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Are ashes good for your garden


Using Wood Ash in the Home Garden – Wisconsin Horticulture

Authors: Kevin Schoessow, Extension Burnett, Sawyer and Washburn Counties
Last Revised: 02/27/2020
X-number: XHT1268

Home gardeners often ask if wood ash can be used as a fertilizer in vegetable gardens and flowerbeds, around landscape trees and shrubs, and on lawns.  Wood ash can be a valuable source of certain nutrients and can also be used to modify soil pH.  However, it needs to come from an appropriate source and its use should be based on recommendations from soil fertility testing provided by a professional lab such as the UW Soil and Forage Lab (https://uwlab.soils.wisc.edu/).

Using wood ash in home gardens can increase soil fertility and raise soil pH.

What are the potential benefits of using wood ash?  Wood ash contains nutrients that can be beneficial for plant growth.  Calcium is the plant nutrient most commonly found in wood ash and may comprise 20% or more of its content.  Potassium (also called potash) is another common component of wood ash, occurring at concentrations of up to 5%.  Magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur are also typically found in wood ash at concentrations of up to 2%.  Finally, wood ash can contain trace amounts of iron, aluminum, manganese, zinc, boron and other nutrients needed by plants.

In addition to its nutrient content, wood ash can help in neutralizing soil acidity.  When wood is burned, high amounts of carbonates are produced.  Carbonates react with and neutralize acid in the soil, causing the soil pH to increase.  The levels of carbonates present in wood ash (and thus its acid-neutralizing properties) will vary depending on the type of wood burned and how the wood was burned.  In general, wood ash has about 50% less acid-neutralizing capacity than commercially available acid neutralizers such as pelletized lime or aglime.  Approximately four cups of wood ash can be substituted for one pound of aglime.

What are potential downsides of using wood ash?  On occasion, even the best wood ash may contain heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, but the levels of these metals can be minimized by carefully selecting the wood that is burned to produce the ash (see below for details).   In addition, the increase in soil pH associated with using wood ash tends to decrease the likelihood of plants taking up heavy metals.  If wood ash is used at recommended rates, concentrations of heavy metals should be low enough not to pose a threat to plants, or to animals or humans who eat plants grown in treated areas.  If you are concerned about heavy metals in your wood ash, consider testing for these elements prior to use.  The UW Soil and Forage Lab (mentioned above) does not test for heavy metals at this time; however staff can help answer questions about heavy metal contaminants.

Because using wood ash tends to increase soil pH, applying it where acid-loving plants (e.g., blueberries, azaleas/rhododendrons, birch trees, red maples, pin oaks) are growing will likely not be beneficial.  Using wood ash may actually be detrimental and contribute to problems with chlorosis [see University of Wisconsin Gardens Facts XHT1002 (Chlorosis)].  In addition, many vegetables and other landscape plants prefer slightly acidic soils, so wood ash should be used judiciously when growing these plants.   Finally, in some cases, increased pH due to use of wood ash may promote certain diseases.  As an example, potatoes grown at higher pH tend to be more prone to potato scab [see University of Wisconsin Gardens Facts XHT1117 (Potato Scab)].

In order to use wood ash in the best manner possible, always make applications to garden soils based on the plants that are to be grown and based on recommendations from a certified soil testing lab.

What type of wood ash should I use?  If you decide that using wood ash is appropriate for your gardening needs, only use wood ash that has come from trees grown in natural areas.  DO NOT use wood ash produced from trees grown near industrial sites, in soils that may be contaminated with toxins or heavy metals, or if you have no knowledge of the origin of the wood that you are burning.  Also, DO NOT use ash produced by burning treated wood, waste oil, plastics or garbage.

