[alfieplot162]

hi, everyone and a happy Christmas and new year i have a wood burner at home and i was thinking is the ash any good for my plot as i only throw it away thanks alfie.

[Steve.B]

Hi,

Wood ash contains  potash and phosphate.

Wood ash has about 25% calcium carbonate, a liming material that increases soil alkalinity.
So be careful where you put it!

[alfieplot162]

thanks steve , alfie

[Jilly Pickles]

We have 2 woodburners, and a huge pile of woodash.

would it be ok spread in the orchard?

Never known what to do with it all.

[Pumpkin-Kat]

I put ours in the composter. Also recently someone advised me to put it around the blueberry bush as they apparantly like it. 

[Jilly Pickles]

We have about a ton of it so not good for the compost.

I Like the blueberry idea, will do a search.

[gillie]

Surely not for blueberries!  They are acid lovers, and as Steve B. said:

"Wood ash has about 25% calcium carbonate, a liming material that increases soil alkalinity".

I assume the 'huge pile' has been left out in the rain/snow and I suspect that all the minerals have washed out of it.

I have a small amount kept dry in a plastic sack.  I usually spread it under my black currant bushes nearer the growing season.  I am not sure what I would do with a lot, especially if it had been weathered but I don't think it would do much harm spread thinly in an orchard.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Poolfield2]

I put ours in the composter. Also recently someone advised me to put it around the blueberry bush as they apparantly like it.  

Noooo! They like acid soil!

Sorry Gillie, just read your post and that's what you said (note to self read other answers before posting )

[Pumpkin-Kat]

  Just as well I didn't put any on yet then. I don't think my blueberry bush is very happy anyway though, but it's only in its first year still.  Raspberry bush did very well though.  :happy:

[Jilly Pickles]

Thanks for the advice, think i will get hubby to spread it in the orchard.

Still fancy growing some blueberrys, a freind has some can you take canes like raspberrys?

[tode]

Jillie:  if you have a lot of mowings in Spring/Summer, then wood ash is very useful when composting them: stops it all going slushy.

[alfman]

I've always been told wood ash is good for onions. (but not coal ash.)

[philsmith1967]

If it does raise the soil alkalinity then surely it would be good on your brassica bed.