Burn Residue

[legendarysurfer]

I'm new to working land in the Isaan. Currently, I'm doing a fair amount of burning to clear trash on the home property. What are good uses for the burn residue? Ashes from primarily bamboo and coconut?

[slapout]

work it back into the soil for the little good it will do. If the ash comes from a big pile, it can be picked up and put in garden areas and some of the real pioneers might even suggest using it for soap making.

Get ready to hear from the clean air groups or in a few cases the authorties about the decision to burn, especially in this time of pollution over a lot of Thailand.

[cooked]

http://www.breathecampaign.net/

Around here they burn plastic at the same time, generally when the wind is going in the direction of the health clinic.

By the way, too much ash isn't necessarily good for the soil and it will tend to make it (even) heavier.

[legendarysurfer]

I draw the line with plastic. It's bad enough I'm burning. My wife says the locals put the ashes around fruit trees, but I have a hard time believing any good coming out of that other than to create a barrier around the trunk from ants.

[GilleThai]

If you have the possibility you should try to make biochar (charcoal broken in small pieces) instead of a complete burning to ash.

Some tests have shown it to be very beneficial for the plant with 8-10% biochar incorporated into the earth.

Google "biochar kiln" or "biochar retort building plans" will give you the setup from small to very big, depending on how much organic matter you have to convert.

[David006]

...put it around your trees...with or without...lol

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112750.htm

[IsaanAussie]

You could cover the piles with soil or rice husk and burn by pyrolysis (low oxygen) which reduces the emissions and burns the gases. The result is charcoal rather than ash. This the locals use as cooking fuel. However this requires a lot of work pulling the heap apart and extinguishing the burning and breaking up the charcoal.

Alternate to burning is to get a shredder to mulch it all up and then use the mulch or compost it.

[T_Dog]

Surfer.... Burning destroys the nutrients in the waste, so why not compost it? In 2007, the Doi Pui park rangers built some 3 meter tall corrals for teak and other leaf residue and filled them up to the brim. At the end of the rainy season, there was a rich 30 cm deep pile of organic goo. That goo is rich fertilizer. Folks here do not realize that the amount of nitrogen in a single season's rains can do a lot of composting. Your burning is not helping anyone, including yourself.

[David006]

Surfer.... Burning destroys the nutrients in the waste, so why not compost it? In 2007, the Doi Pui park rangers built some 3 meter tall corrals for teak and other leaf residue and filled them up to the brim. At the end of the rainy season, there was a rich 30 cm deep pile of organic goo. That goo is rich fertilizer. Folks here do not reh that the amount of nitrogen in a single season's rains can do a lot of composting. Your burning is not helping anyone, including yourself.

Is the op talking about green vegetable matter or wood?

Guess burn or not to burn is a contentious issue but wood ash/charcoal is a proven good fertiliser nonetheless

[T_Dog]

Surfer.... Burning destroys the nutrients in the waste, so why not compost it? In 2007, the Doi Pui park rangers built some 3 meter tall corrals for teak and other leaf residue and filled them up to the brim. At the end of the rainy season, there was a rich 30 cm deep pile of organic goo. That goo is rich fertilizer. Folks here do not reh that the amount of nitrogen in a single season's rains can do a lot of composting. Your burning is not helping anyone, including yourself.

Is the op talking about green vegetable matter or wood?

Guess burn or not to burn is a contentious issue but wood ash/charcoal is a proven good fertiliser nonetheless

I think ash in farming is used to control the soil pH, not as a classic fertilizer. Would be interested to hear what the experts say about this.

[IsaanAussie]

If you have a bit of "rubbish" to "just get rid of" then "just" burn it. The issues here are as diverse as carbon sequestering and greenhouse gas emissions.

I am no greenie, the Green Revolution was a complete failure. There are no blacks and whites in life. But the global climate has changed. I try to do what I can in my very small space and ask to do the same.

Practical clue if you burn down to wood ashes. Bag it up and use it 50-50 inlieu of cement in your next building works. Most ash contains silica which is one thing our rice crops deplete from the soil.

Enough for today, need sleep