Only add small amounts of ash to the compost
It used to be a matter of course to dispose of ashes on the compost. In today's times, composting ash is no longer completely safe. This is due to the increased environmental pollution, due to which wood in particular is contaminated with many heavy metals.
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- Better not to put charcoal on the compost
If large amounts of ash are placed on the compost, this can lead to calcification of the soil or even to poisoning.
Ash should therefore only be composted in small quantities.
Ash suitable for composting
- Wood ash from untreated trees
- Coal / briquette
- Paper ash without paint residues
Compost only ashes from untreated woods
Not all ashes are allowed on the compost. If the wood you burned was varnished, stained or glued, the ashes never belong in the compost and should not be burned anyway.
This also applies to wood from trees that have stood directly on busy roads. In such woods, the exposure to harmful heavy metals is particularly high.
Therefore only compost wood ash that you know exactly about its origin.
Paper only without color
If you burn paper in the stove or fireplace, make sure that you only use materials that are printed in one color. Colored papers or glossy papers also contain heavy metals that do not degrade in the compost, but instead unnecessarily pollute the natural fertilizer that will be used later.
Small additions of ash improve the compost
The ashes of untreated wood, charcoal or non-color printed paper contain a number of important nutrients. You can therefore safely add small amounts to the compost.
Sprinkle only a thin layer at a time and mix the ash with other green waste. For example, lawn clippings can be loosened up with ash. It then rots faster.
You can improve very loamy, heavy earth with wood ash. Ashes can also improve compacted soils.
It is better to only fertilize flower beds with composted ash
The fertilizer produced when composting the ash can be heavily polluted. Therefore, to be on the safe side, you should only use it on flower beds. This fertilizer is not suitable for vegetable patches because of the possible health risks.
Can wood ash from the grill be put on the compost?
Wood ash that has been burned on the grill should not be disposed of in the compost, but rather disposed of with household waste. When grilling, fat drips into the charcoal. This creates the harmful acrylamide, which poisons the soil in the garden.
Tips
When building the compost, you should always ensure that it is well mixed. Then the green waste will rot faster and the compost will later contain a variety of different nutrients.
