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Thu 10 Feb, 2005 08:37 pm
My sweetheart's father gave me a bucket of wood ash for my organic garden.
After putting some in I noticed a slight lighter fluid odor.
I had put in a stingy layer about 8 inches down from the surface and then sort of stirred that in with peat moss, greensand, cow manure compost, and soil.
So, is this really bad news?
I used about, I'd say, 1 cubic foot spread out a row and half, each row being 10 feet by 20 feet long.
Is there anything I can add to neutralize it?
Will the rain wash it away?
Once, a long time ago, I poured gasoline in a weedy area and nothing grew there for at least four years.
But, this lighter fluid was such a small amount, I'm hopeful my good amendments will offset the damage.
Your thoughts?
Thanks!
Hmmm... That's a good question and I bet Farmerman will come along shortly to respond. I wish I had some advice for ya dupre.
yikes! perhaps it's not actually lighter fluid you're smelling?
Dupre
Do you know where they got the ashes from?
Thanks for your response.
I'm doing a labor intensive, double digging.
I'm hopeful I won't have to remove it all and start all over.
It's located in an organic gardening community gardening center.
If they ever find out, I'll be kicked out.
The ashes are probably from limbs and twigs gathered at my sweetheart's father's property. Oaks.
I know he meant well.
If I have to remove it, I'll have to bag up every bit of it and take it off the property.
Damn! Do you know where your bfs father got the ashes from. Is it from a fireplace?
Not a fireplace. From the property, burned outside.
Why?
Ooops! I responded to quickly. If they are just limbs and twigs that were burned in the yard, chances are that he probably used something to keep the fire going if the wood wasn't completely dried out. Is there any way you can ask your sweetheart to nicely ask his dad?
Uh ... he was going to call him, but I stopped him.
I can't bear to hurt his feelings.
Is there a big difference between gasoline and lighter fluid?
Lighter fluid (the charcoal type) is usually made from hexamine which leaves behind a small amount of toxic residue when burned. No real way of knowing how much residue might be in those ashes. I'd guess only tiny amounts but...
dupre wrote:Not a fireplace. From the property, burned outside.
Why?
I asked because if it was wood that he burned in an indoor fireplace, it's highly unlikely that he would have used any chemicals to light the fire or to keep it going. It wouldn't be the smartest thing to do, as it would be dangerous.
Burning wood outside is a different ballgame though, especially if the wood was soft wood or not completely dried out because the wood wouldn't burn without something to keep it going.
Any way to neutrilize hexamine?
<gulp>
If he burned a big pile of wood, then I tend to think he used gas. He would have needed quite a bit of lighter fluid to do the job.
I don't know of any way to neutralize hexamine residue but in answer to your earlier question - yes, there is a HUGE difference between lighter fluid and gasoline. Lighter fluid is formulated so that there isn't anywhere near the amount of toxic residue you'd get with burning an equeal amount of gas. Gasoline has detergents and anti-foaming agents added that aren't in lighter fluid either.
That's why it's safe to use lighter fluid to light your charcoal grill but not gasoline, kerosene, etc...
If it were me using the ashes in my own garden I wouldn't be to concerned but I can understand your concerns where you are in an organic garden.
Quote:If it were me using the ashes in my own garden I wouldn't be to concerned
Really?!
You woudn't be worried? Please offer me some hope and tell me why. Do you mean, it won't kill the microbes in my soil? My worms won't move out?
Will anything still grow?
That would be great.
I will have to find out if he used gas or lighter fluid, but it wasn't an enormous pile, because it only yielded about 5 pounds of ash.
Fishin
Do you think lighter fluid would have been effective for burning a pile of wood that most likely wasn't completely dried out? I'm only asking because I tried burning a Christmas tree once with lighter fluid and it wouldn't stay lit. It would go up in flames quickly, but go back out within less than a minute.
Well, let me put it this way. Lighter fluid has been around for quite a few years now and even medical sites will tell you to make sure to use that and not gasoline to light your BBQ.
If it's safe enough to eat the residue from the lighter fluid that wafts onto your food then how bad can it be in a garden bed? The residue isn't going to stop anything from growing.
In your case my bigger concern would be that the public plot you are using might be a "certified organic" plot and if they find traces of hexamine they couold lose that certification in a hurry.
well, now, fishin - with BBQs, you wait til the stuff has burned off before you throw your food on the grill.
Dupre
It actually takes quite a bit of wood to make 5 lbs of ash.
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