Would you like to improve your plants and soil in a sustainable way by using wood ash in the garden? With these tips you can do this right!
Nowadays, there are numerous ways to recycle waste products and help both the environment and yourself. You can take advantage of this opportunity, especially during the heating season, if you have a fireplace or wood stove. The resulting ash allows you to benefit from a free fertilizer and soil conditioner in the garden area. It contains nutrients that promote the growth of certain garden plants and can balance the acidity of the garden soil. However, there are some important factors to consider, as such an approach can sometimes have negative effects. Reap the benefits of garden care like this by considering the information and advice below!
What type of wood ash to use in the garden?
The waste material is rich in minerals and contains trace elements that are important for many crops and ornamental plants. In addition, the ash from hardwoods such as ash, walnut, oak, apple, maple and cherry is best used as plant fertilizer. In contrast to softwood, it is richer in nutrients, although those made from other fuels that have been chemically processed should be avoided. Here are a few more facts worth knowing that you should keep in mind:
- The use of ash in forests or water bodies is prohibited. Those made from trees that grow near industrial facilities are also not suitable for this purpose, as they could contaminate the soil with heavy metals and toxins. This kind ofAsh must be disposed of properlyto minimize the risk of damage to plants and soil.
- In addition, the recycling of firewood treated with wood varnish, plastic or other chemical substances is prohibited due to possible environmental pollution.
- When storing it, it is also important to protect the ashes from rain and other weather influences. Otherwise, the soluble valuable substances contained therein can be washed away, making the material unusable. It is best to use sealable containers and store them in a dry place.
- Spreading the ash can also change the soil reaction, with carbonates from wood formed after combustion neutralizing the acidity of the soil. This would increase the pH and reduce the acidity of the substrate.
- In addition, the optimal pH value is between 6.5 and 7.0. By using wood ash in the garden, you are helping your plants absorb more calcium and magnesium.
- However, unlike limestone, you need twice as much ash to reduce acidity. You should apply around 1 to 1.5 kg of it per square meter.
- You can thereby improve clay garden soils and make them more permeable, allowing them to absorb more ash than sandy soils.
What is the waste product good for as fertilizer?
The appropriate type of ash has many potential benefits to benefit as a gardener. As already written, it is rich in nutrients and promotes plant growth, with the calcium it contains usually accounting for 20% of it. The following properties of the natural product can also be beneficial:
- Another component of wood ash is potassium, which is of great importance for fruit formation and flowers.
- Although they occur in lower concentrations, they also contain sulfur, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as traces of aluminum, iron, zinc, manganese, boron and other plant nutrients.
- Vegetables in acidic garden soils in particular can benefit from this type of fertilizer, with tomatoes and cabbage preferring alkaline substrate. Asparagus and other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, as well as various herb plants, can also be easily fertilized with it.
- Wood ash can also be useful for some flowers and shrubs if you simply spread it over the garden beds.
- You can also use it to prepare a homemade liquid fertilizer by diluting a kilo of ash with about 10 liters of water. You should let the mixture soak in for about a week before filtering out the solution and using it to nourish your plants.
Why use wood ash in the garden for composting and against pests?
Given the potential risks to the environment, it is important to use waste material sparingly. If it is the compost heap in the garden area, the alkalinity of the ash can reduce the acidity in it. Add these regularly and in thin layers and place more organic waste on top. When it comes to pest control, you can use ash as an insecticide in the following ways:
- With this you can repel snails or various caterpillars and beetles that eat plant leaves. For this purpose, you need to dilute one cup each of slaked lime and ash with 10 liters of water. Spray the affected parts of the plant with it.
- For crawling pests, you can make a ring of ash around infected or endangered garden plants. However, make sure that the ash does not come into contact with the plant because it contains a lot of salts. This will keep slugs and some invertebrates away from your crops.
- Additionally, you can use a mixture of salt and wood ash in the garden to scare away ants. Simply sprinkle your anthill with it and repeat if the ashes get wet from rain or irrigation.
When and why is this approach not suitable?
You should not use wood ash in the garden if the pH of your garden soil is above 7. Furthermore, it is important not to combine them with nitrogen fertilizers as this can damage your crops. Otherwise, you should avoid it in the following cases:
- Do not place ash near garden plants such as azaleas, blueberries, rhododendrons, oaks or red maples. Such plant species prefer acidic soil.
- Sometimes the use of ash also promotes plant diseases by increasing the pH value. This applies, for example, to potatoes, which become more susceptible to scab.
If your soil is already in the optimal pH range (6.0 to 7.0), there is little point in using ash as a deoxidizer. - Also, do not apply wood ash in combination with horse manure or lawn fertilizers as this would make nutrient absorption more difficult.
- Also, do not mix the waste product with phosphate fertilizers so that your plants can better absorb the phosphates from the soil.
