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Ashes in compost pile


Improve Your Soil Using Wood Ash

, written by Benedict Vanheems

If you’ve recently had a bonfire, or like to warm yourself in front of a roaring fireplace or wood burner, then you’ll probably have lots of ash. Getting rid of it can be a bit of a nuisance, but it’s also a valuable source of nutrients, which makes it a great resource for the garden.

Read on or watch our video to discover when and where to use it...

Wood Ash Nutrients

Wood ash is naturally high in potassium, which encourages flowering and fruiting. It also contains phosphorous as well as a catalog of micronutrients including manganese, iron, zinc and calcium.

Younger wood, such as twiggy prunings, produces ash with a higher concentration of nutrients than older wood. Similarly, ash from hardwoods like oak, maple and beech contain more nutrients than ashes of softwoods.

Ash from lumpwood charcoal is also good, but avoid using the ash from coal or treated timber, which could harm your soil and plants.

Wood ash can help make compost less acidic

Using Wood Ash in Compost

Wood ash is alkaline, so applying it to compost heaps helps to balance the tendency of compost to be more acidic. It also creates better conditions for composting worms, which will speed up decomposition. Compost that’s less acidic is perfect for mulching around vegetables.

Add wood ash little and often in thin layers. A few handfuls or one shovelful every six inches (15cm) of material is fine.

Using Wood Ash on Soil

Wood ash can play a useful role in correcting overly acidic soil. Most vegetables need a pH of 6.5 to 7.0, so if your soil’s below 6.5 sprinkle wood ash over the surface then rake or fork it in. Test your soil using an inexpensive test kit if you don’t already know its pH. Wood ash is particularly useful if you use lots of cattle manure in your garden, as this type of manure is very acidic.

Wood ash is approximately half as effective as lime in neutralizing acid. As a general rule, apply about two ounces of ash to every square yard (50-70g per square meter). Do this on a still day in winter and wear gloves to protect your hands.

Wood ash can be used around brassicas in place of lime

Using Wood Ash around Plants

Use the alkalinity of wood ash to improve soil for brassicas such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts. This is a great way to prevent club root, a common disease when soil’s too acidic. Apply it the winter before planting, or as a side dressing around actively growing plants.

Its high potassium content means wood ash is ideal to use around most fruit bushes, including currants and gooseberries, where it also helps wood to ripen, thereby improving hardiness, disease resistance and productivity. In fact, mix it into any soil used to grow fruiting vegetables, especially tomatoes.

Where Not to Use Wood Ash

Due to its alkalinity, wood ash shouldn’t be used around acid-loving plants such as blueberries and, to a lesser extent, raspberries. Don’t apply it to areas used to grow potatoes, as alkaline soil encourages potato scab. Avoid it coming into contact with seedlings too.

You’d need to add lots of wood ash to make your soil too alkaline for most crops. But for peace of mind re-test your soil’s pH every couple of years to check it doesn’t go above 7.5.

Store wood ash in a container with a close-fitting lid until you're ready to use it

How to Store Wood Ash

Finally, a word on storing wood ash. Because the nutrients it contains are soluble, you’ll need to keep it out of the rain so they don’t wash out. Containers with close-fitting lids are perfect for keeping ash dry until you’re ready to use it.

Wood ash can be a truly useful addition to the garden. If you use it too, please share your experiences in the comments section below.

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How to Compost Wood Ashes

Up here in Vermont, the winters are long.

For me, this means months spent curled up by the wood stove with a book and a cat on my lap.

It also means the creation of a lot of ash – which always leads me back to the question of whether or not I can compost ashes.

As it turns out, the answer is yes, with a couple of crucial caveats.

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This article will explore how to use wood ashes in the compost and in your garden, and when it is appropriate to do so.

What You’ll Learn

Benefits of Wood Ash

Wood ash from your fireplace contains a number of nutrients that can be very beneficial to a garden – in the right circumstances.

But never use the ash from charcoal, trash fires, or treated wood, which can contain toxic chemical residue from additives.

Wood ash contains potassium and calcium in considerable quantities, as well as lesser amounts of magnesium and phosphorus, and micronutrients such as copper and zinc.

Due to its high level of calcium, it can increase the pH of soil, making it an ideal natural substitute for lime, an amendment often used to balance soil that is too acidic.

