strange soil!

[gwynnethmary]

Hi!
I seem to be asking lots of questions at the moment!  Today, when digging at my new plot, we came across some soil that was extremely friable, and lovely to dig-I could imagine asparagus or carrots really liking it!  It seemed to have lots of reddish material in it-like brick , but the lumps of it just quite  crumbled easily.  I do know that the previous occupant used to have frequent bonfires, before it fell into disuse about 7 years ago.  We also found little bits of coal and charcoal.  What could he have been burning to produce this effect, and would it harm anything we plant there?

[gwynnethmary]

[davyw1]

Hi Gwynneth The red soil is what us yakas call potash it good stuff we riddle it to make up carrot mix etc, the previous plot holder more than likely had kiln fires to create it.

[RenishawPhil]

The only thing I wouldn't grow in is spuds due to the risk of scab

[chriscross1966]

THe only spuds tht you'd likely get away with are King Edwards and their ilk (Yetholm Gypsy is a KE sport apparently) ..... possibly the russeted ones like Burbank Russet.....

[davyw1]

It Should not affect any potatoes as there would be no nutrients left in it after being sterilized by the heat of the fire.
Lime is the biggest cause of scab that is why it is not recomended to lime where you are going to plant potatoes.

[gwynnethmary]

Thank you for all the replies.  The ground at the top of the plot is very undulating, and I think by the time we've dug it all and raked it as level as we can , the red soil will be well mixed in with the rest-there seems to be a right mixture-beautiful loam and heavy clay as well as the red stuff.  My intention is to have fruit at the top as it's more sheltered there and faces south, so am guessing it'll be just right for strawbs and rasps.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Could the red stuff be clay that's been baked in a bonfire?

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

I remember vaguely reading somewhere wood ash was used to treat clay soils to make it friable but over-treatment brought its own problems.

[davyw1]

Let me explain so Gwynneyh does not get confused

Where i live refer to it as pot ash not as in Sulphate of Potash the fertilizer.
It is created by making a kiln fire for burning off weeds,potato tops tomato tops veg stems etc. Dig a shallow hole and make a decent size fire and when it is well ablaze all the potato tops etc are put on top, then the whole lot is covered with soil and patted down, this will smolder away for days and the heat inside is very high it kills anything in the soil and sterilizes it. When the fire is cool what is left on the inside is red soil from the immense heat.
i would normally leave it till i have my next fire and use it to cover it.
Some just rake it into the soil, i riddle it to use for a carrot mix or similar.

[gwynnethmary]

Ah!  So Davy, could we do that with our horrible weeds, such as nettle roots, brambles etc.?  It would be great if we could!  The only problem is that we're not allowed fired until November!

[Digeroo]

I thought pot ash from the fire was also Potassium Sulphate though probably with impurities.

[goodlife]

Ah!  So Davy, could we do that with our horrible weeds, such as nettle roots, brambles etc.?  It would be great if we could!  The only problem is that we're not allowed fired until November!

You can..if you have corner somewhere where you could pile them up for later on for the fire. Ideally you would need to raise the pile up from ground..some bricks and few lenghts of old wood across the brick 'legs' would do the job. Those perennial weeds would keep bit dried and burn better when the time comes for the fire.
I use old shop bread delivery trays for weeds...some that I pile annual weeds to dry on, which I add on top of mulches once dead. And then I have perennial weed trays. Some will dry out and die and can be returned back onto soil with mulches..and some that are more difficult to kill will be added on fire when its lit up.
I rarely need to take anything away from lottie.

[davyw1]

I thought pot ash from the fire was also Potassium Sulphate though probably with impurities.

Are you not getting mixed up with Sulphate of Potash

Its just become one of those names that was picked up from another, origonaly it would have been Hot Ash and as time went by it became Pot Ash Different parts of the country different terms IE Off Sets = Catch Crop.

[davyw1]

Ah!  So Davy, could we do that with our horrible weeds, such as nettle roots, brambles etc.?  It would be great if we could!  The only problem is that we're not allowed fired until November!

I do much the same as Goodlife I never compost weeds, Potatoe tops or Tomato plants and i use the same meathod of bread trays but when i get a decent pile i sprinkle Sulpate of Amonia on to aid decomposition..
The best about a kiln fire appart from the heat it generates inside is once its coverd and pattered down you get very little smoke and it safe to leave it unnatended.
Some might think that method it not cheap as i have to by half a stone of ammonia but also goes onto my onion bed as a fertilzer and onto my manure heap to help it rot quicker so again no waist.

[gwynnethmary]

Ammonia?

[davyw1]

Ammonia?

Yes Ammonia, Sulphate of Amonia its a very good fertalizer it also sweetens up onions. When scatered onto a compost heap it helps to break it down

[gwynnethmary]

Where do you buy it from please?

[davyw1]

At our allotment shop, you can get anything you want, the people who work in there are great anything you want to know they will tell you.