Hello from France

[dorothysgirl]

Hi

I am fairly new to veggie gardening, having had no time to grow my own before we retired to France. Now however I have the time and the land, and what I lack in knowledge I make up in enthusiasm!

I have a 'compost' question which I hope someone out there can help me with.

We run our central heating from a wood burning Rayburn so we have lots of sawdust/very small chippings and wood ash as byproducts. Can I use these in the composter?

If not, has anyone any ideas how I can recycle them?

[Flummery]

Hi and welcome - you can certainly use wood ash - it's excellent - very good round fruit bushes and on your onion bed. We had some discussion on sawdust recently - some were for burning it and using the ash, some for using it as it is as a mulch. You could use it on paths too maybe?
Maybe you could put your location in your profile - we have quite a number of regular grapes in France - we can see who you are near.

[Alice]

Welcome to the Vine Dorothysgirl.
I agree with Flummery. I think unrotted wood in the compost depletes the soil of nitrogen (or something) as it breaks down. If that's wrong another Grape will be along to tell us.
Happy gardening.

[BrideXIII]

welcome to the vine.
i use some shavings as a mulch, cos i have heavyish soil so it breaks it up, the rest i burn and use the ash, best of both worlds

[scarey55]

Hello Dorothysgirl and welcome to the Vine.

I have a woodburner and I always put the ash straight into the compost bin. I am planning on putting some under my fruit bushes and around my strawberry plants later on in the year.

As you can see, I am in the middle of France and, as Flummery says, there are quite a few of us dotted around the country. It would be interesting to know where you are roughly. It also helps us to understand your growing conditions - soil type, weather etc.

[tootles]

Welcome from me too.
I am a bit further south than scarey but still produce an awful lot of ash!! I stick it straight on my veg beds.
Put in your location so we can see where you are.

[Jardiniere]

Hi and welcome from me too...i have a Godin woodburner (heat and cooking)and the ash goes on the garden, in the compost anywhere to get rid of it!!!!
Please tell us where you are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
as you can see i'm in the Lot Valley and you can see pictures of my plot (being cleared and flooded) on my page.........
I use the sawdust in the chicken coop and small chippings go on the fire anyway....what are you burning?
We buy oak but have our own acacia.....and a little walnut.