How can I reuse or recycle charcoal ashes from my barbecue?
We’ve had an email from Rob asking what a million people up and down the UK will be asking given the recent rush of awesome weather:
How can I recycle charcoal from the BBQ?
At the moment it’s still sitting in there but need to clean it out soon. Any suggestions instead of chucking it out?
As I’ve said before in relations to ashes from bonfires, ash from wood fires – untreated, unpainted wood – can be used in the compost heap or in the garden to bring down the acidity of the compost/soil (don’t use too much though, then it’ll get too alkaline).
But most of the charcoal briquettes that people use on barbecues tend to have random things added that you wouldn’t necessarily want in your compost heap – so unless you know they’re 100% wood based, it would be safer to leave them off your heap/veg plot.
So any there any things that can be done with them instead?
My parents have a cinder path round their vegetable patch: they just poured ashes on to it and let the foot traffic going to and from the compost heap do the rest. It used coal ashes, though.
I always use them for my strawberries and other berries – they love it.
I was researching how to boost my rhubarb and wood ash seems to be an age old friend of rhubarb growers. I have added a small amount round the base of the plant and mixed it into the soil. Time will tell. Nothing has fallen off or wilted yet! (2 weeks ago)
This is my first post on this site, so I don’t know if this idea is what people are looking for or not, but: if you have and use a Dry Erase board, ashes (any type) work extremely well in cleaning it off. Just take a regular piece of tissue/paper towel, etc., dip it in the cool ashes, and then rub the board for a nice clean surface.
This website suggest placing charcoal in an egg carton, and using the egg carton as a fire starter.
They are good for cleaning metal surfaces and utensils. they work as good as the comet soap powder.
You can use it as really good war paint or urban camoflage
if you live in a place where it snows.. put ashes under your tires if your car is stuck in the snow and the tires grip to it and can pull itself free very easily. or just sprinkle your driveway if it’s icy before driving.
If you buy “lumpwood” charcoal (as opposed to briquettes) it’s generally OK to use in the same way you would use wood ash. Lumpwood charcoal is widely available.
NO, No charcoal ashes are awesome for gardens. My aunt who actually lives on the largest farm in west Tennessee. Well she literally grows dozens and dozens of variety of vegetables and fruit trees. Well they have these big wild boar BBQ and other BBQ but they always save the charcoal ash.
They use it to fertilize there berries,trees, etc.. Not really to
fertilize as my uncle says fertilize but it works wonder on amending soils.
charcoal ash is very base (or low ph)
if you are putting a good bit of citrus in your compost
charcoal ash is a good way to balance back the acid
and let you compost 2 things that by themselves
don’t do well in the compost
I was pouring charcoal ash in trash thinking what a lot ash, this has got to be of good use, and it dawned on me. You can clean silver with it so what about brass, so i got a cup of ash and added water to make a paste and it cleaned my brass cups i had, i felt so excited and witty hahaha.. its not as good as brasso but my cups are shinny gold, and i do know that it works better on silver and it made my hands feel really clean…
I know this thread is pretty old (couple of years) buy this is a new issue for me. I’ve been cooking a lot on the smoker this year and I saved a whole bucket full of ashes. I’m anxious to try them out in the garden. Thanks to all who posted advice!