soot

[j.flett]

hi all,one of our lottie oldsters mentioned soot as a detterant for most things ,on the allotment ,can any one shed more light on the benefits of soot,????

[Jaxom]

found this on the net.
Barriers
Scatter sharp material around the plants to prevent the slugs getting too near them. Often used are soot, sand, ashes and broken egg-shells. these definitely make it considerably more difficult for slugs to get near the plants by drying up the mucus which slugs rely on to move. Read in full http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/techni...ests/slugs.htm
Coal tar creosote which is found in soot from coal burning fires is considered toxic. Wood creosote however is NOT considered toxic.Creosote is a known carcinogen. One of the reasons that cancer was, and is, an occupational hazard of chimney sweeps.
Hope this info helps?
Jax