How To Use Ash On The Site

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

From the fire to the beds

Ash from burning firewood, straw, branches, plant residues for many gardeners can become an affordable universal complex fertilizer. There is no nitrogen in it, but it contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium and a whole set of trace elements.

The ash of birch, willow and oak firewood is considered valuable. It contains 30-40 percent calcium, 14-20 percent potassium, up to 10 percent phosphorus. The ash of potato tops is distinguished by a high content of all these important elements. That is why it is useful to burn the tops on the site after harvesting.

Peat ash contains the least potassium and phosphorus, but there is quite a lot of calcium. Phosphorus and potassium in ash are readily available for plants. Plants use phosphorus better from it than from superphosphate.

× Gardener's handbook Plant nurseries Stores of goods for summer cottages Landscape design studios

Ash is also valuable in that it contains almost no chlorine, which means that it can be used for crops that are sensitive to this element and react negatively to the introduction of chloride fertilizers (raspberries, strawberries, currants, citrus fruits, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes).

Wood ash is used as an alkaline fertilizer. By alkalizing the acidic soil, it helps microorganisms to more intensively decompose organic matter and turn it into compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium available to plants.

The consequences of the introduction of ash affect up to 4 years. Ash prevents the development of pathogens of root rot, cabbage keels in the soil. Snails and slugs do not like ash on the soil surface. Ash is good for lawns.

It is also used for soaking the seeds of vegetable and flower crops before sowing. For 1 liter of water, take 2 tablespoons of ash, insist for two days, filter. The seeds are soaked for 6 - 12 hours. The same infusion can be used to feed seedlings, alternating with fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer. When growing seedlings, it is useful to sprinkle the surface of the soil with ash sieved through a sieve in order to protect young seedlings from the black leg.

Ash is suitable for application on all soils and under all vegetable, fruit and berry crops. 100 sq. m requires up to 10-12 kg of ash for cabbage, cucumber, beets, onions, raspberries, currants, up to 6 - 8 kg for potatoes, peas require up to 20 kg. When planting seedlings, add 10 g of ash to the hole, mixing it with soil or humus.

Before planting potato tubers are powdered with ash (1 kg of ash for 30-40 kg of tubers). At the first hilling of potatoes, 2 tablespoons are brought under the bush, and at the second - 0.5 cups under the bush.

Ash can be used for fertilizing vegetables (1 - 1.5 glasses of ash are taken per bucket). It is good to alternate such fertilizing with feeding infusion of bird droppings, slurry containing nitrogen.

On loamy and clayey soils, it is better to bring ash in the fall for digging, on sandy and sandy loamy soils - in the spring.

The addition of peat in a ratio of 1: 3 will increase the ash efficiency. Such a mixture will evenly distribute the fertilizer over the site even in windy weather, and the plants better absorb the nutrients in it.

Ash in the compost heap will accelerate the decomposition of organic matter. It is not recommended to mix ash with ammonium sulfate, fresh manure, slurry, faeces, poultry droppings. This leads to nitrogen losses. It is best not to mix ash with lime. This reduces the availability of phosphorus to plants. × Notice board Kittens for sale Puppies for sale Horses for sale

From gray rot, strawberries are dusted with ash in bushes during the ripening period of berries (15 g per bush). Dusting is repeated after a week, reducing the dose by half.

Against powdery mildew of currants, gooseberries, cucumbers, plants are sprayed with an ash solution: 300 g of sifted ash are boiled for 30 minutes, filtered, 40 g of any soap is added for better adhesion. Sprayed with a cooled solution in the evening in calm weather. This treatment is done twice a month.

On cucumber plants, places damaged by white and gray rot are sprinkled with sifted ash.

It is necessary to store ash in a dry room, as it is hygroscopic. Water, on the other hand, leaches nutrients from the ash, first of all potassium, and its fertilizing value sharply decreases.

Ashes and slag of coal in a form of crushed to a dusty state can be added to the soil to reduce acidity and destroy the wireworm (up to 1 kg per 1 sq. M).