Using Bonfire Ash in the Garden
Make your fire work!
By Monty Don
5-11-2011
The goodness that comes from the bonfire is the ash, which I use on the garden as a source of potash, which in turn promotes good flower and fruit development (as opposed to nitrogen, which stimulates lush green growth).
You can spot a potash deficiency in your plants by the yellowed and browning edges to leaves, as though they have been scorched. Potassium is also needed in the process of wood ripening, and too little of it in the soil will increase the chance of frost or insect damage, and will also reduce the chance of fruit forming on wood that ripens in the previous year – such as gooseberries and redcurrants (but not blackcurrants, which respond better to a thick mulch of manure).
The quality of ash matters. The best comes from untreated hardwood such as oak, beech, hawthorn or ash, so hedge trimmings and wood pruned from shrubs and trees are ideal. When the bonfire has cooled, sieve the ash and keep it absolutely dry until you use it, and the best time to do that is in early spring as the plants are beginning to show new growth.
source
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-2057161/Make-work-A-bonfire-s-just-November-5--going-winter-turn-potassium-rich-ash-organic-fertiliser-spring.html
Garden fertilisers
Plants need three main nutrients to help them grow and remain healthy:
* Nitrogen (N) (i.e. lawn feed) used to green up a lawn and also promotes leaves and shoots in shrubs and trees.
* Phosphorus (P) (i.e. bonemeal) provide a great start for newly planted shrubs, vegetables, trees and bulbs, it's also good to use in spring to promote strong, healthy root development.
* Potassium (K) (i.e. tomato feed) is required by most plants in the greatest amount. It's used before and during the flowering season, to encourage the plant to set flowers and develop fruit. It also controls the water content and transportation of other plant foods from roots to shoots. Ideal on fruit bushes/trees, roses, tomatoes and hanging baskets.
o Potash (K20 - Potassium oxide) is regularly used in gardening, it's a common term for minerals containing water-soluble potassium.
o Bonfire ashes typically contain high levels of potash, which can be spread on the garden. Make sure you collect and distribute the ashes before the rain causes the potash to leech into the ground where you had the bonfire and be wasted.
o Potassium/potash increases the effectiveness of other nutrients on the plant and helps reduce the loss of nitrogen from the soil.
Ash from a bonfire contains water-soluble potassium, mix with water and use on tomatoes and flowers.
source
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk/basics_fertile.asp
Gardening Blog
Bob Flowerdew | 08:22 UK time, Friday, 26 November 2010
Oddly it is the day after bonfire night I enjoy as much. There is something satisfying about tidying a dead bonfire. Collecting up un-burnt twigs and branches to start the next then sieving the still warm ashes. These ashes are especially valuable as I’ve light sandy soil and potash/potassium is soon washed out. Spreading wood ashes replenishes this; I save them in the dry to spread in spring when growth is underway.
Come spring I’ll sprinkle this around the apples, currants and gooseberries, and in between the onions. Some will be added to potato trenches and more mixed in compost for the tomatoes. There is seldom enough to use it elsewhere except sparingly. Given more almost all of my garden would benefit, and the compost heaps could absorb any amount.
source
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gardening/2010/11/this-november-has-been-rather.shtml
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Using fireplace ashes in your garden
by Dawne Howard
Frederick County Master Gardener Program
Since Roman times, wood ash has been recognized as a useful amendment to the soil. In fact, North America exported wood ash to Britain in the 18th century as a fertilizer, and today, 80 per-cent of the ash produced commercially in the Northeastern United States is applied to the land.
Wood stoves and fireplaces are great for warming gardeners' chilly hands and feet. So, what can we do with the ashes? Since wood ash is derived from plant material, it contains most of the 13 essential nutrients the soil must have for good plant growth and health.
When wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases, and calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace element compounds remain. The remaining carbonates and oxides are valuable liming agents, raising pH, thus neutralizing acid soils. Soils that are acid and low in potassium benefit from wood ash. However, acid-loving plants such as blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons and azaleas would not do well at all with an application of wood ash.
Wood ash has a very fine particle size, so it reacts rapidly and completely in the soil. Although small amounts of nutrients are applied with wood ash, the main effect is that it is a liming agent. The average ash is equivalent to a 0-1-3 (N-P-K). The chemical makeup varies with the type of wood burned. Hardwoods produce three times as much ash per cord as do softwoods.
Calcium and potassium are both essential to plant growth. Calcium is needed for root development, strong cell walls and protein formation in the plant. Potassium is an important catalyst in photosynthesis and is essential for the movement of sugars, seed formation, protein synthesis and the use of nitrogen in plants.
Wood ash should never be applied to areas where potatoes will be planted as ash can promote potato scab. For most garden soil, 20 pounds (about a 5-gallon pail) per 1,000 square feet can be applied safely each year. That equals about 6 pounds of ground limestone applied to the same area.
The best time to apply wood ash is in the spring when the soil is dry and before tilling. In compost piles wood ash can be used to maintain a neutral condition, the best environment for microorganisms to break down organic materials. Sprinkle ash on each layer of compost. This is especially good if you have oak leaves or pine needles in your compost heap.
Wood ash can be used to repel insects, slugs and snails because it draws water out of these invertebrates. Sprinkle ash around the base of your plants to discourage surface-feeding insects. Once ash gets wet, it loses its deterring properties. Too much ash can increase pH or accumulate high levels of salts that can be harmful to some plants, so use ashes carefully.
Ash should be stored in a metal container with a secure lid. This helps prevent accidental fires from live coals and prevents water from flowing through the ash and leaching out the nutrients before the materials are applied to the soil.
Caution should be used when handling wood ash:
* Protect yourself as you would if you were handling household bleach or any other strong alkaline material. Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask.
* Do not scatter ashes during windy periods.
* Do not mix ash with nitrogen fertilizer as ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrates or urea. These fertilizers lose their nitrogen as ammonia gas when mixed with high pH materials such as wood ash. For a lawn, wait at least a month after wood ash is applied before putting down a nitrogen fertilizer to allow for the soil to reduce the alkalinity of the wood ash.
Never leave wood ash in lumps or piles. Concentrated piles of wood ash causes excessive salt build-up in the soil through leaching and can create a harmful environment for plants.
source
http://emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2004/ashes.htm
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