Mixing hardwood ash with soil?

too larry

Well-Known Member
Sactly. Boilt water on your ashes. Leaches out lye. Lye in the pot with fat. Cook. Cool and set. Take the hide right offen a fella.

No gawddamn wonder the old fellas didnt like to bath :cry:
All I have used for the last 3 years is lye soap. I even wash my hair in it. An older lady friend of the wife's gives me tons of it. But she fell and broke her hip. Haven't got any new supply in about a year. I still have some, but do worry about replacing it.
 

Novabudd

Well-Known Member
All I have used for the last 3 years is lye soap. I even wash my hair in it. An older lady friend of the wife's gives me tons of it. But she fell and broke her hip. Haven't got any new supply in about a year. I still have some, but do worry about replacing it.
When i was but a wee sprout :bigjoint: my mum used lye soap on a washboard stuck in a galvanized wash tub on the floor to wash clothes. We were dirt poor, maybe she was trying to clean us up. Poor old soul i dont know how she did it. That old yellow lye soap stunk the whole house up.
 

too larry

Well-Known Member
When i was but a wee sprout :bigjoint: my mum used lye soap on a washboard stuck in a galvanized wash tub on the floor to wash clothes. We were dirt poor, maybe she was trying to clean us up. Poor old soul i dont know how she did it. That old yellow lye soap stunk the whole house up.
This lady uses Crisco instead of lard. Also uses some dyes. It seems milder to me than the store bought soaps.
 

NugHeuser

Well-Known Member
New question: I'm planning on reusing old ffof soil from last grow and mixing amendments with it, well I noticed my big barrel of soil has acuired a dirty wet laundry/mildewy smell to it, does not smell much like soil, will it still be okay to use?
I just don't want to put my plants roots in some bad soil or something that will give them root problems like root rot.
Here's what I plan to amend the soil with, ewc will also be mixed in with the soil. I've read 1/3 ewc, does this still apply to reused soil? And peat moss is not necessary because it's reused soil so already has old peat moss right? Wilas planning on mixing the amendment mix together and then adding around 2 cups of that mixture per cu. Ft. Of soil.1524599265106487063943.jpg
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
If I were you I would take that soil out of whatever it is in and spread it out..let it dry ..then soak it ..let it dry again..hit it with a microbial tea..then see how it smells after a couple few days...has it been sealed in that barrel?... I don't like storing soil in large amounts in plastic cause of these kinda issues..I usually leave it in my smart pots...but if it really worries u I'd just get peat moss, compost, and ewc instead....it prob won't be bad though if u air it and wash it though...
 

NugHeuser

Well-Known Member
If I were you I would take that soil out of whatever it is in and spread it out..let it dry ..then soak it ..let it dry again..hit it with a microbial tea..then see how it smells after a couple few days...has it been sealed in that barrel?... I don't like storing soil in large amounts in plastic cause of these kinda issues..I usually leave it in my smart pots...but if it really worries u I'd just get peat moss, compost, and ewc instead....it prob won't be bad though if u air it and wash it though...
It wasn't sealed, the lid came off here and there. The longest it went was probably a few weeks closed. I guess The good news is when I would stir it the smell would go away so it's like it was just starting to go bad.
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
I run COBs and LEDs so I am heavy on drainage. Castings at 1/3 can get things a bit soupy, especially in a recycled mix. I treat my used soil much like promix HP promix. I add back some peat moss and lighten up on rock amendments and minerals as they persist in a mix. Consider Back To Nature Cotton Burr Compost to use just anywhere.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
I wouldnt use casting as a whole 1/3...either half of the 1/3 or a 1/4 of the 1/3....and i also make aeration my biggest % out if everything..not by a lot but It is def more than the rest of the mix...it helps more ways than one realizes until you see for yourself
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
Perlite because I can. My mix is about30% or more reused so the level of perlite is a little higher as peat/compost decay. I tried rice hull which were great for a cycle or two before most disappear. I also use a small amount of fine sharp local creek gravel.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
Perlite because I can. My mix is about30% or more reused so the level of perlite is a little higher as peat/compost decay. I tried rice hull which were great for a cycle or two before most disappear. I also use a small amount of fine sharp local creek gravel.
I recycle my soil also...it was originally mixed w chunky perlite ... well..that's what I added ..the light warrior and ff of has smaller perlite..the ff planting mix has none though..but I have been wanting to get some lava rock to keep in my mix...here is something I think u should try ...i got the idea from an awesome grower from here and it's def a kick ass idea...gather very decayed rotting wood...I like the kind that is like a sponge...wood soft enough roots can grow through it..I break it into chunks from the size of a dime and a lil smaller to about a 50 cent piece ....u can get water retention and aeration from it..and also u can have little nute storage pods if u do like I do and bubble the chunks in a tea ..I usually bubble rabbit shit and kelp meal with them ..dry them out...then use em...it releades when u water ...and I'd say they have to build a good breeding ground for beneficials ya know..give it a try sometime
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
Check my posts, I have buckets of high grade ash that has some sand and charcoal bits. Wood ash has lived in my flowers and veggies for 40 years.
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
My wife got me a worm farm last fall and I feed them ashes also and leaf mold! Wife realized she may have created a monster. They make a lot of castings once they are settled and worm farmer gets experience.
 
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