It can be a very useful amendment where acidity is too high for growing most veggies, in a pH range of 6. 0 and below.

But you’ll need to be cautious. If the soil is already neutral or alkaline, adding ashes will cause excess alkalinity and add soluble salts, ultimately doing more harm than good.

So how do you know when it makes sense to add ashes to your compost or garden?

Let’s explore.

Test Your Soil

Before adding ashes (or any other amendment, for that matter) to your garden, be sure to get your soil tested!

You can easily request a test through your local agricultural extension office.

You can buy home pH test kits or meters at your local hardware store or online, though I would recommend getting a test from your local extension office at least once.

The results of these tests are more comprehensive and they will tell you a whole lot about your soil, including information about any other nutrient deficiencies.

If you don’t have access to professional testing or a kit, it is possible to DIY a basic test of the pH with just two cups full of soil, some vinegar, and some baking soda.

Pour vinegar into the first cup. If the soil begins to fizz, it is alkaline.

Add some water to moisten the soil in the second cup, then add baking soda. Fizz this time means it is acidic.

This method is not especially accurate, and you won’t be able to determine the exact pH level of your soil this way. It is still a good idea to get a more accurate test when you are able.

In the meantime, however, this simple method should at least give you a general sense of whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.

When to Compost: Timing and Moderation

The key is to add small amounts of cooled ashes to a new or uncooked pile. Because it has such a high pH value, it is important that you don’t add too much to your compost.

According to Olivia Saunders, Extension Field Specialist in Food and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire Extension, “it should not make up more than 5% of your compost.”

Additionally, once the compost nears maturity, the addition of ash could raise the pH too much, increasing the bioavailability of heavy metals to harmful levels.

How to Compost

Before you start, be sure to suit up with gloves, eye protection, and a mask to avoid any potential irritation to the skin, eyes, or lungs. Also, ensure that the ashes have completely cooled before handling them.

Sprinkle the ash onto your compost pile along with the appropriate ratio of brown and green material.

What does this mean? Add about a quarter inch for each 18-inch section of browns and for every six inches of greens. Be sure to turn the pile each time you add new material.

As a reminder, browns include carbon rich materials such as straw, hay, and dried leaves, while greens are more nitrogen heavy items such as kitchen scraps and fresh grass clippings.

To learn more on the basics of composting, check out this article.

If you have a hot compost pile, add a small amount of ash along with other new materials every month or so while it is active.

If the pile is cold or rarely added to, only add ash in the fall or late summer, allowing time for everything to break down before being used in the garden during the growing season.

You can collect ashes and store them in a covered container through the winter.

Adding It Directly to the Garden

If you have determined via a test that your pH is low – below 6.5 – you can also choose to add ashes directly to the garden to reduce acidity.

Incorporating ashes can also increase the bioavailability of potassium, phosphorus, and various micronutrients, thereby increasing fertility.

A Note of Caution:

Never mix ashes with nitrogen fertilizer, it can cause a reaction that releases ammonia gas. Always wear eye protection, a face mask, and gloves when handling wood ashes.

Spread on calm days to prevent it from blowing around and scattering to unwanted areas – including all over your clothes.

Apply in moderation, lightly dusting a small amount on the garden surface and working it into the soil several inches deep with a fork.

According to Rosie Lerner, Horticulture Specialist at Purdue University, “Acidic soils (pH less than 5. 5) will likely be improved by wood ash addition.

Soils that are slightly acidic (pH 6.0 to 6.5) should not be harmed by the application of 20 pounds per 100 square feet annually, if the ash is worked into the soil about six inches or so.”

Be sure to test the soil again the following year. You can reapply if the pH is still too low, but if it has reached 6.5, don’t add any more. If you raise the pH too much, this can deplete the bioavailability of essential nutrients.

Do not apply to acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendrons, or azaleas.

Continue to test your soil every few years and amend as necessary.

Ashes to Dust

While it is never wise to dump a whole bucket on your compost or in the garden beds, used in moderation with careful planning and an understanding of your soil, wood ashes can be repurposed as a useful amendment.

Though my wood stove churns out far more than I can safely use each winter, I am still able to recycle much of it back into my compost.

Have you used wood ashes in your garden? Please share your experience in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more composting tricks in these guides:

© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. With additional writing and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu.

