Bonfires: yes or no?

[Sara]

It's that time of year again – the GYO team has just started work on November's issue and bonfires have become a big topic of debate in the office.

We'd love to hear what you think. Are bonfires a great way for getting rid of woody prunings and diseased plant waste? Or is it always better to compost crops and reuse wood when you can? If you use ash on your plot or have great safety tips, please let us know!


Your comments may be edited and published in GYO's November issue

[roitelet]

Bonfires only when necessary for things that won't compost like unuseable wood,perennial weed roots and diseased plant matter like potato and tomato haulms. Compost is more valueable!

[Nicos]

I adore the smell of bonfires- but will only burn in an incinerator as I'm really concerned about roasting a hedgehog to death
The thicker stems won't compost easily, and it's the best way of disposing of blighted and diseased leaves and produce.
We add the ash to the base of our fruit bushes.

[binley100]

We use an incinerator , we have a huge amount of hawthorn hedge trimmings to dispose of. Also anything diseased goes in it. The ash then either goes on the compost heap or gets spread around. On our lottie site we are only allowed to burn at weekends, bank hols and after 6m at night.

[Hans Mum]

we're not allowed to burn on individual plots but we have a huge communal bonfire around haloween which is always a good night we collect any non-compostable stuff in old builders bags and any wood which is beyond repair/reuse and build a big bonfire on the day so any creatures/animals which have made it their home are not roasted

[Alison]

Personally I hate it when the guy two plots along fills his incinerator with damp waste and leaves it to smoulder away all day. The smell is horrible and very antisocial. Although I can see the benfits in burning some stuff I don't as I don't want to be rude to my fellow plot holders and make them suffer the smell and smoke so I take any of that sort of waste home and put it in the council green bin.

[Mrs Dobby]

We have a communal Halloween / Bonfire night bonfire / BBQ, which is always one of the best get togethers of the year, where a lot of larger tree prunings and waste are burnt, but individual plotholder are allowed bonfires, but only between October and March, and then only when its dry and there's no wind to blow the smoke in such a way that it would cause a nuisance to other plotholders or nearby homes.

Personally we use an incinerator to ensure we dont inadvertantly roast any hibernating hedgehogs (tho we do have a hedgehog house for them to hibernate in), and usually only burn things that we dont want or are unable to compost (larger tree prunings, weeds with seeds attached and diseased matter). Once the ash has then cooled we put it into a tub and use it as a potash feed, especially good on onions and garlic!

[vicky]

We have to have a couple of bonfires a year to get rid of things too woody to go on the compost (and diseased items such as blighted tomato foliage). We stack in a corner throughout the year then when the veggies have gone and we have bare ground everything gets hauled onto it and lit asap (so no creatures try to set up home there).
A necessary evil.
My last neighbour would have a fire smouldering all day, burning fresh grass cuttings - very antisocial!!!

[piskieinboots]

only as long as I can chuck in some sausages and baked spuds

[solway cropper]

Not had a bonfire since I bought the shredder/chipper so now there's nothing to burn. I think a couple of my neighbours are grateful for that.

[Glutton4...]

Ooooh, I do like a bonfire! You can't beat a good burn-up, but that may be the pyromaniac in me! LOL

[Snadger]

We can only have bonfires during the winter months at the allotments, which is fair enough.
By trying to keep a crop in all areas at all times I struggle to find an area to burn on anyway.
I have a woodburning stove in the greenhouse which I keep adding waste material to. When its full I fire it up during the summer which we ARE allowed to do and burn the stuff quickly and with very little smoke.
During the winter its on quite regularily anyway so any brown waste goes in that!

[WrexTheDragon]

Free Potash.

[rustylady]

Ooooh, I do like a bonfire! You can't beat a good burn-up, but that may be the pyromaniac in me! LOL

Me too, G4. I use an incinerator though as it's easier to contain and to put out if necessary.

[gojiberry]

We have just got hold of a metal 45gal drum which we have turned into an incinerator. It is in a designated spot and will be controlled by one plot holder. We have hedges so have some fairly large hedge trimmings to get rid of.

Ian