Charcoal Ashes

[RiverRasta]

I do alot of BBQ'n and just throw my ashes onto the lawn, last summer during a drought here my grass was greenest on the block (pardon the Pun). Can these same ashes be used for Flowering??? And i dont use matchlight, just plain coal and Hickory.. Any info would be great.

 

[Captain Kronic]

Re: Charcoal Ashes???

That is a great question, I found this for you as an answer:
Coal ash contains small but harmful amounts of toxic metals, many of which are usually referred to as heavy metals. Including "arsenic, lead, mercury, nickel, vanadium, beryllium, cadmium, barium, chromium, copper, molybdenum, zinc, selenium and radium." (quote from the Wikipedia article on coal, link below.)

Some of these metals and substances leach out of soil. Others don't. Some concentrate in soil, in plants, and then further concentrate (and accumulate) in humans who eat the plants. And while a few of these substances are helpful to plants and humans in very, very small amounts, most of them are not. Even the helpful substances can be harmful beyond trace levels.

Keep in perspective that 1% (or 1/100th of 1%) of lead in coal ash doesn't seem like much. Yet, after 5-10 years of organic reduction through composting and soil processes, 90-95% of the "almost pure carbon" will be gone from the source materials -- recycled into carbon dioxide and other compounds.

Therefore, composting coal ash (not pure wood charcoal ash) and using it in a garden -- effectively concentrates lead, and pollutes your soil with longlasting contaminates which are especially harmful to children.

 

[RiverRasta]

Re: Charcoal Ashes???

Thanks Cap, I think i'll just stay away from that and just add some bone meal

 

[Captain Kronic]

There you go... that's exactly the conclusion I came to!
Love the nick, I will go out on a limb and presume you like to fish? I have for many years, salmon and stealhead are the main attraction where I am.

 

[RiverRasta]

I am a trout man personally but smallmouth fish our rivers in the summer....Just got back from the river and digging more holes

 

[Droopy Dog]

I do alot of BBQ'n and just throw my ashes onto the lawn, last summer during a drought here my grass was greenest on the block (pardon the Pun). Can these same ashes be used for Flowering??? And i dont use matchlight, just plain coal and Hickory.. Any info would be great.

As long as you aren't using briquets, but lump charcoal, you're golden.

Hardwood ash is best, and sometimes I'll do a smoke using ONLY hickory so I can save the ashes for the plants. Veggies and the mj.

My firebox is separate from the main smoker, so nothing drips into the ashes.

Try using hickory alone and saving those ashes if you are concerned about what might be in the coal. Luckily, hickory is very plentiful around here.

DD

 

[Hogdady]

I do alot of BBQ'n and just throw my ashes onto the lawn, last summer during a drought here my grass was greenest on the block (pardon the Pun). Can these same ashes be used for Flowering??? And i dont use matchlight, just plain coal and Hickory.. Any info would be great.

There is a thread here for BBQ fans and cooks but I can't link to it as it is against policy. But, if you go the Off Topics forum and look in Food and Nutrition, you will find it. Love to see what you are grillin'......

 

[RiverRasta]

There is a thread here for BBQ fans and cooks but I can't link to it as it is against policy. But, if you go the Off Topics forum and look in Food and Nutrition, you will find it. Love to see what you are grillin'......

Hey thanks for the info, i believe i will start posting some BBQ pics
Just curious, why is posting that link against policy if its from within the site? Im new here and dont no all the rules again thanks for the headsup

 

[Hogdady]

Hey thanks for the info, i believe i will start posting some BBQ pics
Just curious, why is posting that link against policy if its from within the site? Im new here and dont no all the rules again thanks for the headsup

Great! We'll see you there...