[Thamesmeadhammer]

Hello all

After burning quite a bit of brambles and old wood yesterday I was wondering to what use's could I use the ash for ?

Any advice ?

Thanks

Tony

Ps Sorry Pete for smoking you out.....

[woodburner]

What kind of wood? The older tanalising process used arsenic as well as copper (copper is still used). I'm probably being over cautious but I don't put any timber type wood on my bonfires any more. (Pallets and old chairs are ok. AFAICT I've never seen a tanalised pallet!)

[gregmcalister]

I would put the ash in your compost. It's quite alkaline and high in soluble potash if I remember rightly. Alternatively you could just spread it over the ground and rake/dig it in.

[GreenOwl]

It is potash, I'd rake it over the plot. 

[flowerpower]

Apparently you can scatter a bit around your roses, as they like it. Also a thin layer in your compost is ok, too - but basically, it doesn't have much use around the garden which I think is a real shame. I hate throwing it away...

[Dominic]

If its old branches, its fine to compost, lightly spread or dig in, if its your old kitchen, its a bit different.  There'll be all sorts of chemicals around, and possibly some new ones made when it was burning.  Maybe bury it in a corner somewhereand leave it for a year or two.

[WebSiteEvo]

Some Organic Plant Fertilizers (fish blood and bone) lack potash so adding wood ash to your soil where you have used organic fertilizers is very good.

[andreadon]

under your gooseberry bushes is good, too.

[elibump]

under your gooseberry bushes is good, too.

Don't you need to be careful going anywhere near gooseberry bushes???  You never know what you might find underneath them!!   :blink:

[Dominic]

I dont get it

[andreadon]

babies, dominic, you find babies under gooseberry bushes.
 

[Trillium]

Here's a reply I just sent to a similar post.

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Here's a tip the French swear by. Scroll down to the potassium fertilizer point. I plan to make lots myself this year.

http://www.frenchgardening.com/tech.html
 

[woodburner]

Here's a reply I just sent to a similar post.

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Here's a tip the French swear by. Scroll down to the potassium fertilizer point. I plan to make lots myself this year.

http://www.frenchgardening.com/tech.html
 

Nice link! Thanks for posting.
I haven't found the potassium fertilizer info, but that is one very interesting site!  :happy:

[elibump]

Thanks for the link from sunny France, didn't know about that one

[Paul Plots]

I have a bag of wood ash and more to come from my sister's log-buring stove.

I've read that it should not be used on soils where potatoes are to be grown.

Also found this info:
Ashes from fireplaces and wood burning stoves are a good source of potassium and a lesser source of phosphorus and some micro-nutrients, depending on the type of wood burned. So if your soil has a potassium deficiency, wood ashes can be a good amendment.

However, they can also be a source of heavy metals that you don't necessarily want in your garden. And they contain a good percentage, about 25%, calcium carbonate, an ingredient in garden lime. If your soil is very acidic (5.5 of lower), wood ash can improve your soil pH. If your soil is neutral or alkaline to begin with, adding wood ash could raise the pH high enough to interfere with plants ability to take in nutrients. Wood ash should also be avoided around acid loving plants like rhododendrons and blueberries.

Bottom line is that a small amount of wood ash will add some nutrients and be beneficial to most soils. Large amounts should be avoided