Spreading wood ash.

[Hjcarter]

Anyone got any experience of this?

Neighbours just burned a load of bushes, trees, brash etc and there's a good 3 cube of ash.

Worth spreading of too much hassle???

 

[grainboy]

3 cu that’s a big burn

 

[Wisconsonian]

Load a layer on top of a manure spreader load. Not enough that you'll notice the difference, but it won't hurt anything.

 

[betternextyear]

I covered 1 row of my sweetcorn plants with wood ash and havent noticed any difference to the other rows. I thought wood ash was rich in potash?

 

[Nithsdale]

Wood ash is good for the ground. Good shout to mix it into a load or 2 of muck.


It's coal ash which is toxic

 

[Steevo]

I normally just drag it about with the bucket to a fairly thin layer.

 

[delilah]

Be surprised if it's pure ash, must be thorns n rubbish in it, is it worth it ?

 

[renewablejohn]

brilliant stuff. Use that much every year mainly for peas and beans at a rate of 10ltr per m2.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

I always empty the ash pan from log burner into the flower bed in the garden, I can honestly say that the only difference I’ve noticed is the increased level of nails and screws in the soil………

 

[Exfarmer]

You need hundreds of years of ash from the fireplace and the contents of the pot to make a real difference

 

[Bogweevil]

You need hundreds of years of ash from the fireplace and the contents of the pot to make a real difference

3% K, good source of lime, widely used in USA where wood fuel important. 3cu m neither here nor there of course on farm scale.

 

[Hjcarter]

I always empty the ash pan from log burner into the flower bed in the garden, I can honestly say that the only difference I’ve noticed is the increased level of nails and screws in the soil………

So it adds iron as well, great!!

 

[Hjcarter]

I've got a few acres that are low in pot so I think I'll mix it with the very well rotted horse muck I've got and give it a go. Nowt 2 lose I suppose....

 

[Cab-over Pete]

3 cube (I presume you mean metres) won’t make any difference on the average lawn never mind a few acres.

I covered 1 row of my sweetcorn plants with wood ash and havent noticed any difference to the other rows. I thought wood ash was rich in potash?

Maybe your soil has adequate potash before adding any more. It doesn’t matter what the nutrient, if you have enough naturally then adding more won’t do any good.

 

[Kidds]

The charcoal seems to do more good than the ash.
House has been run on wood for decades and spread the ash outside, in my orchards too when I can be bothered.
Not seen any benefit but no harm either.
Burnt lots of leylandii over the years and the old fire sites do grow better. Not sure if it is the ash or the warmth in the ground but my strongest suspicion is the charcoal/biochar left behind that does it.

 

[Goweresque]

Just be careful, wood ash would be considered a waste product, and fall under all the usual waste management regs. There's an exemption for burning brushwood of your own on your own farm, but bringing in other people's ash would not be covered by that. Under the ludicrous waste rules it would be the equivalent of importing toxic waste onto your farm.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

2 to 3 tons acre , good as lime to lift PH and good Potash content