creosote for fertilizer?

[lroberge]

Greetings! I would appreciate any and all contributions to the following question.
I was speaking to a chimney sweeper recently. She told me how some of the Portugese gardeners use creosote from cleaned out chimneys for fertilizer. Many swear by it to grow grapes, fruit trees, and vegetables.

To qualify this statement-the creosote is NOT from coal burning stoves (to much heavy metal contamination) but is JUST from wood burning stoves.

Now I know many people use controlled amounts of wood ashes as fertilizer for their gardens (rich in potassium). Therefore, I am asking everyone, can you use creosote for fertilizer in your gardens?
Thank you for your replies.

Best wishes and Happy New year.
Lroberge

 

[wahsega]

My understanding its considered toxic waste.

 

[quads]

I spread it on my garden along with the ashes (or in the driveway if it's icy). I am starting to grow a third arm, but other than that I seem the same as always.

 

[joshuaviktor]

Hey, I live in NJ. Compared to the native soil, that's considered UN-contaminated, and actually improves the hazardous waste percentage in NJ.

Joshua

"What exit youse live at?"

 

[quads]

Why not put it in a paper grocery bag and toss it into your next fire??

My old stove kind of does that automatically! On the warm days it builds up on the inside walls of the firebox. Then when it gets a little colder, it burns it all off again! Ha ha!

 

[Eric Johnson]

Putting creosote on a garden is an exceptionally bad idea.

 

[quads]

Putting creosote on a garden is an exceptionally bad idea.

Just curious, what does it do to the garden? I've never heard that before. I've done it forever. Not that I have a prize-winning garden or anything! Maybe that's why?

 

[quads]

Are you sure we're talking about the same stuff? The creosote that comes out of the chimney of my wood burning stove doesn't sound like the same stuff used to treat railroad ties. I was unable to find any information against using wood stove produced creosote on a garden.

(broken link removed)
"There are three broad categories of preservative treatments for wood currently in use:

creosote,
oilborne chemicals,
and waterborne chemicals.

Creosote is a highly complex mixture of chemicals distilled from coal tar, which is a by-product of producing coke from bituminnous coal in coking ovens. Creosote is essentially an oil-based compound. The most common oilborne preservative is pentachlorophenol, generally known as penta. Penta has been shown to cause birth defects and fetal damage, among other health problems. Both creosote and penta have been a restricted-use pesticide since 1986. Copper naphthenate is the other fairly common oilborne preservative. "

 

[quads]

Thanks for the link Dylan!

"Wood creosote has been used as......., a laxative......." Well now, that could explain a few things! He he!