compost question

[kpage9]

I just realized that my barbecue ashes are NOT compost-friendly because of the chemicals that help them burn. I don't use the easy-light kind....are the ashes still toxic or otherwise icky to compost? what should i do with my nice fat pile of compost NOW?

thanks,

kathy

[neil]

Hi Kathy,

If BBQ charcoals are toxic, I'm sure the greater danger is eating whatever is cooked on them, especially if the food is directly open to the flame/smoke. Not that I'm arguing with the great taste! By comparison, a small amount of the ashes in your compost is not so dangerous, I would guess.

Unless you are strictly maintaining a certified organic compost, I would NOT throw out your compost that has the BBQ ashes added. Compost has a great capacity to balance out over time, neutralizing ingredients that might not be perfect. This is especially true if the amount of ashes is small and the pile big. I suggest letting the pile sit a bit longer than usual, maybe an extra 2-4 months, (slightly moist--not wet--so that it stays biologically active) before applying it to your garden. When you do use it, don't concentrate too much in just a few places, but spread it around more.

If on the other hand, the amount of ashes is large compared to other ingredients, it might be more of a problem, even if the ashes are "clean." Ashes, I understand, can raise the pH too high, and throw the compost out of balance, if a lot are added. But just a little mixed into a "nice fat pile" usually would not be a problem. A general rule of making good compost is to have a variety of ingredients, and as much volume as possible.

Please do not misunderstand me, I am not advocating that people add toxic stuff to their compost piles. In your case, combustion has already had its way with the charcoals; we don't know what the ashes are, in terms of their chemical composition. Whatever the ashes were when emptied from the grill, they are again being transformed in the compost pile. Microbial life goes on; compost is valuable and should be returned to the soil.

Good luck, Neil

I just realized that my barbecue ashes are NOT compost-friendly because of the chemicals that help them burn. I don't use the easy-light kind....are the ashes still toxic or otherwise icky to compost? what should i do with my nice fat pile of compost NOW?

thanks,

kathy

[BancheroTreeService]

The chemicals that accelerate the burn are highly volatile and burn off quickly. Adding them to your compost pile in small amounts over time should be fine. Too much of anything at one time can be problematic.

[nicofrog]

I just realized that my barbecue ashes are NOT compost-friendly because of the chemicals that help them burn. I don't use the easy-light kind....are the ashes still toxic or otherwise icky to compost? what should i do with my nice fat pile of compost NOW?

thanks,

kathy

ALL good answers:

the good news is the likely ingredient to make charcoal easy start is sodium nitrate(used in gunpowder and cigarettes
creates the little sparkling effect) probably 99.9 % of it goes up in smoke instantly.

Toxic is a subjective term...salt,cloves,orange peel,pepper,and cayenne,can all be toxic in the wrong place in the wrong quantity at the wrong time and they all compost fine in moderation.

I don't put ashes in compost they serve no purpose there, just pile them in a separate area,let them "slake" for a year or two
then add them in small quantities to the soil when you build beds. Slaking neutralizes their intense alkalinity .

The only other ingredient in Brickettes would probably be a cheap binder or glue most likely milk glue
like Elmer's

If you want something to AVOID in compost and soils in general ,it would be Perlite ,(the little white dots) when sifting
and moving dry soils this material is like asbestos to the lungs,as is vermiculite. old world gardener's ignorant tricks.

You can use red lava to the same effect, perlite causes Worm population decline in direct proportion to it's percentage in soil,so does vermiculite.

red lava releases valuable nutrients as it slowly decomposes over the years. the other products are kiln fired and energy intensive
in their production,preferred by industries such as "Fox Farm" due to their light weight for shipping. Worms don't mind red lava.

good luck!