[Growster...]

In 'The wartime gardener' book, he mentions that a concoction made from a bag of soot, hung in a barrel of water and steeped for a few days, does wonders for early peas.

Anyone else heard of this at all?

[Gwiz]

Never heard of it as such, but this site:
http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show_vegetables_1/feed_tomato.php

recommends it for Tomatoes and Peas.

Anyone want to buy a bag of black fertilizer? I might have some going later........
Disclaimer,
This is intended as a jest, actual product is not for sale but bag may contain nuts.

[compostqueen]

My dad used soot and he was a show veg grower so it must have been good stuff

Mind you, not all soot is equal and coal seems to be as rare as rocking hoss feathers these days

[Growster...]

Never heard of it as such, but this site:
http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show_vegetables_1/feed_tomato.php

recommends it for Tomatoes and Peas.

Anyone want to buy a bag of black fertilizer? I might have some going later........
Disclaimer,
This is intended as a jest, actual product is not for sale but bag may contain nuts.

That's an interesting post Gwiz!

Last year, we had nettle tea and comfrey tea gurging away quite happily, and the outdoor toms just romped away!

We're doing the same this year, but with soot as well, as the bag of the stuff I have is 9 months old, and pongs the shed out...

I think the writer also meant that the colour was improved too...

[Growster...]

My dad used soot and he was a show veg grower so it must have been good stuff

Mind you, not all soot is equal and coal seems to be as rare as rocking hoss feathers these days

S'because it's so expensive nowadays CQ...

I'm going to try some anyway, as one of my books says that soot has quite a high Nitrogen content, and is reasonably slow-release, which probably explains why it is used on peas and toms etc!

[compostqueen]

The black stuff hung in the barrel was "black Jack" but don't know if that was soot or dung

I think my dad used to store it dry for ages first as we always had it lying in bags around the shed water butt at home. 

I don't think using smokeless fuel soot will have the same effect. I believe it has to be good old coal 

[ilan]

Now my old dad would only use year old Wood soot as coal was to acid and gave the soil a nasty bite! this was dug in

[JayG]

I believe that soot from coal fires used to be commonly used as a fertiliser/pest deterrent in the garden, but then again DDT, creosote, and asbestos also used to be very popular and widely used products.........

This article is more than a bit technical,  and I can't pretend I really understand all of it, but I did get the general drift (and a ricked neck trying to read page 2!)

I think the value of fresh soot as a pest deterrent is mainly due to its toxicity, and even the sulphur and nitrogen it contains is mainly in the form of inorganic acids. If it is "well weathered" before use I would think that all you have left is carbon particles, which aren't of much value other than possibly increasing the heat absorption of light-coloured soils.

In case you haven't guessed I think there are too many question marks about it and I wouldn't use it on my garden.

[Growster...]

We seem to be getting the pea weevils again Jay, and if there is a deterrent quality, then I'd welcome that.

Because the ground hasn't been turned for several years, there's all manner of things appearing while we get it into some sort of good order!

[JayG]

OK with me - it's your choice at the end of the day (even the EU hasn't managed to stop people doing their own thing in the privacy of their own back gardens/plots.) 

[compostqueen]

Folks used what they had available.  My dad was a miner and we got a coal allowance
He did use wood ash on his plums though 

[cAnAry53]

i have heard of it being sprayed on chrysanthemums to increase the colour of the blooms which i may try this year,i do put one year old soot on my potatoes as the old guys on the allotments say it deters slugs and so far it seems to work.

[Growster...]

i have heard of it being sprayed on chrysanthemums to increase the colour of the blooms which i may try this year,i do put one year old soot on my potatoes as the old guys on the allotments say it deters slugs and so far it seems to work.

There's a lot in what you say Canary. Slugs definitely don't like soot, and I'd be interested in knowing why the colour spectrum is increased with the addition of a 'black' substance - which is in effect, what has been noted elsewhere.

I usually listen to old boys, although I'm nearly one myself...

('Now listen 'ere young Growsterrrrr, jus' put that soot water all over them peas an' chrysanths, an' you'll get a crarrrp and a flower like there's no tomorrer...'

...Why that's an interesting point Growster, thank you, I think I'll do that...;0)

I'd be interested to know how you get on Canary!

[lacewing]

We get bags of soot left outside our allotment. I would be very reluctant to use it, : as there is no label to say what has been burnt.