Grow Your Own Magazine

We've just finished our garden at last!!! patio at the back for relaxing and BBQ's and another one nearer the fron in full sun for the greenhouse...feels kind of complete now...whcih is great. So we've been havng lots of BBQs because of the good weather and i've been putting the charcoal on the compost bin - is this OK to do?

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Watched a programm on telly the other day about somewhere where the standard soil was impoverished and wouldn't grow anything. Other areas of this basic soil were being harvested to be sold on as a type of 'wondersoil'! The only difference between the two was that the second lot had charcoal ameliorated into it.
It 'sweetens' the soil, is water retentive, is dark coloured so absorbs the suns rays, degrades slowly, and seems to work similar to a slow release fertiliser!

As long as its crushed up finely, I would imagine it will be an excellent additive to the compost heap!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

great! Thanks for the info!

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Would it make a difference though if you'd used firelighters or BBQ lighting fuel? I've often wondered this. Anyone know? because it's not just pure ash and charcoal remains then, is it. Or am I being too cautious?

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Hi. I've just got a book -Composting an easy household guide- (I'm new to all this stuff) and it says that charcoal ash and wood ash are fine for composting, but NOT coal ash. So I should think that if the pieces of charcoal aren't too big it will be ok on the compost heap. Not sure about the firelighters/lighter fuel --the book doesn't mention these.
P.S. WHEN have you had GOOD Weather????? Just rain and more rain here.

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Happy growing. Lynn

Hence the propensity of soggy charcoal!Lol

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I should think any pollution from the firelighters would be burnt off in the heat of the fire. We burn wood for heating and all waste goes into the compost bin, any lumps I just stand on before I throw them in. Woodash, I'm told, helps to bring down the acidity of the compost whilst coal ash is acidic.