Human Ashes

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Richard
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Human Ashes

Post by Richard »

I was listening to the Radio this morning and they had an interesting mini documentary about Cremations and what people do with their loved one's Ashes.

The Funeral Director they were talking to said that you should on no account simply put remains 'down a hole' and plant something next to it - it will die or certainly not grow, some reaction within the ashes apparently.

Not morbid and not a joke, thought it may be of some interest to some.

Guess the solution is to plant something next to them, as long as they are in something airtight.

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Richard
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Re: Human Ashes

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Totally Scrambled
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Totally Scrambled »

Don't suppose they said how long the effect lasted did they?
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LittleBrownFrog
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by LittleBrownFrog »

I guess it makes sense - you wouldn't expect to successfully grow a rose bush in a bucket of ash from the fire.
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p.penn
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by p.penn »

That's really odd - we have a natural burial ground near here - I believe they plant a tree on you (possibly in a cardboard box?). Mind you, that's the whole body I guess.

Thinking about it - that's even odder...they sell blood and bone as a fertiliser, don't they?
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Lillia
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Lillia »

p.penn wrote:That's really odd - we have a natural burial ground near here - I believe they plant a tree on you (possibly in a cardboard box?). Mind you, that's the whole body I guess.

Thinking about it - that's even odder...they sell blood and bone as a fertiliser, don't they?


Yep, that's what I'm thinking....
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Richard
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Richard »

The Funeral Director said just that - don't confuse it with Blood and Bone, it's something completely different.

LBF - That came up on Gardeners Question Time the other day - never put coal ash on the garden, only wood ash.

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Totally Scrambled
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Totally Scrambled »

I suppose that as bone is a type of metal containing calcium, selenium, silicon, magnesium, phosphorous etc. that when burned and ground up must make a bit of a toxic brew.
Blood and bone I think is just crushed up and not burned so might not be as toxic a brew. More natural in the decaying business.
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Richard
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Richard »

)t'

Back to ash - you can use Chimney Soot to surround plants to keep slugs away, but it has to be a year old and it shouldn't touch any part of the plant.

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Re: Human Ashes

Post by LittleBrownFrog »

So ... when I've had enough of dh, I can burn him in the garden incinerator (would need to chop him up first, he's quite tall), and I can collect the soot, store it for a year and use it to repel slugs, but his ashes need to be scattered to the four winds? OK. Thanks for your help in that matter Richard )t'
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Richard
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Richard »

Always only too pleased to pass on useful information

:-D :-D
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Freckle
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Re: Human Ashes

Post by Freckle »

Just by coincidence ive been looking onto what i can use my chiminea ashes for, ive sprinked a good few handfuls round my flower bed (before i read up on it- oops)

Its high in pottasium which is good, but is very alkaline, so avoid putting it round acid loving plants.
It is good for liming the soil though which is good for brassicas although i guess not many people want to grow cabbages using their loved ones ashes.
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