How do I apply wood ash?  Prior to use, sift wood ash to remove large charcoal pieces, as well as any active embers.   Apply only the amount of wood ash recommended based on a soil fertility test and based on the nutrient needs of the plants that you intend to grow in the treated area.  Applying excessive amounts can lead to nutrient toxicity and/or nutrient deficiency issues in plants.  Applications of wood ash are generally limited to a maximum of 15 to 20 pounds (approximately a five gallon pail) per 1000 sq. ft., per year.  Spread wood ash evenly over the area to be treated (e.g., vegetable garden bed, established perennial flowerbed, lawn or other landscape area) during the winter.  Because wood ash particles are very fine and can easily be blown by the wind, avoid making applications when it is windy.  Whenever possible, apply wood ash to moist soil.  Where feasible (e.g., in a vegetable garden), work the ash into the soil using a rototiller, spade or rake in early spring.

Due to its alkalinity, wood ash can potentially pose a human health risk.  Therefore, when working with it, be sure to wear appropriate protective clothing (e. g., long pants, long sleeve shirt, gloves, eye goggles, dust mask) to limit exposures that might lead to skin, eye or respiratory irritation.

For more information on using wood ash in the home garden, as well as soil fertility testing:  Contact your county Extension agent.

Using wood ash in the garden - Gardening at USask - College of Agriculture and Bioresources

Provides some benefit when used sparingly


If you have a fireplace, woodburning stove or outdoor firepit, you might have a lot of wood ash on your hands. On average, burning a cord of wood will produce about 9 kilograms (20 pounds) of ash, enough to fill a five-gallon (19 litre) pail. 
 
Gardeners often ask if wood ash is a good amendment for the garden and compost pile. If you are burning hardwoods or softwoods then yes, wood ash helps the garden depending on where you live, the type of soil you have and how you apply it. Used sparingly, it can even be added to your compost pile. Wood ash is a low-cost soil fertilizer and a way to recycle material that would otherwise go in the landfill.  
 
Is wood ash a good fertilizer? 
Wood ash adds nutrients to your soil, but the amount varies according to the kind of wood burned. Generally, the largest ingredient in wood ash is calcium carbonate (about 20%). This is followed by potassium (less than 10%), phosphorus (1%) and trace amounts of micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Wood ash does not contain nitrogen. 
 
Used in moderation, wood ash helps to fertilize your soil. However, since wood ash has no nitrogen at all, it is not a complete fertilizer. Adding compost to your soil will help meet the other nutrient needs of your plants.  
 
Many gardeners use synthetic fertilizers on their gardens and lawn, but it is dangerous to mix wood ash with synthetic nitrogen. Because wood ash is very alkaline mixing will cause a chemical reaction that produces ammonia gas. Never mix ash with ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24S), urea (46-0-0) or ammonium nitrate (34-0-0).  
 
What about pH?  
The calcium carbonate in wood ash is alkaline and can change pH in certain types of soil. In some areas of the continent, wood ash is a common treatment for raising soil pH levels from acidic to alkaline.  
 
However, soils of the prairie plain regions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta are different from other regions of the continent and are naturally more alkaline. These soils also have a natural buffering capacity that resists changes to pH. Wood ash will not change the pH of prairie soils, like it would in soils in other areas. Fortunately, prairie gardeners really don’t have to worry about pH, because even with slightly alkaline soil, nutrients are still available to plants.  
 
However, soils in northern areas of the prairie provinces are different and likely acidic. You can take a soil test to measure pH or look around you. If plants like bog bilberry, blueberry, creeping snowberry, dwarf bog rosemary, lingonberry, Labrador tea, or small bog cranberry grow naturally in your area, then your soil is acidic, because these plants thrive in acidic soil. The addition of modest amounts of wood ash to northern acidic soils will make it more alkaline, which helps if you are trying to grow vegetables. Root crops like potatoes grow well in northern soils because they tolerate some acidity. However, most other vegetables grow best in soils that are more alkaline. Adding wood ash to northern acidic soils (which lack the buffering capacity found in prairie soils) will become more alkaline. Northern soils also tend to be shallow, so while you’re at it, add lots of compost to build up your soil.  
 
