# Wood Ash



## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Thought I'd post a couple pics of the wood ash I was spreading yesterday since its a regional fertilizer. We have a couple bio-mass energy plants here in the area. Bio-mass is just a fancy name for wood chips. The local plant just revamped the system to full gasification so rather than a black ash with organic matter it now comes as a powdery ash with low organic content under 7%. And its much more abrasive,the old ash we'd mix in with manure and spread out of a regular manure spreader, but the new ash was tearing up the bottoms. So the county conservation comm, just bought a wet lime spreader than we can rent for by the day. That combined with the fact I only have to pay for the trucking (15/ton) to get the ash, its a good deal.
It works out to 2/3 strength liming agent, 87 lbs/ton of potash, and 22 lbs/ton of Phosphate and Magnesium. Which is good because the fields around here are low in K. I've been putting between 4-6 tons per acre.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I just got done a similar exercise except the trucking is 34$ per ton. Rented a lime spreader for 4$ a ton. The wet ash was a nightmare to spread. The damp stuff was perfect, it spread with no dust.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

The new stuff is dusty, its like spreading talcum powder. Fun when the wind is swirling, especially cause my tractors don't have those fancy enclosures. The other big difference we've found is this sets up like cement if it sits around in pile and gets rained on. Makes stockpiled lime look like a cake walk.

Hope your field didn't get too tore up bringing that truck in when its wet.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I hear you on the dust, when mine arrived I'm sure several tonnes blew away before I got the tarps on. I can't imagine spreading with it that dry. Once it got wet it was like cement but I turned and broke up the pile. Had to smear some of it with the loader to break the chunks but still would plug the spreader with glass hard pieces.

The truck came up my driveway and left foot deep ruts as he got stuck trying to get to the field. The other truck got stuck in the field and left huge ruts too. Have mostly got that sorted out. Still have 7 tons of the wettest ash to spread, its like sludge. Working on drying it out.



Dill said:


> The new stuff is dusty, its like spreading talcum powder. Fun when the wind is swirling, especially cause my tractors don't have those fancy enclosures. The other big difference we've found is this sets up like cement if it sits around in pile and gets rained on. Makes stockpiled lime look like a cake walk.
> Hope your field didn't get too tore up bringing that truck in when its wet.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks for the pics. Looking good.

Dill- what's on the 3 pt of the Massey on the right? Log winch I presume?


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Yup a Fransgard winch,I've been looking for a used one for years. Finally broke down last winter and bought a new one. Wicked handy, especially pulling logs out of my new hilly farm.


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## atgreene (May 19, 2013)

I've been buying 2-3 loads a years for several years. Seems to help, but never tried the stuff from a gassification boiler. Sounds tricky.


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

I'm in your area and we have been using the black wood ash for years with very good results on our alfalfa fields and pastures. I also use a wet lime spreader which helps break up some of those hard clumps and has a very wide spread pattern. I've found that its best to apply the ash in late Fall so that it has all winter and Spring melt to disolve into the soil. Otherwise it can remain on the dried hay and fresh pasture forage making it unpalatable for some livestock. Its much cheaper than lime but lime can be spread pretty much anytime and you dont need as much for adjusting PH.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The blacker ash here needs 2 or 3 to 1 for lime, the stuff I got is 1-1 with lime, downside is plant produces very little of it. It was supposed to be crushed but it re agglomerated while in the pile.


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## triabordofarm (Apr 8, 2013)

This year I applied 1.2 ton per of a local product called "dairy doo", a mix of composted layer/cow manure/15lb boron and wood ash on a newly planted alfalfa/grass. Soil needed more organic matter. About $80 per delivered. Problem is, were in a drought so I can't really tell if it does any good. We also have a local company that composts wastewater tratment plant sludge and applies it free, including digging it in. I may try that this fall, dig up the crop and replant, install irrigation.

http://www.biotechag.com/

http://dairydoo.com/Morgan_Composting/Home.html


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