OT-I need some advice

[TJH72]

I have 10-15 Austrian pine trees in my yard that are either dead or about dead. I want to cut them down take them out into the middle of a field and burn them. My question is the field is going to have soybeans in it next year. Will the ashes from all of those trees have any bad effects on the crops next year? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tjh72

 

[rrlund]

All I can tell you is,when our barn burned in 1964,we were told to spread the ashes on the field because it contained potash. We did,and there were no ill affects.

 

[Don-Wi]

Did that in the middle of what was a corn field this year with no problems. Just got done plowing that field today and you can't tell there was ever a pile of ash there.

Donovan from Wisconsin

 

[TyTX]

Fields used to be burned off regularly to sweeten the soil.

In pine forests the fallen mat of pine needles makes an acidic layer that chokes out grass growth. When a fire sweeps through the mat burns a long time but when it finally goes out the ash sweetens the soil like lime and grass thrives.

Burning your pine trees can only do good for the next crop.

 

[Dan67]

Lot's of burning in this area, we burn fields every year, a quick burn over is great for fields, But a hot intence fire in one area has a tendence to sterialize the soil for lack of a better word, Burn off to the side and spead the ashes if there is enough.

 

[paul]

If you do typical tillage before planting, no problem.

If you are no=till, then the compaction of dragging them out there, and the deep ashes will have some effect.

I'd expect you would 'notice' the spot for one year, likely the compaction of driving there as anything, but no big deal.

--->Paul

 

[DRL]

I'd have to agree with Dan. A hot intense fire like a pile of pines will leave a bare spot for at least a year. I imagine tillage after the fire is out might minimize the effect, but I can still find where we burnt brush piles two and three years ago where there is considerably less vegetation than the surrounding area. It's not the ashes, but the heat that will cause problems. Burning off a field is sort of a flash fire that passes quickly over the field and not much heat is absorbed by the ground. Burning a brush pile concentrates the heat in one area and will cause problems.

 

[jim johnson]

Well all I can tell you about this fact is that we pulled a bunch of trees out of a field that was way up on a hill and hard to get to. We burned the brush and planted it the next year. About August that year we saw where someone had come in and planted some Marijuana in the ashes of the brush pile and man those plants were doing really good. They were about 6 inches across at the base and 12 foot tall. Someone was really disappointed I'm sure.

 

[flashback]

Spreading the ashes out and tilling the field should be good for the soil , having the same effect as limethe heat may destroy some bacteria that is healpful to the soil but turning it or deep discing should minimize any problems.You culd even spread some 10-10-10 maybe 50-100 pounds in that area before tilling and that would solve all problems
.

 

[RodinNS]

The ashes are just potash. Last I heard that was pretty good stuff on beans...
The only ill efect I could think of would be compaction from wheel traffic and a hot fire might destroy some organic matter in the soil.
For what it's worth, we've cleared close to 200 acres out of heavy timber here over the last 20-30 years, burnt 90% of the slash and stumps, and I can tell you that without fail, the best crops in the fisrt few years are ALWAYS where the stump piles were burned. That ought to say something.

Rod

 

[Anonymous-0]

I did that with an old building site that had no buildings left. The old pines were about 40ft tall. Had them pushed out and burnt at the side of the site. It was done too late in the season to plant that year. I disked it several times to keep the weeds down and next spring seeded it to alfafa. While I was disking it I could tell where the ashes were. It is now 5 years later and there is no trace of anything but alfafa.

 

[TJH72]

Thanks everyone for your advice.

tjh72