Wood ash safety 

Store wood ash in a metal container with a lid. Ensure that ash is completely cold before filling the container. 
 
How to use wood ash 
The best wood ash comes from burning dry, aged wood from trees like poplar, ash, birch, pine or spruce. It helps to remove or sift out large chunks before you use it.   
 

How to use it

Where How often How to apply it How much Notes
Garden soil Once per year. 
 
Fall is best. 		 Spread a thin layer on top of soil, then rake or lightly fork it into the soil. 

9 kg per 92 sq m

20 lbs per 1,000 sq ft 
 

 Seeds planted directly into wood ash may not germinate. For this reason, it’s best to apply wood ash in fall. If applying in spring, mix ash well into root zone. 
 
Do not apply synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with wood ash – this creates hazardous ammonia gas. 
Lawn Once per year. 
 
Fall only. 		 Sprinkle thin layer on lawn then rake.  4.5 kg per 92 sq m

10 lbs per 1,000 sq ft 

 Do not apply synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with wood ash - creates hazardous ammonia gas. 
 
Do not apply in spring if seeding lawn – seeds planted into wood ash may not germinate.  
Compost pile Anytime, ongoing.  Sprinkle on top of pile.  Sprinkle one or two cups of wood ash on top of compost each time 15cm (6”) of green or brown materials are added to the pile.  No more than 5% of total volume of compost. 
 
More is not better. Too much wood ash can slow or harm the composting process. 

 

Sources:

https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource004042_Rep5718.pdf

https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2279e/

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-expert/featured/are-ashes-good-my-soil

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Ashes as a fertilizer for plants: useful properties


Ash obtained after burning plant residues is a valuable nutrient fertilizer for indoor and garden plants. If you do not want to bother with the preparation of compost, but do not want to feed the crops with mineral mixtures alone, you can prepare the ashes and store them in paper or rag bags, hanging them in a dry place. In the spring, it is diluted with water, insisted and watered crops.

Contents

Ash composition

Before analyzing the composition of burnt organic residues, it is necessary to know the difference between the concepts of ash and ash. Essentially, they are the same substance. It is generally accepted that ash is a finer fraction, and ash has large particles. But it can be crushed and then the ash also becomes ashes.

Different types of wood, leaves, straw, manure or manure - all these substances give a different ratio of nutrients when burned. No one will specially burn oak wood, even if it is very rich in calcium - up to 40%. If trimmings, dry foliage, bark accumulate on the estate, then it is most often burned.

Any ashes as a fertilizer has one drawback: it does not contain nitrogen - it all evaporates during combustion. The main advantage is a lot of potassium and calcium, as well as trace elements that are necessary for plants to protect against diseases, proper growth and development. In total, there are more than 70 trace elements in the fertilizer from the ashes.

The introduction of ash into the soil causes alkalization, therefore, it is necessary to observe the dosage of the substance per square meter. By the appearance of the plants, you can determine when it is necessary to feed them with an ash solution.

With a lack of potassium, the leaves begin to dry at the edges, spots appear. The same thing can happen with indoor flowers, if, in addition, they have not tied buds, then potassium starvation is evident.

Leaf ash

Leaf ash contains about 30% potassium. Less calcium, even less phosphorus. The substance is finely dispersed, dissolves well in water, quickly giving nutrients to the solution. Reduces soil acidity, but not recommended for plants that prefer acidic soil.

Dry leaves should be burned. Best suited for this:

When plant residues of earthworms get into the soil, the number of earthworms in the area increases, they absorb organic matter and release coprolites into the soil - the products of their vital activity.

This helps to increase the fertile layer due to humates. Organically grown vegetables contain twice as many vitamins and minerals, which means they bring more benefits to the human body.

Wood ash

Calcium compounds occupy the most volume in wood ash – silicate, sulfate, carbonate and chloride. Potassium and magnesium in second place, phosphorus in third in the form of potassium and sodium orthophosphates.

