Potash question

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

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

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.

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

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!!