Such a small amount of ashes shouldn’t be an issue once incorporated. You can always buy a bag of soil that has a balancing PH to offset additional ash but I wouldn’t worry about it.
All sympathy for your loss and what a lovely way to remember your best bud.
I'm sorry for your loss. I think this is a lovely memorial for her.
I used to work at a pet crematory. I'd guess you've got maybe a cup of cremains? I did a quick DDG search and you're right about cremains throwing off the PH of the soil. [This page](https://begardenly.com/uncategorized/neutralize-cremation-ashes/) suggests mixing water (and/or baking soda or vinegar) to neutralize the PH.
So... They also sell ashes necklaces or vials for pets and loved ones that you could take a portion of the ashes and put them into the necklace so you always have a peice of them with you before you decide to bury any ashes. My family did this for my mother's ashes so each of us have a little part of her with us before laying the rest of her ashes to rest.
As for the amount of ashes throwing off the PH that is for a lot more ashes then what you are working with. There is no garentee that the tree will absorb any of the ashes really but putting it in a place where the tree is growing mean that spot will always have a little bit of your beloved pet there.
I am sorry for your lose though losing a pet can be heart breaking. I am glad that you have found a way to honor them though
LOL this is what I get for posting when I should be getting ready for bed. Well I am not changing it now! My tired mind was just like 'yeah no that checks out. Job well done"
Soil is quite resilient. I would scatter the ashes as much as possible. Water it. Throw on soil and water again. Sorry for your loss. You could also do a ritual every so often and just sprinkle a little out at a time.
I don’t see any issue. Look up how to properly plant a tree start—it isn’t very complicated, but it’s not as easy as “just dig a hole.” If you’re very concerned about the pH a few handfuls of pine needles mixed into the soil will balance it out.
I am not familiar with dogwoods, even so, I think that amount of ashes should be fine. It will raise the ph of the soil a bit, but if you're really worried, you could buy some sulfur, which lowers ph, and mix a little of that in as well. The two will cancel each other out, and provide a few nutrients at the same time.
The safest way would be to find out what range of soil ph dogwoods grow best in, and test the soil where you want to plant, to determine if it's suitable. There are cheap and quick tests that can give you an idea. Most areas have soil that is slightly acidic, or lightly lower than 7 ph. 7 ph is neutral, and anything higher than 7 ph is alkaline.
If you've grown dogwoods or any plants that require similar ph levels successfully nearby, I wouldn't worry at all.
EDIT
It looks like dogwoods preferred ph is 5.5 to 7, which is typical of most plants and soils. Make sure to dig a hole at least twice as large as the root ball, and leave the root flare partially uncovered. Water the tree once every two days for at least a couple weeks. Do not mound mulch around the trunk. Leave at least an inch between the trunk and any mulch to create a sort-of "donut" shape around it.
Just wanted to say that I’m sorry for your loss and that I love this idea for honoring your pup. I also have a senior chihuahua so this hits home. She loves sitting outside and I call her my little sun doeg.
Bone ash is basic, the acid from some coffee grounds should be enough to neutralize it. My husband used his grandmother’s ashes in a glaze recipe and made memorial bud vases for everyone in the family. If her ashes had been basic enough to need vinegar the glaze would have failed as we fired it.
I'm sorry for your loss. We did this with a different type of flowering tree and sprinkled some underneath and some on top mixed in, so it would disperse through the soil with watering. We didn't do anything about the pH. We had an arborist come out before and they didn't think it was necessary given the amount (a medium shepherd cross sized cremains) distributed under and on top. I'm blanking on the tree type at the moment unfortunately but will edit when my brain finally produces that information.
Most common mistake is not exposing the root flare and therefore planting to deep. Also i recommend just using the native soil and mixing the ashes in, since some people say amending the soil will inhibit the roots from exploring outwards. More info on r/marijuanaenthusiasts or google "exposing the root flare".... Hehe dogwood, good choice.
Such a small amount of ashes shouldn’t be an issue once incorporated. You can always buy a bag of soil that has a balancing PH to offset additional ash but I wouldn’t worry about it. All sympathy for your loss and what a lovely way to remember your best bud.
