Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

Wood ash uses?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Paull2 (U14064177) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  I burn a good few logs over the winter months and save some of the wood ash for horticulture in the summer. I'm aware that soft fruit benefits from a dose of ash, and tomatoes need a boost of potash when fruiting, but I'm not really sure about when and how much to use around the garden.Does anybody else use their wood ash?

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  Yes, we scatter it round the apple trees or put it in the compost heap.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Barny (U13453961) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  Keep it dry if you want to use it later. Potassium carbonate is very soluble.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by irisdublin (U14428036) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  fantastic.
  
  I spent 8 euro on a box of potash this year, thought it was quite a lot of money for something so simple.
  
  My parents have a wood burning fire and are going to keep it all for me. So happy to be recycling and saving money on my allotment!!
  
  
  Thanks

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Penny Pops (U14302837) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  I use our wood ash as a marker when i have planted a row of seeds....snails and slugs do not like crawling over it as well as adding pottassium.
  After a day working in the soil i find rubbing some ash between my hands gets lots of the soil off before washing.
  Very useful in the compost too...

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Global_Worming (U14532104) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  one of our best new growing area's in the bottom of the garden had only grown grass, we built some very large bonfires out of trees we chain sawed ( trunks are drying for winter fuel)the grass was burned off, I used the Merry Tiller on the patch working the ash in. We planted sunflowers and gladioli, in one half, swedes, courgettes, roma toms in the other half, all have rocketed. The added bonus is no weeding the intense heat must have steralised the soil.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by punpun (U14553477) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  The ash from woodburners, bonfires etc must be used right away as it soon looses it's full level of potash.
  
  Im talking about using it the same day "when the ash is cold" or the next day but not to save it for months or even weeks.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  I weas always told the ash should be left as it was very "hot" for plants straight away. One thing for certain the potash will not be lost if it is kept in a contianer.
  I always put it on the garden in the autumn to be assimilated But I may be wrong on this one.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by Magggie (U13935233) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  I keep my ashes in a plastic dustbin. This year I put some along the sides of the potato bed to deter slugs and I think it has worked.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message9

• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  I too generate a lot of woodash from a stove. I keep the ashes over winter and apply in spring so as not to lose any of the nutrients by over-winter leaching. It goes mainly on fruit trees and roses.
  
  It has a great effect, the best comparison I see is where trees have been planted and the ones over the old bobnfire sites are double the size and look far more healthy and vigorous.
  
  A word of warning though, I think that as well as potash, woodash contains quite a lot of lime so beware of using it near heathers, rhodos, camellias etc and blue hydrangeas if you want them to stay blue.
  
  I'd be interested to know if this latter is true in peoples experiences as I don't have any of the above plants on my limestone.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message10

• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Barny (U13453961) on Wednesday, 28th July 2010

  @ Logissimo,
  What you say is true but as in all things moderation is the key. I'm on naturally, decidedly acid soil(Ordovician Wales) so I don't worry about putting "some" woodash on the acid loving subjects. I'd think if you lived in a limestone area and had specially prepared ground/containers for your acid lovers then you would n't use wood ash.
  It's common knowledge amongst old potato growers that you should n't use wood ash for potatoes as the alkalinity seemingly encourages scab.-All other veg -then it's great stuff but as others have said protect from rain until you want to use it.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message11

• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Thursday, 29th July 2010

  Hello all,
  
  I thought I'd research this subject a bit more and this is what google came up with
  
  
  
  Quite a nice summary I thought

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message12

• Message 13

  , in reply to message 12.

  Posted by Paull2 (U14064177) on Thursday, 29th July 2010

  Thanks for that. At least we have a resource for the plot that we aren't being charged an arm and a leg for.

  Link to this forum: Wood ash uses?

  Report message13

Back to top