wood stove ashes in the compost pile

Question

I found your article on this topic very helpful. However, the article did not say anything about the quantity. During the winter, we generate about 3 or 4 cups of ash a night. We have a large compost bin, which serves scraps from 7 individuals. So a lot of peelings, etc. go into the bin daily. Is there a rule of thumb about how much ash can be included? Perhaps a ratio of some sort?

Thank you.

Answer 1

I would add wood ash sparingly, unless you have a lot of green matter as well. You can treat this as if it were Brown matter, so you can follow the ratio to that. This should always be well composted though. Never add to soil when it is fresh. It will drastically throw off the pH.

This article will give you information on green to brown matter ratios: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/browns-greens-compost.htm