THE MASTERS plot ,a new begining

probably is but im not aware of it!

 

Hi Master, Gardening is Addictive, Where else do you get so much exercise, and fresh air for free, plus when your head hits the pillow your out for the count..Magic.

 

Hi Master. For plants to grow they must absorb heat, sunlight, moisture and carbon dioxide from the air. They also absorb other minerals from the ground.

When you burn wood or plants, you are exactly reversing the process. The fire gives out heat, light, moisture and returns carbon dioxide to the air. The ash that is left over are the other minerals that were absorbed from the ground. So it is perfectly natural to return it.

 

thats wot i was thinking
im only burning wot i think can,t compost down as in the bramble bushes. im not gonnaburn everthing that grows just the stuff that isnt gonna work in the compost heap

 

Master, I think what you are doing is absolutely right. You should try to compost as much as you can to put organic matter back into the soil, but what you can't compost you should burn and then return the ashes to the soil. Its natural recycling. People sometimes ask about putting ash from a coal fire on the border - but thats more dubious. You could be introducing sulphur and other chemicals that never were in the soil in the first place.

 

TM, the only nutrient in woodash, is potash. This is water soluble. So unless you keep it dry the potash will disolve. If you dig your ash into the ground all you are doing is adding an inert material. As soon as the ash has cooled, bag it and use as a fertilizer when the plants are growing.

 

I have just had a look in a botany textbook and it says that there are anything up to 40 different elements in wood ash. As David says the main constituent is potash (salts of Potassium), and many of the others are in trace amounts. However they have all been taken up from the ground by the plants, and so should be returned to the soil.

 

I have had a further look at Wood Ash and found this on an Organic Gardening site:-

Wood ash is a good source of lime, potassium and trace elements. Ash from a bonfire is best added to the compost heap where the nutrients will bind to organic matter and humus particles in a form that plants will be able to use. Wood ash should never be applied directly to the soil as it is quickly leached out of the soil. Using wood ash from preserved, painted, stained or treated wood is not recommended as there may be toxic elements remaining within the wood ash.

When adding wood ash to the compost heap always do this on a calm day when there is little wind around. If it is a very fine ash you should use gloves, eye protection and dust mask as it is an alkaline substance.

David was absolutely right about not putting it on the soil direct, but I didn't know about putting it on the compost heap.

There is also these
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3554621.ece
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/woodash.html

 

maseeevvvvvvvve thanks for the advice

although some of my ash is goona be wood about 10% most of it is bramble 90%

i will use it sparingly and only on the cabbage patch after composting it (ash is gonna have it own compost bin for use sparingly).

im not gonna go xsxxx out first year. all im after is a bit of control grow a few things. and slowly build up. but im always willing to experiment

 

todays update

at last the ground is dry enough to start digging over. the water table has dropped low enough( i done some test holes about 2foot deep and wated for the water to drop down)

the brambles are nearly all gone ( getting rid of the brambles was/is a mition i was comming home each night felling like a pin cusion)

the digging was wot i was waiting for getting things turned over ready for the plants
:D
now its time for a few beers and a pizza

ile do some pickys tommoz. coz it woz to dark to take some when i was dun wahoo the beer is kicking in i fink ive earn a few beers

 

sorry for no pickys , i forgot too bisy digging and clearing :D

todays update .
wow realy getting on with things digging like a human tractor. Concidering wot sorta state the allotment was in im feeling im doing well. the misses popped down for a lookski , and her words were "Blimmy you done alot". my reply was "Thanks dear dont forget you gotta cook all this stuff im going to grow".

usualy im all on my own up the allotment but today was very different. i was up there about 4ish then about half hour later another plott owner turned up quick chat and we got on with things, then another plot owner turned up blooming heck i thought that's three out of five owners on the site, all chatting and working.

i know it doesnt seem alot compared to most allotments but when your digging away all by yourself and a few peeps turn up it makes your day.
am i getting addicted,? i havent got any plants growing up there yet. talkng to plants is sposed to help
but as i havent any plants, talking to my spade while cleaning it. is that going to help

 

yet another update

ive found an endless suply of top quality compost. i do some work for a guy that buys and sells vans. he stores the van's up an old nusery, and i noticed there is piles of compost on his land , so i asked if i can have a little bit , he said you can have the lott

and today ive found a posh source of horse s##t.
a freind of mine found a renault espace that she would like to buy. she asked me to come along and give it the look over to make sure it was ok, the espace was fine but it was were the seller was selling it from . Winsor is a stones throw away, thats a clue,
ive found a posh polo club real propper horses and they have a mountain of posh horse po## that they would like shiffting. and he took my number cos he deals in renaults and thats wot i do fix renaults umunst outher cars

wahhho im one happy bunny
:D :D :D :D

 

:D :D :D

 

Tm sounds like you really have the bug now. Everywhere you go, you're thinking of the allotment :D

I know what you mean about other people, my o/h had an allotment for a while & made some good friends. They used to gather in one or anothers 'shed' (some of them were like conservatories!) have a cuppa & discuss how things were going.

It is hard work but well worth it. You can't beat your own grown veg. the best carrots i ever, ever tasted were from an allotment.

It's good that there are only 5 of you cos you'll all know each other & be able to keep an eye on things.

I've really enjoyed reading your posts, you are getting more enthusiastic each time! Keep up the good work, but spare a few minutes for some pics.

cheers

 

Oh my goodness Master there really is no hope for you now...dreaming of poop dear, oh dear! :D Hel.xxx.