7 Smart Ways to Use Fireplace Ashes

A wood-burning fireplace not only brings warmth and comfort to your home, but also accumulates a lot of ash that needs to be removed regularly. You can immediately throw the ashes into the trash can, or you can use it usefully in everyday life.

However, it is important to ensure that the ashes are completely cool before using them for domestic purposes. In addition, ashes from painted or treated wood should not be used.

1. Add to compost

Composting is a simple but very effective way to reduce the amount of garbage and waste. If there is already a compost heap in the garden or garden plot, in addition to food waste, fireplace ash can be added to it. Wood ash will not only reduce the amount of waste, but also increase the nutritional value of the soil. 2. Neutralize odors

There is nothing worse than a bad smell from a refrigerator or trash can. You can neutralize it with baking soda or ash, which has good alkaline properties. It is enough to put a small bowl of ash in the refrigerator, and to eliminate odors from the trash can, sprinkle the bottom of the bucket with ashes. You can also add a few cups of fireplace ash to your cat litter to help prevent litter box odors.

3. Clean the fireplace doors

Since glass fireplace doors get dirty quickly, it is very easy to remove soot residues with wood ash. After the fireplace has completely cooled down, it is necessary to apply a mixture of ash and water to the surface of the door, and then gently rub the dirty places with a cotton cloth or sponge.

4. Pest Repellent

There are many different pest control products available for your home. But the easiest way to prevent the entry of insects and rodents without the use of chemicals is to treat the walls and corners of the house with wood ash. 5. Remove oil stains

Wood ash is great for car oil spills in your garage driveway. To prevent the oil from staining the asphalt or concrete, sprinkle a small amount of ash on the stain. After a few hours, when the ashes have completely absorbed the oil, you need to brush it off with a broom and throw it away.

6. Prevent mold

If your home has a particularly damp area, such as a basement or garage, place a few tins of fireplace ash there. To increase the effectiveness of the ash and prevent mold, you can add a few pieces of charcoal to the jar.

7. Clean drains

Before calling a plumber, it's worth trying to put a cup of chimney ash down a clogged drain and then pour some warm water into it. Before washing the drains with cold water, it is necessary to let the mixture stand for several hours. It is best to use fine white or gray ash, which should always be completely dry. For safety reasons, ash should not be combined with other chemicals and cleaners.

Wood ash for the garden | Actual

Actual→Society→Nature and ecology→Garden and vegetable garden

November 12, 2020 - 08:06

Ash in the garden is used as a mineral supplement and to repel many insect pests. Wood ash contains potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium, and some others, necessary for the development and fruiting of fruit crops.

Ash also helps fight plant diseases.

Wood ash as growth promoter and fertilizer

Wood ash solution is a nutrient liquid that contains minerals in abundance. Need 2 tbsp. l. dissolve the sifted ash in 1 liter of hot water and leave for two days. Then the solution is filtered, and the planting material is soaked in it for a couple of hours.

This solution is also used for feeding seedlings and feeding indoor flowers.

For all crops, except for carrots, it is useful to apply ash. The ashes are buried in the ground or watered with prepared plant solutions. You can also simply dust the soil with sifted ash.

Ash is good for onions, eggplants and sweet peppers love it. Ash is especially useful for seedlings of these crops. If there is a rainy summer, peppers and eggplants may suffer from a lack of potassium. Therefore, in wet weather, ash is scattered around the bushes at the rate of 400 grams per square bed.

Fruit bushes and trees will also not refuse to feed with ash. When planting a seedling, about 1 kg of ash should be poured into the bottom of the pit. This will help the plant to quickly take root in a new place and start growing. It is imperative that during the entire period of growth several times during the season it is necessary to close up the ash in the trunk circles. To do this, they dig a groove in a circle and pour ashes into it, and sprinkle it with earth on top.

Tomatoes love ash very much. Seedlings will develop much faster and will be much stronger if they are poured with a weak ash solution. When planting seedlings, pour 2 tbsp into each hole. l. ashes.

Feed with ashes and strawberries in early spring. You can also just sprinkle ashes under the outlets. Ash increases the number of peduncles on strawberries, and increases yield. When planting strawberry seedlings, it is also recommended to pour a little ash into each hole.

When sowing cucumbers, it is recommended to add wood ash to the holes. Cucumbers are very responsive to this fertilizer.

Ash as part of the compost

To improve the quality of the compost and accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, wood ash should be added to the compost heap.

Learn more