Paper Ash For The Garden

[rary]

Over the past few weeks I have been making paper logs for my fire, can anyone tell me if the ash from paper is any good for the garden, also what is the more environmental way to use paper, to burn it or to recycle it?

[Baldy]

Its quite good for the garden but recycilng it is much better

[burnie]

Wood is good ash for fruit as they like the potash in it, I often tear up paper and add it to my compost heap too.

[Bren In Pots]

I put a couple of hand fulls of paper shredding/torn up newspaper at the bottom of my kitchen caddie, its good for soaking up tea leaves. then the whole lot goes into my daleks.

[Mr Bones]

Paper's made from wood pulp, starch (e.g. rice, maize etc) and calcium carbonate.
If it's printed the ink should be vegetable based but there will still be varnishes and pigment.

[Penellype]

what is the more environmental way to use paper, to burn it or to recycle it?

As with most environmental questions, it is hard to give a simple answer.

By far the most environmentally friendly way to dispose of paper is to add it to the compost bin, although large quantities may simply sit there as a soggy mass, doing nothing.

Recycling is much much better than putting it in landfill, but all recycling has downsides from transport and energy used in the recycling process. Newspapers and magazines are apparently some of the most cost effective materials to recycle, but that doesn't mean that the process is good for the environment. It may simply be less bad than the alternatives.

The other aspect is that presumably you are not burning the paper in an incinerator outside just to get rid of it, you are using it to heat your house. So the question then would be what would you be burning if you didn't use paper, and if the answer is coal then burning the paper may be the most environmentally "friendly" solution of all as there is no further transport involved and paper tends to be made from sustainable plantations nowadays.

[rary]

Penellype the paper logs are used to heat my greenhouse, and its for my comfort rather than for the plants, I would be using an electric heater otherwise, I do intend to put a log burner in the house, but at the moment there is a problem, but hopefully she will change her mind and thanks for your reply folks

[Deltawhiskey]

Would ash from the barbecue where briquettes have been used be suitable for the garden?

David

[Snadger]

I think paper ash and woodash have a high potassium content but are also alkaline? Mine goes on my brassica bed and around fruit trees.

[Ole]

Charcoal briquette ashes killed my willow oak tree almost immediately.

David

I tried charcoal briquette ashes around my healthy willow oak tree and it died almost immediately. The next day it was obviously very dead.