Tips on using woodash please?

[Trinity]

Hi all,

I've got a big box of woodash saved from the winter. Is it good to use on the veggie beds (waste not want not )???

Does anyone else here use it? I have a tendency just to experiement and see what works, so any tips would be graciously appreciated (before I launch my experiment on to my unsuspecting veggie beds )

Trinity
xxx

[Bonniegirl]

These pages have some good info

http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/artic ... /ashes.htm

http://gardening.about.com/od/soil/f/Wood_Ash.htm

[Trinity]

Thank you for the excellent links Bonnie Girl
Brilliant!!!
xxx

[Millymollymandy]

I use it but I riddle it first cos it's got charcoal bits in it.

Use in place of Potassium, the K element of the NPK fertiliser mix. Good for all fruiting and flowering plants.

[Jack]

Gidday

Don't worry about the charcoal as it's O.K. It is very good on garlic and onions too.

[paddy]

I saw a tv programme where charcoal is supposed to be good for the soil.

[Millymollymandy]

I read somewhere not to put it on the soil!

Anyway we produce so much of it I riddle some and the rest gets thrown away at the rubbish tip.

[Wombat]

I read somewhere not to put it on the soil!

Anyway we produce so much of it I riddle some and the rest gets thrown away at the rubbish tip.

Bummer M3,

You can use that in your forge for doing a bit of blacksmithing.....

Nev

[paddy]

Well charcoal is used to filter toxin's and is nothing more than basically baked wood so i cant see why you musn't add it to your soil, but if so i would love to know why anyone????

[Trinity]

Ann interesting point that one of the links above raised was this:

"Wood ash should never be applied to areas where potatoes will be planted as ash can promote potato scab."

No idea if it is true or not, but thought it worthy of noting...

[Jack]

Gidday

Charcoal is O.K. cos you can even eat it.

But with the wood ash just bare in mind one thing, that it will lower your soil acidity without adding lime.

[Magpie]

Yes, and it's the changed acidity that will encourage potato scab.

[Millymollymandy]

Just how much would you need to add to change the pH of your soil? Surely you'd need a lot of it, not just the normal sprinkling one does of fertiliser. ???

Sounds like an idea to dump a load round my Rhodos though, as my soil is not quite acid enough!

[Wombat]

Sounds like an idea to dump a load round my Rhodos though, as my soil is not quite acid enough!

M3!

No no no no no no no no no no - wood ash REDUCES acidity ie it mkes the soil more alkaline. It was just Jacks funny way of expressing it. Wood Ash contains potassium carbonate, which is alkaline and raises pH.

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks Nev. I won't do that then!

I see what you mean by 'lowers acidity' - I thought it meant the opposite i.e. going from say pH6 to 5!