Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Aled on January 11, 2018, 09:38

Title: Wood Ash
Post by: Aled on January 11, 2018, 09:38

Hello All
The winter is in full swing and the log burner is burning nightly with us. Therefore I have a lot of wood ash. Now I know it is not recommended to over use wood ash on where you are planting potatoes, that part of my veg patch is covered with cardboard. However is it possible to over use wood ash on a bog standard veg patch? I've got a lot to use. It also goes into the compost bin, but my compost bin is very much in need of some brown stuff!
Any advice appreciated.
Cheers
Aled

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: Offwego on January 11, 2018, 11:11

  Aled, theres  plenty of well rotted brown stuff FOC in carmarthen  on gumtree

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: Aled on January 11, 2018, 11:23

Yep I've got a horse stable just round the corner,.... ;)
Cheers
Aled

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: New shoot on January 12, 2018, 11:47

If you bag the wood ash up and keep it dry, it can be useful over the summer.  I put rings of it around young squash plants and other stuff that slugs like to munch, as I plant them out.  I use the greenhouse keep the bags in.  When I take them to the plot, I rip a corner open and pour it out that way.

Like most of these barrier type deterrents, in very wet weather, slugs will travel over it, but it works well otherwise  :)

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: Aled on January 12, 2018, 13:18

Thanks New shoot. I kept a bucket full last year which I put around my onions. I've done some more research it would appear that there is no problems in just pilling it on and raking it in, so that's what i'll do. Its a nice feeling to know that what is effectively a waste material is put to a good use. I sieve it out before putting it on the patch.
Cheers
Aled

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: JayG on January 12, 2018, 16:01

Worth remembering that wood ash is quite alkaline so will raise the pH of your soil - no problem if your soil is already acidic, but of course a no-no for ericaceous plants, and probably not the best supplement for chalky soils.

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: greenjay on January 12, 2018, 16:58

i tipped a bucket full down the raspberry row this evening.
 they are suppose to like the extra potash I think?

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: rowlandwells on January 12, 2018, 19:10

we burn quite a lot of wood both in the house and in the greenhouse can't remember when we used coal we use our wood ash on the onion bed prior to planting for both sets and onion plants and on some of  our raised beds to

I've burnt many types of wood  on the greenhouse heater quite a bit of pallet wood when I rake out the ashes I sieve the ash and then use a magnet to collect any old nails before bagging the ash

I have to say I swear by wood ash for the allotment  :D

Title: Re: Wood Ash
Post by: Aled on January 15, 2018, 09:57

Thanks for the replies all. I am aware of the alkaline issue, hence why the potato patch has not had any ash over it.
Cheers
Aled