Wood Ash how it can help in being as Self Reliant as possible

Wood Ash how it can help in being as Self Reliant as possible

   I read a lot of blogs, I like them, yesterday I read a long blog on Wood Ash. There are many uses for wood ash, most help in our quest for self reliance and the spirit of making stuff out of nothing. Wood Ash, I worked for a few years in a Electric Generating Plant that used urban tree trimmings as boiler fuel, we ended up with a lot of ash. It is made up of Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Calcium along with traces of Iron, Manganese, sodium, boron, zinc, and other trace elements.

In large volumes Hazardous waste protection is recommended. 

The ash particles are classified as PM 10, particulate matter 10 microns, each particle is shaped like a spearhead with a barb. Like a fish hook once the barb embeds it will not back out, wear a dust respirator, PM 10 will get lodged in the pores inside your lungs. Googles, gloves, and a good respirator are the requirements for personal safety. Wood ash is considered a hazardous waste, that is the challenge in large quantities. The quantities generated in a fireplace a no problem, personal protection should be afforded however. In Southern California through the desert runs Highway 10, from Los Angelo's to Yuma Arizona, our boiler ash was used as road bed for much of it. Which brings us to it's first use:
    Mix ash with concrete, it hardens along with the cement and makes a great additive, the ash particles are encapsulated and will be safely contained. Left alone when it gets wet it will swell up and harden which makes it very useful in capping landfills. When Hazardous waste is placed in a hazardous waste dump site it must be contained so dust is not raised. The ash is spread over the top of the waste, wetted down and left to harden. When stored in a silo, it will swell when wet and can either split the containment or harden and be there forever. "The Chimney Institute of America" has some advice here.
    When placed in a sock, paint strainer bag, or cheese clothe and suspended in water for 24 hours, a "tea" will brew. A Potassium rich liquid fertilizer spray able, and very manageable.
     Fill a bucket halfway with wood ash and half as much hot water, when left to "steep" lye water will made. To use it skim it off the top of the ash, place it in a container. In another container suitable for heating, place Tallow, or any other animal fat. Let it melt, add 130 degree water, and 130 degree lye. Depending on how much you are making is how long it needs to be stirred, generally 1/2 hour or more. When it thickens to the point the stirring utensil stands up, pour it in a mold, add aromatic, you just made soap.
     Dust your flower and vegetable gardens with it enriching your soil, just don't get carried away a light dusting will do all that is needed. Put some in your compost pile, spread it out, it will fortify your compost.
     If you raise worms, do not use it on the worm bedding, it will kill your worms.
   

These are just a few uses for wood ash, there are more. One of our goals in being "self reliant" as possible is getting to zero garbage. Recycling garden waste, kitchen food trimmings, worm castings and wood ash back into growing food in the garden is a step towards that. Reusing ash may work in your emergency preparedness garden, they were at one time called "Victory Gardens", it's a small victory in the whole scheme of things, but a huge personnel victory.
Thanks for reading, tell me about your emergency preparedness garden, I'd like to hear from you.
jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com