Wood Ash On The Garden

[mudfork]

We recently put in an outdoor wood furnace, so now I have plenty of ash. I know alot of folks put it on their gardens. What do you folks have to say on the subject?

 

[Limomike]

I would use it sparingly, because it will raise the acid content of your soil. If you know your soil needs more alkaline, then put some on it.. if not.. dont. Wood ash does NOT contain nitrogen. But, with that being said, I did have an uncle who used to dump his ashes from his fireplace in a certain spot each winter, and in the spring, he planted some radishes in it, and they turned out to be the biggest, and best tasting I have ever had. Dont know why.. they just were.

 

[Jogeephus]

I disagree about it making your soil acid. In fact it will do just the opposite. This is why you never ever burn or use wood ash on land used for blueberry production. When wood is burned the ash remaining is high in carbonates and potassium all of which is good for your soil. Only time I'd worry about its use is if you were trying to use an acid loving plant like a blueberry.

 

[Angus Cowman]

My mom and dad has put their ashes on the garden as long as I can remember and they always havea nice garden

 

[Bez+]

We heat the entire house with wood.

All the ash goes on the garden or on the driveway if it gets icy.

Worked for us for the past many years.

No probs to date - but we run a big garden.

Bez+

 

[brandonm_13]

It will raise the pH. i would use it on the garden, but you have to be sure to use only safe products. I know too many people that trow plastic packages and other gargbage into the fire to get rid of it and some of it has toxic chemicals you wouldn't want to spread over anything that you are planning on eating from.

Also if you have more than the garden needs, the excess can be spread across your pastures.

 

[novatech]

Ashes are good for pastures too.
http://www.stockmangrassfarmer.net/cgi- ... cgi?id=654

 

[BeefmasterB]

Ashes are good for pastures too.
http://www.stockmangrassfarmer.net/cgi- ... cgi?id=654

So, if I have a 25 acre pasture, how much wood ash do you think I'd need and where would I get that much?

 

[novatech]

Ashes are good for pastures too.
http://www.stockmangrassfarmer.net/cgi- ... cgi?id=654

So, if I have a 25 acre pasture, how much wood ash do you think I'd need and where would I get that much?

If you have property near a paper mill you may be able to get it there. They not only use wood to make paper they fire boiler with it.
Reading the article, I would need about 2 tons per acre to meet the requirements based on a soil test.; That is a heck of a lot of ash. Even if were free the trucking would be fairly pricey.

 

[Jogeephus]

I would be willing to bet if you were as close to the mill as the mill is to the landfill they would haul it to you free and be happy to do so. There some good stuff in the ash.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Wonder how much wood ash a charcoal plant would produce?