This composition is favorable for flowering ornamental crops, fruit trees and vegetables. Do not get too carried away with feeding potatoes, as this leads to a strong alkalization of the soil and scab disease.

Video: Ash and features of its use

In order for phosphorus, and therefore nitrogen to be normally absorbed by potato bushes, the soil must have low acidity. If the level is above 7, then the roots cannot absorb substances.

What soils does ash have a positive effect on?

Ash is recommended as a soil deoxidizer. If a lot of complex mineral mixtures have been applied or overdone with coniferous mulch, then applying ashes as a fertilizer for flowers or vegetables can correct the situation.

Ash works well in clay soils, as large particles help aerate and loosen the soil. It is applied in autumn, so that by spring part of the organic matter has time to be processed by soil bacteria and earthworms and the nutrients get into the soil.

In indoor pots, wood ash helps restore soil quality. The solution is applied by irrigation. To increase the amount of humus, it is recommended to use biological solutions of microorganisms. The fact is that with a lack of organic matter, bacteria die, therefore, it is possible to restore their number for ash processing with the help of Baikal EM-1 or Radiance preparations.

Recipes with ashes

For garden plants, the solution is prepared by infusion. To do this, dissolve 2 liter cans of ash in a bucket of water. You need to insist for at least 4 days. Further solution is diluted with water 1:1 and watered under the root.

For spraying against pests or fungus, the stock solution is prepared less concentrated or is diluted 1:2. Seedlings are watered with the same weak ash solution.

Ashes are used in the preparation of compost if it is prepared with pig manure. This reduces acidity. In composting, ashes are used with care so that the combustion reaction lasts as long as possible. This is facilitated by nitrogen substances, and the ash alkalizes the substances and the compost takes longer to cook.

Recommended for vegetable plants:

When fermenting, water seedlings and mature plants before flowering. The supply of potassium to the roots will contribute to the formation of buds and fruit set.

When not to use ashes as fertilizer

It is not recommended to mix wood ash with nitrogen mineral fertilizers - nitrate, urea. Together they give a neutralization reaction, so plants can experience nitrogen and potassium starvation.

Do not mix with fresh manure, which is high in nitrogen. Manure and ash are applied separately with a time gap of about 2 weeks. If fresh manure is first covered in spring, then 2 weeks first pass before seedlings are allowed to be planted. Wood ash is applied before flowering.

If blueberries grow well in the garden, then the soil in the area is initially acidic. If the pH is lowered, blueberries will not bear fruit. The same goes for flowers - rhododendrons, azaleas, heather crops.

Lack of chlorine makes it possible to feed berry bushes and grapes with wood ash.

Can cigarette ash be used as fertilizer

There are different opinions on whether cigarette ash can be used as fertilizer for flowers. If cigarettes consisted solely of tobacco, then such top dressings could be constantly done, but unfortunately the industry uses not entirely legal ways to increase profits, therefore it mixes tobacco with various substances that can disrupt crop growth and even kill a flower.

According to those people who still use cigarette ashes for feeding, they do not do it often - a couple of times a week, which does not harm the plant. In imported cigars, the amount of tobacco is much higher - that's why they are recommended to be used. If you fill a pipe with home-grown tobacco and burn it, then the flower will like this top dressing.

Ash must be applied to moist soil so that bacteria can process it and turn it into humus. If signs of chlorosis are observed, this means that the plant lacks nitrogen and needs to be supplemented.

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Cigarette ash as a fertilizer for indoor plants

Ashes or ashes are good as natural fertilizer for vegetable gardens. They help reduce soil acidity and protect vegetable crops from many diseases. In the article we will tell you how to use cigarette ash as a fertilizer for plants, both in the country and in the apartment.

