Hi,
new member here dredging up old threads writing far too much
Since deciding last year to supplement/ decrease our dependence upon electric oil-filled type heaters (Dimplex and Delongi), I'm running a modern, high efficiency 8KW Panadero Delice/ Dover stove. I mean, in 2021 we had decided to go all gas and then world events made the cost of propane gas skyrocket...so we went wood, cuz we have lots of wood.
Ashes disposal is a real issue and I've wondered what others do in an effort to arrive at a workable solution.
So it's
1- what to do with the hot ashes
and
2- best way to dispose or compost of the extinguished ashes and coals
1: what I do with hot ashes:
daily, I empty the ashtray into a metal bucket;
and immediately add to a 40 liter galvanized can that I have behind the house which sits on cement and use a slightly larger galvanized can as a lid which is quite heavy.
It takes about a month of burning 24/7 to fill up the 40 liter can.
Then I have a 50L plastic garbage can which has (assumed) extinguished ashes about half full. I dig a hole in the center of the "cold" ashes, and with a small planting type shovel or grain scoop and put "hot" ashes into the hole in the plastic bucket, ensuring no hot ashes touch the plastic.
2: so what to do with plastic can once it's full?
My property is about 4 acres in French farmland.
-Filling holes in the ground: I had an apple orchard at the end of its life when I bought the place and the old trees now long gone, I had filled in a few stump holes with ashes. Big mistake; ashes dry hard as cement. I also filled in several post holes. So I have stopped doing this.
-Adding to burn pile area: I've done this in several places, but I've really decreased my brush burning and have been taking to the dump the last couple years. I've go e back to burning in cans, but it's just too time consuming to burn brush waste.
-Spreading directly on the dirt/ grassy fields. I've read this to make the soil too alkaline.
-Adding to compost: I have a large compost and have been adding ashes to it. Yes, this is an excellent solution; the alkaline of ashes nullifies the stench of the acid-based, rotting compost. BUT, I have much more ashes than compost and my compost is going out of Ph balance with too much ash.
-Know someone who needs to fill a massive hole. I do have this option; I haven't asked him yet, but I'm sure he'll say yes.
I mean, otherwise we're throwing the cold ashes in the trash? And in my area, the trash is about to become more highly regulated than ever before.
Frankly, I don't have a perfect solution yet.