ash pile

hello all,
my problem is the house that i have moved to the heating is run by a rayburn fire,
the thing is the previous owners were very elderly and not very mobile and have had to put the ash from the fire in 2 large piles one outside the front and one at the back!
the thing is im getting alot of conflicting advice regarding the ash, some people have said that its good for the garden and to put it where we want to grow things and others have said it will smother anything it is put near and things will not grow!
any help would be great
thanks

 

i made a rockery over an area where a bonfire was , it grew like a dream , but if too deep spread it out a bit and good luck

 

As Marley says spread it out - ash is only a problem if its too thick. So spread it widely and thinly before digging it in.

 

Hi jelly.
If your rayburn is for solid fuel central heating odds are the ashes are from smokeless coal and it is just red dust and clinker. If so bag the lot up and bin'em,I had the same system and learnt the hard way when I managed to turn part of the garden into a concrete crust.We're now on gas,,,and in control

 

Wood ash only is fab.in the garden.Apply liberally around onions and garlic-this takes care of much of the ash we produce if planted in september.Excess is used as a slug barrier as needed,otherwise mix into compost.I ,as someone ealse has said,would bin it if it is coal ash/clinker. Hope this is of help.