[flopsy]

hi
Can the ash from the bonfire be used as potash, is this the same or is potash somethin else altogether.

Cheers pete

[sunshineband]

The ash from wood has a fair amount of potash in it and is very  useful for adding to fruit beds etc

[mumofstig]

it's the same but you have to keep it dry, once it's wet the potash will have been washed out  

[Yorkie]

Just make sure you don't burn painted or otherwise toxic wood.

[Ivor Backache]

If you have got access to last saturday's  Daily Mail Weekend suppliment, there is an article by Monty Don all about your question.
I have a fireplace on the patio and through the summer I keep all the woodash in a sealed bin for use the following year.

[solway cropper]

Wood ash can be quite alkaline so be careful adding it to acid loving plants.

All my fruit trees and bushes get a good sprinkle of it each spring.

[Salmo]

According to an article in the Telegraph wood ash is slightly acid and the amount of potash is variable, sometimes very little.

By all means add it to your beds but do not rely on it for potash. The little bits of charcoal left in it are a good soil conditioner.

[mumofstig]

The RHS help page
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=621

[Growster...]

Isn't twig ash more beneficial than log ash?

[solway cropper]

According to an article in the Telegraph wood ash is slightly acid and the amount of potash is variable, sometimes very little.

The Telegraph is hardly a good source of gardening information.

Try this:
The largest component of wood ash (about 25 percent) is calcium carbonate, a common liming material that increases soil alkalinity. 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 of a liming agent. (Perdue University)

or:
Ash from wood fires, such as bonfires or wood burning stoves, can be a useful additive to the compost heap or can be applied directly to fallow ground and dug in. It can be a natural source of potassium and trace elements. It also has a liming effect, so wood ash can remedy excessively acidic soils. (Royal Horticultural Society)

I'm pretty sure the RHS know what they're talking about!!