Anyone who heats their house with wood in winter knows that a lot of ash accumulates during this time. This raises the question for some people as to whether this natural waste can be used sensibly instead of disposing of it? The garden is an obvious thought. Maybe there are useful minerals in the wood ash. Can you use ash as fertilizer, specifically for lawns, for example? We will inform you about the correct use and benefits of wood ash on lawns.
A notice:Ash on lawns and other garden plants is only applicable if it is wood ash. Those made from charcoal or other grill fuels contain harmful heavy metals that contaminate soil, groundwater and therefore also edible plants - both for humans and animals.
Is ash a good fertilizer? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
The answer is simply “yes”, but only if the language ofwood ashis and under certain conditions. What is so beneficial in the ash are the minerals that the former tree absorbed from the soil through its roots. These are mainly potassium and lime. But of course that also means that it also contains pollutants - in what quantities depends on where the tree once grew: in an industrial area or in a natural forest area?
Therefore, the use of wood ash asFertilizer for edible plantsless suitable, but can be used for other plants in the garden and house. Before you use wood ash in the garden for other ornamental plants, do your research, as not everyone feels comfortable with the minerals in the ash. Burnt wood that has been treated (with glue, wood varnish, etc.) is completely unsuitable because pollutants also get into the soil and plants.
Is ash good for the lawn?
What you should also keep in mind when using it is that the ratio of potassium and lime in the ash can vary greatly. Wood ash is theoretically suitable for balancing the pH value of the soil, for example, but there is no guarantee. So whoever targets their lawn in this waywant to lime, probably won't get the desired effect. Nevertheless, wood ash is a good, high-quality option as a fertilizer for the lawn.
How do you use wood ash on lawn?
This type of fertilizer may be effective, but that doesn't mean you should randomly and generously spread ash as lawn fertilizer. Keep in mind that the product is highly concentrated and can cause more damage if used in too large quantities. So if you have your lawnfertilize with ash, do not give more than30 g/m²on the lawn and beds.
Is ash suitable for weeds in the lawn?
Does wood ash help against moss in the lawn and other weeds? That would of course be great news, since you would like to avoid using chemicals in your garden as much as possible. And wood ash actually proves to be a perfect moss killer on lawns if you apply it selectively:
- Sprinkle the burnt wood residue on the affected areas, i.e. directly on the moss.
- After a few days the unwanted plants are killed. This can be recognized by the fact that they have turned black.
- You can (and should) easily remove the black moss.
- Do not allow it to rot as this can cause fungal infections.
If the lawn is heavily infested with moss, it is advisable to scarify it before using ash - another stepeffective measure against moss.
Otherwise, the natural remedy also combats:
- other weeds
- Algae
- Flea beetles
- lice
- Snails (as a barrier, but only until it is washed away the next time it rains or waters)
What if you can’t apply wood ash to lawns right away?
Since ash proves to be so valuable as fertilizer for lawns, it would of course be a shame to throw away those that you cannot use straight away. Can they be stored and if so, how? And wood ash is actually allowedon the compost?
Is wood ash suitable for compost?
Basically the same applies here as for use in the garden in general. The risk of pollutants getting into your organic fertilizer via the ash of unknown origin is high. If you still decide to do this, then at least only use burnt, untreated wood. However, such compost should still only be used for ornamental plants.
Otherwise, the compost is naturally enriched with potassium, which is another big advantage.
How are ashes stored?
Of course, you can't sprinkle wood ash on lawns and flower beds every day all winter long, so storing it seems like a good idea. This is entirely possible as long as you do it right:
- in a dry place
- in an alkali-resistant container/bucket (a classic, galvanized sheet steel bucket, for example)
- no aluminum container!
Note: Even if you store wood ash, it's unlikely you'll be able to use it all unless you have entire acres of ornamental plants. The concentration of this fertilizer is simply too high, meaning only small amounts are necessary for fertilization. That's why you shouldn't feel bad if you completely dispose of the cooled waste with the residual waste.
