[lacewing]

We get a lot of soot dropped outside our allotment. We never see the sweep, just  bags of soot appear from time to time. I see some plotholders spreading it around their plots but I keep wondering if it is safe to use, or is all soot the same, be it from burning coal, wood, coak, oil, ect.ect. Anyone got any idea?

[mumofstig]

This is why the 'oldtimers' use it

soot is particularly high in nitrogen and does warm the soil. But then again, it kills the slugs by poisoning them.

This is why not many 'youngsters' do

It contains......miniscule amounts of dioxins and toxic chemicals

[alfman]

  All soot I know is from chimney sweepings and its extremely acid so I wouldn't put it on anything directly. The old timers (not me) weather it well before use and then use it for dressing onions mostly. Its also a devil to deal with, as you might imagine. As far as I know theres not a lot of use for it nowadays unless anyone else knows more than I do. I would think its from a sweep somewhere dumping it and thinking he/her is doing you lottie users a favour.

[Yorkie]

I would think its from a sweep somewhere dumping it and thinking he/her is doing you lottie users a favour.

Not to mention avoiding paying the mandatory charge for disposal of waste (call me a cynic  )

[mumofstig]

Hey!......cynic

[Yorkie]

 

Wondered how long it would take for someone to take the bait 

[lacewing]

Thanks for the advice, I think I'll give the soot a miss!

[SSM]

Information from one of our more experienced allotment holders is that you must not use soot until it is approx six months old!

After six months mix it with lime and use around the base of Brassicas to keep Cabbage Root Fly at bay.

[Greengirl]

I used to use soot years ago after weathering for 6 months or so. I used to sprinkle it around my spuds when planting to keep the slugs off. Not sure it kept the slugs away, but still got a decent crop.

[Trillium]

I'm curious about the terminology. Do you mean soot as in ashes from the fireplace? or the black crusty stuff from cleaning out chimneys?
If the latter, it's actually creosote which you don't want to use at all in the garden. And serious handslapping to the lazy fellow dumping them there.

[mumofstig]

well, it's ashes from the fireplace but soot from the chimney. Creosote is mostly formed in chimneys from wood burners as far as i understand.
But still nasties in soot

[hubballi]

As we have a coal fire I have been using soot to protect my newly planted veg in raised beds from slugs. The other bonus is it's good for growth too and helps fight blackspot in roses   Anyone else use soot ?

[mumofstig]

Please look here as it's been posted before
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=31081.msg373517#msg373517

[sunshineband]

As we have a coal fire I have been using soot to protect my newly planted veg in raised beds from slugs. The other bonus is it's good for growth too and helps fight blackspot in roses   Anyone else use soot ?

The old guys at the lotties near where I used to live asa child had a huge soot pile -right by the gap in the fence where I could scramble through to take a short cut home  - they used to layer it on the ground around their cabbages

[richyrich7]

I've always been told it's good for putting a handful in with your seed pots as you plant, to keeps the slugs away