Ash as a fertilizer, and, very valuable, has long been recognized. Many generations of gardeners use it to increase soil fertility. It contains most of the essential nutrients necessary for plant growth, since wood ash is obtained from plant material. What is its use? Is it safe to use in the garden as a fertilizer? Yes and no! Ashes are a good source of potassium, phosphorus, and some trace elements. It depends on the type of wood burned.
So if your soil is potassium deficient, then ash can fix it. And if the soil on your site is very acidic (pH less than 5.5), then it can improve the acid composition of the soil. But if the soil in your area is neutral or alkaline, then using ashes as fertilizers can raise the pH so high that plants lose their ability to get nutrients from the soil.
The composition of wood ash
When firewood burns, nitrogen and sulfur go into the air in the form of gases, and calcium, potassium, magnesium, various trace elements remain. Carbonates, oxides remaining after burning wood, when introduced into the soil, neutralize its acidity.
The value of fertilizer from burnt trees depends on the type of wood you burn. As a rule, ash from deciduous trees contains a higher percentage of nutrients than ash from conifers.
Anyway wood ash is an alkaline complex fertilizer. Its main advantage is a high content of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus in a form accessible to plants.
The burned wood does not contain nitrogen, which evaporates when burned. However, this is not a reason to introduce nitrogen fertilizers with it. There will be no benefit in this case, since this will lead to the formation and release of ammonia, high doses of which are dangerous for plants.
The introduction of ash helps to reduce the acidity of the soil. It is not recommended to apply it in bulk on soils with acidity (pH) of 7 or higher. Since this will contribute to an even greater increase in alkalinity of the soil. It is scattered under the digging of the soil or in the grooves, holes during planting. The maximum consumption rate for digging the soil should not exceed 1 glass per square meter. m. In this case, its action will be observed for 2 to 4 years after application.
Ash solution or infusion of wood ash - how to cook
You can use the so-called ash solution or ash infusion to fertilize plants. It is prepared as follows: 1 glass of wood ash (100-150 g) is poured with a bucket of water, insisted (I leave it overnight). Garden plants are watered with this solution. Before watering, the infusion is mixed. Insoluble particles of ash should be evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Wood ash - use in the garden where it is possible and where not
The burned wood can be successfully used in compost heaps to help create the best conditions for organisms that process organic matter. Sprinkle each layer of compost with ashes to enrich the latter with nutrients.
When used wisely, it can be used to combat various pests, such as slugs or snails, as it absorbs water from invertebrate organs. Sprinkle ash around your plants to scare away the crawling pests. But as soon as the ash gets wet, it loses its restraining properties. Its continuous use for these purposes can increase the pH of the soil much, and this is harmful to plants.
Ash does not contain chlorine, so it can be applied to grapes, citrus fruits, strawberries, potatoes, raspberries, currants. These cultures do not tolerate chlorine. In addition, this fertilizer protects, for example, cabbage from diseases of the keel (a disease caused by a fungus that parasitizes on the roots) and the black leg.
Do not add wood ash around plants such as rhododendron or blueberries. They love acidic soil, and it reduces acidity, which will have a depressing effect on these plants.
Potato responds well to its use in growing - the friability of potatoes increases by 1-1.5%, but nevertheless use it carefully when planting potatoes, as it contributes to the development of such a dangerous tuber disease as rhizoctonia or scab.
Do not use ash to fertilize seedlings until the third true leaflet appears, as it contains too many salts harmful to immature plants. When planting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, you can add 1 tablespoon of gold per hole. But be sure to mix it with the soil, and also sprinkle it on top of the ground so that the roots of the seedlings do not come into contact with it. Otherwise, they will get a burn, the plant will hurt, take root for a long time in a new place.
Do not use wood ash to deter pests on radishes, radishes or turnips. Perhaps you will scare away the pests, but you will not wait for the harvest of radishes and the like - they will go “in the arrow”. That is, the root crops will cease to grow, become coarser, numb - they will release a flower arrow.
Dry wood ash during storage does not lose its beneficial properties for many years. But when soaked, it loses almost all of the potassium. The percentage of potassium in the ash depends on the breed and age of the burnt tree. The younger it is, the more potassium it contains.
Compared to potassium phosphorus, ash contains little. But such phosphorus is used by plants better than from superphosphate.
Walnut ash as fertilizer
Some summer residents are afraid to introduce ash into the soil of walnut wood. Their fears are most likely based on the misconception that plants of the walnut family (walnut, Manchurian, gray and black) contain the chemical substance yuglon (nucin), which belongs to the class of naphthoquinones. This substance has an adverse effect on plants growing next to a nut.
Their fears are unfounded. In a nut plant, the juglone is found in green peel, leaves, roots, and also bark. When burning, the juglone, as an organic substance consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, completely decomposes, volatilizes. Ash from walnut wood, as well as from other woody crops, contains potassium (15-20%), calcium (6-9%), phosphorus (5%), small amounts of magnesium, iron, sulfur, zinc. In addition, it includes many other trace elements necessary for vegetable crops.
Walnut shell ash can be used as a cosmetic product, for example, to remove unwanted hair. The following recipe for the preparation of the drug is recommended: the shell of nuts is burned, the ashes are diluted with water. For one teaspoon of gold, take 0.5 liters of water. The resulting composition is used to lubricate areas of skin with unwanted hair.
What other ash can be used as fertilizer
In the garden you can use as fertilizer ash from burning husks of sunflower, rice husk.
When burning sunflower husks, it is formed in an amount of 0.5-1.0% of the total volume. It is very rich in potassium, can be used as a valuable potash fertilizer. Ash from sunflower husk, as well as from buckwheat straw, are leaders in the content of potassium dioxide (K2O) compared to woody or from other plants. You should know that when burning sunflower husks, nitrogen from it escapes into the atmosphere. Therefore, ash, unlike the husk itself, does not enrich the soil with nitrogen, just like wood.
In addition to sunflower husks, in the areas of the Krasnodar Territory where rice is cultivated, they receive a considerable amount of rice husk. It is believed that about 200 kg of rice husk goes into waste when each ton of piled rice is received. This is a very valuable raw material. Rice husk ash contains almost all macro- and micronutrients - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, boron, cobalt and others. True, elements like oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen evaporate when it is burned in atmosphere.
Can ash from burning hay or straw be used as a fertilizer? To be honest, cereal straw doesn’t contain many nutrients. Moreover, it is very much required for plant nutrition. I do not think that you keep her whole ricks. Of course, you can use it for all garden crops. But remember, it is considered the best from oats, rye and rice.
Do not use in your area the ashes that come from burning garbage, cardboard, coal or chipboards. These substances contain trace elements that are harmful to many plants when used in excessive quantities. For example, the glue used in the manufacture of cardboard boxes or particle boards, contains boron - a toxic element for many types of plants.
When working with wood ash, you should take some precautions. Wear gloves and goggles, and if it is shallow and the weather is windy, do not forget to wear a respirator.
What else can I add? Wood ash as a fertilizer is a valuable assistant to the gardener, gardener. I think we figured out when, where and how to best apply it.