If the fireplace or stove is heated with wood, briquettes and paper in winter, a lot of ash is produced that has to be disposed of. This also applies to wood ash that is produced by grilling in summer. Can you put these ashes in the compost?
Can I put ash in the compost?
Can ashes be put in the compost? Composting ash in small quantities is safe as long as it comes from untreated wood, charcoal/briquette or paper that is not printed in color. Avoid composting ash from varnished, stained or glued wood, as well as wood ash produced during grilling.
Only add ash to the compost in small quantities
It used to be completely normal to dispose of ashes in the compost. Nowadays, composting ash is no longer completely safe. This is due to increased environmental pollution, which means that wood in particular is contaminated with many heavy metals.
If large amounts of ash are added to the compost, this can lead to calcification of the soil or even poisoning.
Ash should therefore only be composted in small quantities.
Ash suitable for composting
- Wood ash from untreated trees
- Coal / Briquette
- Paper ash without color residue
Only compost ashes from untreated wood
Not every ash can go into the compost. If the wood you burned was painted, stained or glued, the ashes never belong in the compost and should not be burned anyway.
This also applies to wood from trees that were directly next to busy roads. The level of harmful heavy metals is particularly high in such woods.
Therefore, only compost wood ash whose origin you know exactly.
Paper only without color
If you burn paper in the oven or fireplace, make sure you only use plain-color printed materials. Colored papers or glossy paper also contain heavy metals, which do not break down in the compost but instead unnecessarily pollute the later natural fertilizer.
Small amounts of ash improve the compost
The ash from untreated wood, coal or non-color printed paper contains a number of important nutrients. You can therefore put small amounts in the compost without worry.
Sprinkle only a thin layer at a time and mix the ashes with other green waste. Lawn clippings can be loosened up with ash, for example. It will then rot more quickly.
You can improve particularly heavy, clayey soil with wood ash. Compacted soils can also be improved with ash.
Better to only fertilize flower beds with composted ash
The fertilizer created when composting the ash can be heavily contaminated under certain circumstances. Therefore, to be on the safe side, you should only use it on flower beds. This fertilizer is not suitable for vegetable beds because of the possible he alth risks.
Can wood ash from grilling be put in the compost?
Wood ash that is produced by burning on the grill should not be put 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.
Tip
When building the compost, you should always ensure that it is well mixed. The green waste then rots more quickly and the compost later contains a variety of different nutrients.
