Nearly the end of the burning season!

[Florence Fennel]

No so good an idea to sterilize the ground plus Woodash valuable stuff ...used for fruiting crops...normally toms. Beans normally have a big hole dug and all the rubbish buried to create a reservoir as they like wet toes.

Cheers Paul, disaster averted. I do pile rubbish into the hole and grow successfully. Can I still have the bonfire on it and dig the ash out, or should I best site the fire somewhere else?

[jacob marley]

I've got to get burning before the end of march too. Funny thing is in the summer months we are not allowed fires but we are allowed barbeques, not quite sure how that works

Different smell that is lovely smell make you hungry...jacob

[HeyWayne]

We can have fires on the site, as long as there's an 'r' in the month, the moon is in Jupiter and the crow has barked at a passing dog.

However, everything's sodden at the moment, so I'd be likely to steam my cuttings and alike rather than burn them anyways.

[Paulottie]

Cheers Paul, disaster averted. I do pile rubbish into the hole and grow successfully. Can I still have the bonfire on it and dig the ash out, or should I best site the fire somewhere else?

I'd suggest somewhere else as there are lots of bacteria etc in the soil that work with roots that make nutrients available...in the case of beans also help the nodules that form fix nitrogen.

[Paulottie]

We can have fires on the site, as long as there's an 'r' in the month, the moon is in Jupiter and the crow has barked at a passing dog.

this is the dawning of the age of aquarius, the age of aquariuuuuuuus...2,3,4....ARRRRHhhh the sunshine, Let the sunshine in.


sorry

Of course I wrote some palaver about 'no bonfires between 1st May and last August bank' holiday where if I had been a clever Oyster eater like you Wayne I could have said the far simpler no 'R' in the month.

[Nicos]

FF- have you thought of treating yourself to an incinerator? They're about £35 and you'll never need to worry about accidentally BBQing any hedgehogs either!

[HeyWayne]

if I had been a clever Oyster eater like you Wayne I could have said the far simpler no 'R' in the month.

Not sure if that's a condiment or not, but you may have me confused with the Ape Man.

Back on topic - sorta.

Why are the rules regarding fires in place? Is it a consideration thing - in that folks living nearby are more likely to have their windows open, or hang their washing out during these months, or is it a safety thing - ground being dry and so on?

[binley100]

Our rules there cos there are factory units across the road and an OAP home not too far away. Mind you there is the council incinerator nearby as well but they do have a very tall chimbly.

[Paulottie]

In our case it is easier to have the rules in place from a consideration point of view to avoid complaints and avoid having to ban them ..thing is with fires is that most people are polite and wait for a cloudy evening when the surrounding area isn't tinder dry and everybody enjoying their garden...but there is ALWAYS an idiot or two.

The actual rule is: I must give specific permission for a fire (without an R in the month)....otherwise be considerate.

Two incidents caused this: One was one neighbour who also has a plot chose a hot washing day and an east wind day to upset another neighbour with green hedgetrimmings..(Neighbour B also has a plot and dumps his hedgetrimmings, mattresses etc on the lottie...so not deepest sympathy from me...none the less).

The other was an old Polish character who has been a tenant for at least 50 years thought he would burn off the dry couch etc...lit one end of the plot and 30 seconds later it was away from him and the neighbours hedge was alight while he was swatting at with his walking stick...fortunately I was there..just saying 'he must know what he is doing after all these years!'... I whipped over, grabbed a hose and sorted it out....Luckily the neighbour, who's a renowned moaner was very good about it when I went round....we all laugh now bless him, but it could have been a big problem.

[Lazgaot]

This reminds me of when I was clearing my lottie in 2008. I'd strimmed down most of the weed, allowed them to dry an heaped them up to burn. Unfortunately there was some slightly wet grass inthere and the wind turned and blew the smoke across the plot and right into a pub about 150m away. About 5 minutes later the landlord and came storming out and asked me to put the fire out, it has smoked out everyone in the pub! I was very apologetic and quickly doused it out, but had a bit of a giggle afterwards.

[Snadger]

Our fire ban is simply because we are surrounded by houses and in a smokeless zone!

[HeyWayne]

I guess there are also road/traffic safety issues to consider.

Our site is not that far from a mainline railway and I'm always conscious of having a fire with lots of green matter when the wind is blowing in either a Southerly (towards houses), or Easterly direction (towards the railway).

I always have a full watering can on hand though to dampen the ground immeditately next to the incinerator or anywhere that looks in 'catching' distance.

I guess some folk just don't think.

[Florence Fennel]

FF- have you thought of treating yourself to an incinerator? They're about £35 and you'll never need to worry about accidentally BBQing any hedgehogs either!

Thanks Nicos, I hadn't thought of it!

[Rixy]

No restrictions on bonfires on our site althout the pigeon men prefer if you don't light up when they are expecting pigeons back, no great hardship really. Quite a few of the "leek" men have coal/woodburners in their greenhouses/poly tunnels and on a cold winters day it can resemble an old pit village with all the little plumes of smoke drifting up and away on the breeze.

[Jeanied]

I love the sound of that Rixy - I can almost see the scene - do take a camera one day!