8 mainly uses of ash for vegetable garden

 

If you have wood heating, or a fireplace, in the cold months you will have to clean ash frequently. In no time, you'll be accumulating a couple of cubes of ash a week

A village woman collects ash from a fire in a dustpan to use as fertilizer in vegetable garden - depositphotos

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What to do with all that ash?

Let's try to put this gray, dusty by-product to good use.

The ashes and pieces of charcoal are full of minerals. In addition, its natural alkalinity and slightly abrasive texture mean that wood ash has many uses in the home , garden or orchard.

It is important to note that this list assumes that you are burning clean wood and not chemically treated wood, such as painted.

Hardwoods tend to have more nutrients than softer woods such as pine, but softwoods produce softer ash than hardwoods.

Coals can stay hot for days. Make sure the wood ash is completely cool before using it in your home.

A good starter tip: wear gloves when working with wood ash.

 

Uses of wood ash in the garden

Wood ash is enriched with many of the minerals it contained when it was a tree: calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other trace elements, to name a few.

Keep in mind, if left outside in the rain, it will quickly lose all of its beneficial water-soluble minerals. So you should keep the ash well.

Please note, do not use wood ash for plants that prefer acidic soil, such as potatoes, blueberries, hydrangeas or azaleas.

 

Uses of wood ash in the garden.

1. Correct the acidity of the soil. You can use the ashes to help balance the pH of acidic soils. It is best to first analyze the pH of your soil before applying it, but in general, for every 10 square meters you apply between 2-4 kg of ash. The best time to do this is before planting, when you can throw it directly into the ground. If you apply the wood ash to a soil with young plants already growing, be sure to rinse them afterwards, as the ash can burn the young leaves.
2. Improve your compost. Ash can increase the microbial environment of your compost , providing your compost with much-needed oxygen, making the microbes very happy. The porous nature of charcoal also means that all those minerals in the ash are absorbed and held in your compost, rather than being lost to the rain.
3. Stop the snails and slugs. Snails and slugs can wreak havoc in a garden. You can stop them by making an ash circle around plants susceptible to snails and slugs .
4. End fruit rot . Seeing that first black spot on your tomatoes is enough to make anyone cry, because you know it's just the beginning. Avoid it early in the season by giving the plants an extra dose of calcium. When planting tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and bell peppers, add a small handful of wood ash into the hole before putting the plant in the soil.
5. Kill algae from standing water . When it comes to using ash in a pond of water, a little goes a long way. You can use about one tablespoon for every 4,000 liters of water. If you are not sure of your water volume, caution; start small and give it a few days before adding more ash.
6. Prevents crops from frost damage . When temperatures begin to drop in autumn, the threat of frost begins. You can sprinkle your plants with a little powdered wood ash to prevent frost damage.
7. Save the seeds for next year . Seeds that are not stored properly lose their viability and do not germinate. Storing the seeds in a good insulating medium that absorbs moisture is essential. Add ashes to the container in which you keep the seeds to reduce humidity and protect them.
8. Encourage the ants to move . Throwing ashes into an anthill will encourage them to pack their bags and find another place to live.

Share in the comments the uses you give to ash in your garden or garden.