Burning (damp) garden stuff

Author
Discussion

crashley

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

179 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Recently bought a garden incinerator (basically a dustbin with holes in) to burn grass cuttings and leaves etc etc as the dustmen don't come frequently enough and won't take enough anyway. All good, however, most of the garden refuse is damp. Any suggestions to getting the damn thing hot enough for me to just throw it all in before i use my rag?

I have tried layering with paper, then dry wood and even some charcoal to get it up to temp but none of it really gets hot enough to burn anything quick enough. What am i doing wrong?

And yes, i also have tried plenty of petrol to kick things off too.

Cheers

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

197 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
Do you live in a low emission town and country zone ?

if so.. no fires

crashley

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

179 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
SystemParanoia said:
Do you live in a low emission town and country zone ?

if so.. no fires
No, thankfully. Out in sticks.

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

197 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
in that case, you want to setup an 'oil drip' into the fire to keep it hot hot hot!

that should work - although its probably the worst possible thing you could do environmentally smile

Rosscow

8,723 posts

162 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Just get it going with some wood first

V8RX7

26,765 posts

262 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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To burn grass cuttings you need a very hot fire and to burn a meaningful amount, isn't going to happen with a bin sized fire.

jagnet

4,095 posts

201 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Save the leaves to make leaf mould for mulching borders with. Don't box off the grass clippings unless you've got a croquet/bowls lawn (although depending on your mower you may need a mulching kit, or a different mower).

Trying to burn wet material in a little garden incinerator is madness, it just isn't big enough to get any heat into it.

mel

10,168 posts

274 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Stuff that burns better at the bottom, then a plumbers blow torch poked in one (or several) of the holes round the bottom to kick start it. Works for me.

steveo3002

10,493 posts

173 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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some good youtube vids showing a bit of exhuast pipe and then a leaf blower up it to make more rage

Chainsaw Rebuild

1,997 posts

101 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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You want a compost heap and a mulching mower mate. The mower will be easier and faster to use too.

dudleybloke

19,718 posts

185 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Thermite.

SystemParanoia

14,343 posts

197 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
steveo3002 said:
some good youtube vids showing a bit of exhuast pipe and then a leaf blower up it to make more rage
Colin furze and the Pulsejet

Perfect combo for grass Burning!

p1esk

4,914 posts

195 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
quotequote all
Quite apart from the difficulty of burning wet stuff, our experience with a purchased garden incinerator was that the thing didn't last very long. Ours was made of very thin galvanised steel, and although it looked very smart when new, it died due to corrosion after a few months. With that sort of thing you need to clean it out after every burning session. If you leave ash in it and the ash gets wet, this seems to increase the rate of corrosion.

If you have spare garden space I think it's best to spread the rubbish out a bit so it has a chance to dry before trying to burn it, either on a normal bonfire or in a more robust incinerator, like an old oil drum, for example.

Etretat

1,333 posts

221 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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A good blast with a petrol leaf blower works for me! Also good to get BBQ going but mind the cinders

stewjohnst

2,442 posts

160 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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I got mine going the other day with a rolson lighter and an unwanted can of Xmas deodorant aimed at the bottom until it really took.

As others, have said, get the fire going with real wood and then the only way to keep burning damp stuff is to slowly add it on.

No chance of just dumping on a heap and walking off or it will just die out in a thick cloud of heavy white smoke.

If it needs a kick start, and rolling cardboard into a tube to make a flame chimney also works, and provided there's enough dry material for the fire to take onto.

Evanivitch

19,803 posts

121 months

Thursday 22nd September 2016
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Just take it down the tip/recycling centre or find someone with an oversized compost heap?

Seems a lot of effort otherwise to burn grass and leaves.

sleepezy

1,779 posts

233 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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I burnt off some off cuts of chipboard in mine the other day. Got it hot enough to make the metal glow red... Even with this, I wouldn't bother. Just take the excess to the tip or mulch as has been said.

Muncher

12,219 posts

248 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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As much as I LOVE a good bonfire, you want to be either taking that to the tip or composting it as you will never burn much in a fire that small and it will generate an absolute shedload of smoke.

crashley

Original Poster:

1,568 posts

179 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
Cheers guys.

So I need a mulching attachment for my mower and a new 'dump' car. Got it. Buy another car, basically. smile

CaptainSensib1e

1,432 posts

220 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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Get a decent hot ash bed going, throw the other stuff on top (not too much). Put the lid on and leave for an hour. The air flow will dry the wet material and then when you take the lid of it will burst into flames.

I used this trick to burn a load of green wood I had just cut.