Hey Raye!!!

[Quarlow]

I was just wondering if there is any benefit to putting our spent pucks in with our gardens or compost or would that be not good for it? Not that I have a garden but I have a few of pots and a big bin I am going to do into a herb garden on my deck.

[classicrockgriller]

Raye or BLSH can answer this better than I can.

If they were burnt to ash, the wood ash is a plus.

Don't know about a 3/4 spent compressed puck.

Will be interesting to hear what the answer is.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

Ash has been used as a mineral supplement for generations.  A bit of caution is needed as ash is alkaline and can raise soil pH (think lime).  Activated carbon (e.g. clean charcoal) is well known as a very good soil amendment.  Used bisquettes are much like charcoal and retain the desirable components of ash as well.  I would expect them to be a good addition to a compost pile or to soil if wood ash would be used.  It's good thinking there Q !

[ArnieM]

I have to say that BLSH seems pretty knowledgeable. 

I can't add any scientific evidence here.  I've been throwing my pucks over the back deck.  Now I have wild blackberries growing 6 or 8 feet high.

Probably time to sprinkle out the gunpowder.

[Gizmo]

Now I have wild blackberries growing 6 or 8 feet high.
Probably time to sprinkle out the gunpowder.

Now I can just see someone bitting into one of the blackberries as it explodes and blows out their crowns.   ;D

[Quarlow]

Now I have wild blackberries growing 6 or 8 feet high.
Probably time to sprinkle out the gunpowder.

Now I can just see someone bitting into one of the blackberries as it explodes and blows out their crowns.   ;D

:D :D :D now there's a visual for ya.

[Gizmo]

Gives a whole new meaning to "Pop Rocks".

[Quarlow]

 :D :D :D

[DTAggie]

Memo to self:  Do not eat blackberries offered up by Arnie

[classicrockgriller]

Memo to self:  Do not eat blackberries offered up by Arnie

Or ... the Bst Butt he cooked after the lights went out! ;D

[Caneyscud]

Pucks should be great for the compost, if not too many.   Same as with fireplace ashes - a little probably goes a long way, especially in the already alkaline areas of Texas and OK.  Also don't know what the binder is.  Probably not a problem, but before I'd go putting a bunch of burnt pucks around a $300 Japanese Maple, I'd have some idea.  The other caveat is that if there is any grease on them, your compost pile or garden might be visited by varmints looking for what smells so good.  I usually just toss them into the stickburner to be consumed in the next smoke in it. 

[ArnieM]

It's raining.

I'm not kidding about the blackberry.  You can see a shoot or two growing out of the jungle in the next photo.  Difficult to tell the size.


I have not put any pucks on my Japanese maple; couple of fertilizer spikes.  It seems to do pretty good on its own for the most part.  I've had two landscapers estimate it to be worth around $3500.

[Caneyscud]

That is one gorgeous Jap maple.  I have one almost 30 years old, but upright - not a spreader like that one.  Maybe I need to get an estimate.  hmmmm  $3500 -  sounds like enough for a great trailer smoker.   Might be time for a swap!

[ArnieM]

This one started out as a small $89 graft.  It's about 18-20 years old.  I'm just gonna leave it sit there.  I could almost anticipate the conversation.

So, how much do you think this little tree is worth?

Oh man, $3000-$4000 dollars.

How much will you pay be to dig it out and take it away?

Man, I can do $300.  You know we have to buy shovels and there's the take-away fee.

OK, just wait here while I get my shotgun.

Where'd ya go?

[Quarlow]

In my younger truckin' days I drove a "dumbp truck" doing excavations for houses. If it was a teardown and there was any Jap maples I would give the operator $50 to keep them safe till the end of the day. Then a Landscaper I knew would buy them from me for $600 to $800 and then he would sell them to his clients for $1700 to $2000. I miss those days.