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Coal ash?
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Posted by
oldpaddy (
My Page) on
Sun, Oct 24, 10 at 8:45
Hello, hello.
I heat my house with coal (from PA) and always have a lot of ash. I know that wood ash is good for soil, what about coal ash? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Coal ash?
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| Too much ash would not be good because it is very alkaline. If you have a large yard I doubt it would make that much difference if you are just spreading it around. Just to maintain a good balance you might want to use a mulching mower so that you're adding nitrogen in the form of your grass clippings. If your grass and plantings start to look pale you've added too much ash and you;d want to treat it with a high nitrogen fertilizer. A balance of nutrients is key. Cheryl |
RE: Coal ash?
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| Coal ash is not a good idea because it is contaminated with heavy metals from the mines,including toxic ones like cadmium. Charcoal ash on the other hand is fine because it's derived from wood. |
RE: Coal ash?
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| we don't nead heating, but i don't reckon i would suggest anyone use coal ash/soot in the gardens, especially the edible ones. this a quote i found "Coal ash is a byproduct of coal combustion, created when coal is burned to generate energy. Coal-fired power plants are major producers of coal ash worldwide. In some regions, the components of this byproduct can be re-used in a variety of products, including concrete, while the remainder must be isolated and stored to prevent pollution. Failure to contain coal ash properly can lead to catastrophic problems; a coal ash spill in Tennessee in 2008 generated over one billion United States Dollars (USD) in damage." from this site wisegeekDOTcom/what_is_coal_ashDOThtm len |
Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page
RE: Coal ash?
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Posted by oldpaddy Sun, Oct 24, 10 at 8:45
[I] heat my house with coal (from PA) and always have a lot of ash. I know that wood ash is good for soil, what about coal ash? Just curious. Many persons asking questions of this sort have an answer in the back of their head that they want to read. Did you want to read that coal ash was alright? Or were you looking for some confirmation bias that you did not want to read it was alright? |
RE: Coal ash?
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| I'm also interested in the answer. I've always understood coal ash can be harmful because it contains higher levels of sulfur than wood ash. On the other hand, my lawn soil test came back deficient in sulfur. (Go figure). Since it also needs lime, I'm wondering if an application of coal ash would provide both nutrients. |
RE: Coal ash?
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Josko,
Much safer to apply gypsum for the sulfur and lime or wood ash for the pH raise. The sulfur content of coal ash is not bad for soil (it is for air pollution) but the heavy metal content is. |
more: RE: Coal ash?
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| nothing i have read about coal ash while doing searches since this post, leads me to believe that there is any safety in using it, and reading what is out there i would never burn it in my house where you must be breathing in some of its fumes. 60 minutes story it also contains radio active isotypes, and over here they use it in the production of cement for the making of concrete a good way of hiding it hey? and then people buy cement tanks for rainwater storage and personal use. len |
RE: Coal ash?
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| If you google 'coal ash nutrients' you will find articles about it containing lots of things. You peaked my curiosity today and so I have been reading quite a bit, and personally it is not something I would use in my soil. Here's a link to just one article of many... |
Here is a link that might be useful: Coal Ash
RE: Coal ash?
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Thanks everyone for all the input!
Albert, I guess I'd like to be able to use it occasionally in my garden, but I'm just as happy using it on my driveway and the pot holes on my road.
Gardenlen, personally I like using coal and everything I've read says it's safe as long as it's vented properly. But, that's the same for every fuel. I grew up with coal and so far in my 32 years I've never had or seen any coal related problems. |
RE: Coal ash?
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| I'll start by saying I work for a company that owns and operates coal power plants. Right now one of the industry's biggest concerns is the EPA's impending decision of whether or not to consider coal ash "hazardous waste". Without getting into it, would you add anything even close to being considered hazardous waste to your vegetable garden? It's great for making concrete and levees but keep it out of your garden. Don't be concerned (or intrigued by) sulfur. It burns during combustion and is not left in the ash. Do be concerned with Mercury and other heavy metals. They certainly exist in coal, I'm not sure how much in the bottom ash left over in your stove, but enough to keep it out of your garden. Coal is important for heat and electricity, but does not belong in your garden. |
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