contain small quantities of substances that are toxic, so applying large quantities of ash can be a problem. The source of ash will determine how toxic it is. Anything you would be burning in your home should not be toxic in moderate quantities. At this point, only a soil test will tell you the state of the soil. Probably worth doing anyway if you want to grow some veggies. At the very least you will want to know the pH which may be way out of whack if the soil has been treated with ash. |
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