Content

  1. Benefits
  2. Use on land
  3. Use of water solution of ash as fertilizer
  4. Use of dry fertilizer
  5. Production of green top dressing
  6. ashes to fertilize indoor plants
  7. You cannot use
  8. use in the garden
  9. Feeding of cucumbers
  10. Fertilizers

Useful properties

First you need to figure out how ash differs from ash. The ash is obtained from the combustion of plants and has a pulverulent consistency. Ash is obtained by burning tops, bark and tree branches, therefore, it contains larger elements.

However, this fertilizer has a significant disadvantage - it does not contain nitrogenous components. But enough potassium and calcium.

Another advantage is that the presence of ash or ash in the soil attracts earthworms to the site. They, in turn, also improve the soil, loosening it and filling it with the substances of their vital activity. Therefore, such fertilizers simply must be used if your garden is located within clay and loamy soils.

It is important to note that products grown on natural top dressing are more palatable and useful for people.

Use on land

According to agronomists, ash and ashes can be used both in dry consistency and in liquid form.

Using an aqueous solution of ashes as fertilizer

To get a concentrate for watering, pour water into a bucket and add a glass of ash. When watering cucumbers, do not overdo it, otherwise the fruits will be bitter. Tomatoes and cabbage respond well to such watering.

Use of dry fertilizer

Usually the ashes are poured into holes or between rows. For 1 m2 you need 300g of fertilizer if the soil is too heavy, if not, 100g is enough.

Green dressing production

This dressing is good for vegetables.

  1. Take a bucket of water, put 1/3 of it with cut weeds, without seeds, add a jar of ash, 1 liter in volume.
  2. Then they close it and put it in the sun so that the top dressing ferments. After 10 days, the mixture is ready for use.

Houseplant fertilizer ash

To do this, mix ashes from burnt trees or branches and pressed tea leaves in equal proportions. The resulting fertilizer must be "wrapped" in the ground and watered home plants. Can be used all year round.

Do not use

Do not use ashes with nitrogen-containing top dressings, even natural ones such as fresh manure.

Garden use

Ash or ashes can be used to feed all plants that need an alkaline environment.

Cucumber dressing

The ashes can be used as fertilizer for cucumbers. This vegetable loves ash and ashes as a fertilizer. It allows you to save the right amount of water in the fruit.

For a quick replenishment, you can spread the ashes in a thin layer over the entire bed, then water liberally, or periodically water with an aqueous solution.

Tomato fertilizer

This vegetable can be fertilized frequently with ashes. A glass of dry fertilizer can be poured into the wells of the week 2 before planting seedlings. Later, you can pour it under the root, sprinkling it with earth and watering. Then the taste of the fruit will improve.

Onion fertilizer

Gardeners and gardeners often encounter onion root rot. This disease can harm the entire crop. Ash fertilizer will save you from this. You can water with an aqueous solution or sprinkle a ridge intended for onions, before planting, after digging and watering.

But don't overuse this fertilizer for this plant. It is enough to feed 3 times per season.

Grape fertilizer

Old vines, which are pruned in autumn, can be burned to prepare a liquid fertilizer. It is necessary to dilute 1 kg of ash with 3 liters of water and leave for 3-4 days, stirring every day. The resulting mixture should be stored for no more than a month, in the shade.

What can be done with cigarette ashes

Cigarette ash can be used as fertilizer for indoor plants. Purchased cigarettes contain both useful trace elements and harmful ones, so it is better to use ashes from homemade tobacco.

Cigarette ash as a fertilizer can be used both in dry form and in making liquid solutions for irrigation.

  1. 15 g of ash is needed per liter of water, leave for 3 days.
  2. You can feed 1 time per season, excluding winter, that is, 3 times a year.

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Conclusion

In order for fertilizing with ash or ashes to bring the desired effect, you need to be sure that this plant responds positively to alkaline soil. And it is worth remembering that everything is good in moderation, a large amount of fertilizer will only harm the plant.

Friends, today we have considered the question: Cigarette ash as a fertilizer for indoor plants. What did I forget? Maybe you have ideas. Comment and subscribe. I will add the best ideas to the article and indicate your authorship.

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