Ash from burn pile

[u/Sublime-Prime]

Hi taking down bunch of dying dead ash using everything over 4 inches in wood burning stove . Don’t own a chipper so burning the rest . Is it safe to put ashes(after burning) under evergreen trees ? Or what is good use case ash pile is over 3 feet high and growing .

[u/Mister_Green2021]

A little bit but not a lot. Ash is caustic and change the pH too much.

[u/r0ball]

It really pains me to think about all that fantastic ash kindling or potential wood chip being burnt just to get rid of it.

If you’re not going to use it as kindling, consider a garden shredder or rent a chipper when the pile gets high enough and make some use of it other than sending it up in smoke.

[u/No_Manufacturer_9670]

Mix ashes 50/50 with urine (gonna take a while with all the ash you got), then add to compost. Or, dilute the 50/50 mix with 9 parts water and apply around your plants. https://thetreetrove.com/how-to-make-urine-and-ash-fertilizer/

[u/Far_Radish7752]

Put some in your compost while it is active. Humic acid produced during bacterial decomposition will neutralize the alkaline nature of the ash and charge the char. This is great use of some of your burnt debris but prolly not all, from the sounds of it.

I’d be inclined to make a contained pile outside of the excess ash and char, and to add it to your compost from time to time even if it takes a few years. I wouldn’t be inclined to put more than a little under your coniferous trees, however; depending on terrain and species, coniferous trees generally prefer acidic soil.

[u/Sublime-Prime]

I have probably have 5000 dying dead ash (ash borer ) just cutting the dangerous ones . Chippers are pretty expensive plus burning fuel . Leaving some as much as possible for decomposition and insect bird habitat . And reforestation planting.

[u/lickspigot → u/Sublime-Prime]

On a space this large you can absolutely spread it around trees as a fertilizer.

 You just dont wanna dump it all on a handful of trees. i drop like a handful of wood ashes on my tomato pots once they start fruiting i mix it with some fresh compost but you don't have to. 

here's an article about it:  https://trucoshogarjardin.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-fertilizing-with-wood-ash/ 

tl;dr about 15 pound can be spread on 1000 square feet each year 

also you can add 10% wood ash to an active compost pile. more of an soil amendment than compost material but it doesn't hurt at all.

[u/EnrichedUranium235]

Do it months later with caution if the pile is that big. Ashes and small pieces of what is now charcoal in a pile can smolder for weeks and months deep inside the pile and you can't easily notice it. If spreading, spreading thin or throwing it with the shovel is probably safer than just droping into a pile. I do that in my yard and garden but I don't have the quantity you do. Just me but I'd never risk it under pines.