coal ashes

I'm sure this question must pop up once in while, but I was curious if there are any benefits from coal ashes,other than just tossing them away. If not, where do you people throw yours? I remember some-one (I think) told me a while back it was good for the garden soil, however no-one has confirmed this for me. I was also thinking of using it for confetti in the ticker tape parade after the up-coming inauguration. (Sorry...did I say that out-loud? )

most people use them in there driveways for filling potholes and for traction in winter on snow and ice

I put mine in a big pile in hope that someday I will have a use for them. In the meantime my dogs like to sit on the pile as a "lookout".

I fill holes throughout the yard, not sure about a garden but no problem growing grass in the holes I fill.

You mean it "is" biodegradable and I can just throw it on my lawn? Now that I just came back from running around looking for a "metal" 10-15 gal container, (all I could find was a 20 gal. for $ 20), and now your saying I wasted a Jackson. Figures. Should've waited for your replies. You guys know how hard it is these days to find something made of metal. Wanted a container. and a dust pan for my hot ashes, and you'ld think I was looking for the "Holy Grail". I guess China isn't into metal fab yet. (Oh, wait a minute...that's where GMs cars will be built soon.)

I take my ashes to the Township Building and dump em on the anti skid pile out back ...I asked yrs. ago and told them they are clean anthracite ashes and they were glad to get them.

veg garden, lawn, fill pot holes, stop leaks in pond birm nothing vegetation wise has died yet--wow, this could be a new fertilizer/ fill market And, YES--dogs seem to appreciate the elevated view

I told the wife about using it for traction in the snow, and her response was, "Yeah...then we'll be tracking ashes all through the house".

I dump into that metal can you bought. On Sundays, I bag up into to tall kitchen size Glad bags. From there they go out on Monday with the trash. I would not use ashes in my driveway. Once everything thaws, do I really want to see the mess? I won't pile in my yard. My neighbor as an ash pile behind the trees. I won't create the same eye sore. But to each his own.

As Cap stated--the solution is equivelent to country mouse vs city mouse--if you can use them there are many uses--if you can't, oh well. Go to plan B

Great info guys. I think in my situation, the week-end trash bag will suffice. I'm in suburbia, with-out accessible woods to dump said ashes.

I also use them on my steep driveway after running the snow blower. Provides great traction, much better then salt!

Rwalker wrote:I also use them on my steep driveway after running the snow blower. Provides great traction, much better then salt!

Exactly...they work awesomely for that...and for filling in potholes in gravel driveways.

Its a huge fringe benefit for me as it saves me money on rock salt.

Sounds popular, but as mentioned above, do you guys end up with a mess when the snow goes away, or any tracking of ashes into the house? Or is the amount so slight, it really doesn't affect it?

No mess for me...but I have a packed gravel driveway so it basically blends in with the base. Never had any issues with it tracking in either but I dont use it on the stone walkway, I just use rock salt for that.