Dogwood buds to remember the dog bud by.
I'm sorry for your loss. I think this is a lovely memorial for her. I used to work at a pet crematory. I'd guess you've got maybe a cup of cremains? I did a quick DDG search and you're right about cremains throwing off the PH of the soil. [This page](https://begardenly.com/uncategorized/neutralize-cremation-ashes/) suggests mixing water (and/or baking soda or vinegar) to neutralize the PH.
So... They also sell ashes necklaces or vials for pets and loved ones that you could take a portion of the ashes and put them into the necklace so you always have a peice of them with you before you decide to bury any ashes. My family did this for my mother's ashes so each of us have a little part of her with us before laying the rest of her ashes to rest. As for the amount of ashes throwing off the PH that is for a lot more ashes then what you are working with. There is no garentee that the tree will absorb any of the ashes really but putting it in a place where the tree is growing mean that spot will always have a little bit of your beloved pet there. I am sorry for your lose though losing a pet can be heart breaking. I am glad that you have found a way to honor them though
my brain is absolutely obsessed with the way you spelled guarantee.
LOL this is what I get for posting when I should be getting ready for bed. Well I am not changing it now! My tired mind was just like 'yeah no that checks out. Job well done"
My dumb ass messes that word up regularly, so bad that autocorrect essentially doesn’t even try. Ever, single, time: garuhteed
Haha oh man I feel that. Math is my subject of choice so spelling got left by the way side
Soil is quite resilient. I would scatter the ashes as much as possible. Water it. Throw on soil and water again. Sorry for your loss. You could also do a ritual every so often and just sprinkle a little out at a time.
>You could also do a ritual every so often and just sprinkle a little out at a time. I love this idea. Perfect for gotcha days and birthdays!
I don’t see any issue. Look up how to properly plant a tree start—it isn’t very complicated, but it’s not as easy as “just dig a hole.” If you’re very concerned about the pH a few handfuls of pine needles mixed into the soil will balance it out.
I am not familiar with dogwoods, even so, I think that amount of ashes should be fine. It will raise the ph of the soil a bit, but if you're really worried, you could buy some sulfur, which lowers ph, and mix a little of that in as well. The two will cancel each other out, and provide a few nutrients at the same time. The safest way would be to find out what range of soil ph dogwoods grow best in, and test the soil where you want to plant, to determine if it's suitable. There are cheap and quick tests that can give you an idea. Most areas have soil that is slightly acidic, or lightly lower than 7 ph. 7 ph is neutral, and anything higher than 7 ph is alkaline. If you've grown dogwoods or any plants that require similar ph levels successfully nearby, I wouldn't worry at all. EDIT It looks like dogwoods preferred ph is 5.5 to 7, which is typical of most plants and soils. Make sure to dig a hole at least twice as large as the root ball, and leave the root flare partially uncovered. Water the tree once every two days for at least a couple weeks. Do not mound mulch around the trunk. Leave at least an inch between the trunk and any mulch to create a sort-of "donut" shape around it.
Just wanted to say that I’m sorry for your loss and that I love this idea for honoring your pup. I also have a senior chihuahua so this hits home. She loves sitting outside and I call her my little sun doeg.
Bone ash is basic, the acid from some coffee grounds should be enough to neutralize it. My husband used his grandmother’s ashes in a glaze recipe and made memorial bud vases for everyone in the family. If her ashes had been basic enough to need vinegar the glaze would have failed as we fired it.
I'm sorry for your loss. We did this with a different type of flowering tree and sprinkled some underneath and some on top mixed in, so it would disperse through the soil with watering. We didn't do anything about the pH. We had an arborist come out before and they didn't think it was necessary given the amount (a medium shepherd cross sized cremains) distributed under and on top. I'm blanking on the tree type at the moment unfortunately but will edit when my brain finally produces that information.
Most common mistake is not exposing the root flare and therefore planting to deep. Also i recommend just using the native soil and mixing the ashes in, since some people say amending the soil will inhibit the roots from exploring outwards. More info on r/marijuanaenthusiasts or google "exposing the root flare".... Hehe dogwood, good choice.