Ash as a fertilizer is used for many garden and vegetable crops. It is a grayish powder obtained by burning wood and dry herbs. The substance contains large amounts of calcium, potassium and phosphorus. In addition to these components, the combustion residual product is rich in other useful microelements. It is especially important to add it to soil that has high acidity.

The ash is used to fertilize plants.

The ash is used by gardeners as a natural fertilizer. Berry trees are fed with ash, pouring dry powder into the circles around the trunks and covering them with soil on top. For one adult plant, 2 kg of dry ash should be added. The frequency of fertilization is 3-4 times a year.

For vegetable crops it is more convenient to use a liquid infusion. To do this, you need to take 100 g (faceted glass) of dry powder and dilute it in a bucket of water. This fertilizer for cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes and some other plants is applied in half a liter per bush.

It is useful to apply wood ash under raspberry and currant bushes. The procedure is necessary to increase productivity and protect against certain diseases and pests. To fertilize young bushes, 100-150 g of ash is enough. Adult plants need to double the amount. The dry composition is introduced into the ditches of the root zone and buried.

You can use the powder solution even at the stage of seed germination. The procedure improves the germination of most garden crops. Fertilizing cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers with ash before planting seeds is especially useful.

Pest protection

Wood ash can be used as a means of preventing diseases in plants and killing pests. If you add ash powder to the hole when planting cabbage seedlings, this will help prevent clubroot and blackleg from appearing.

Dry ash scattered on beds with strawberries and cabbage will keep slugs and snails away from your favorite crops. In addition to the fact that ash creates an obstacle for pests, it is also a good fertilizer for strawberries.

Ash barrier from pests.

When growing onions, the crop can be spoiled by pests. Ash infusion helps fight onion flies. To prepare it, clean ash is sifted, removing charcoal impurities and lumps. 300 g of pure powder is poured with boiling water and put on fire. Boil for half an hour, then settle and dilute with water to 10 liters. Add half a bar of grated laundry soap to the ash infusion and mix well.

In addition to the infusion, you can use dry ash to sprinkle plants. It is better to carry out the treatment early in the morning. If there is no dew at this time, the plants should be sprayed with water. The product helps fight powdery mildew, aphids and slimy sawfly.

Benefit

The most useful fertilizer is ash obtained by burning dry stems of herbaceous plants. The maximum concentration of calcium is found in the combustion products of buckwheat and dried sunflower stems. Among tree species, the record holder for the content of mineral elements in combustion products is birch. The minimum amount of useful substances in ash obtained from peat.

The value of this fertilizer is that all microelements are easily absorbed by plants. The use of dry powder and feeding solution allows plants to quickly absorb all microelements, without which growth and fruiting will be incomplete. You can use ashes as fertilizer for indoor plants, taking into account their preference for the acidity of the substrate.

Unlike most chemical industry fertilizers, ash is not a source of chlorine. This allows you to safely use ash in the garden to fertilize crops that are sensitive to harmful components.

Fertilizer is obtained by burning wood.

Increased efficiency

To enhance the beneficial effect, you need to know how to use ash correctly. You can prepare mineral-organic fertilizer by mixing 2-3 parts of humus with 1 part of ash. This composition is good for fertilizing peppers, eggplants, and cucumbers. Plants receive nutrients in an easily digestible form. In addition, the mixed fertilizer is distributed more evenly throughout the area.

It is not recommended to mix ash with manure, bird droppings and ammonium sulfate. When these fertilizers are combined, a chemical reaction occurs that neutralizes nitrogen. As a result, plants do not receive the element necessary for development. You should also wait to add ash to the ground if liming has recently been done in this area.

Dry powder or solution of combustion products of woody and herbaceous plants is useful to speed up the decomposition reaction in compost heaps. This improves the quality of the compost and neutralizes its acidity.

When storing ash for future use, it is necessary to take into account that dry powder has increased hygroscopicity. Humidification leads to loss of nutrients, so it is important to store in a dry place. You must first prepare the powder by sifting it through a fine-mesh sieve. The prepared infusion or solution cannot be stored for long periods of time.

Harm to plants

Even such a harmless fertilizer as ash can be harmful in some cases. Excessive amounts of ash introduced when planting potatoes can cause scab on young tubers.

On alkaline soils, the amount of fertilizer powder or solution should be reduced, since the ash neutralizes acidity. It is necessary to use ash fertilizers with caution to feed plants that prefer acidic soils. Excessive application can harm heather and rhododendron, causing their leaves to turn yellow.

Where to get ash

When woody and herbal plants burn, a small amount of ash is produced. The quality of ash from a fire is no different from the ash sold in stores. The fertilizer is packed in waterproof material and does not deteriorate during transportation. Stores offer sunflower ash, rich in calcium. The cost of 1 kg is from 250 rubles. Ash obtained from wood is slightly cheaper. The cost of 1 kg of such fertilizer is from 100 rubles.

On heavy soils, adding ash is most effective in the spring. If light sandy loam soils predominate in the garden, then it is better to add ash during autumn digging. The addition of ash powder improves the properties of the substrate, increases plant productivity and destroys harmful microorganisms.

​Similar articles​

​Mila Nabogova “Ashes for the garden: how to use” especially for the Eco-Life website.​

Average indicators of the main elements in the ash after combustion:

Potassium

1. Ash does not contain chlorine at all, so it is suitable for plants that cannot tolerate it - strawberries, potatoes, currant bushes, gooseberries and raspberries. Adding ash to the soil in garden beds intended for planting cabbage will prevent clubroot and blackleg diseases.​
   • ​Wood ash is an excellent fertilizer for acidic and neutral soil. It enriches the earth with readily available forms of potassium and phosphorus, as well as calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and sulfur. All microelements contained in the ash are very useful for garden crops, shrubs, fruit and ornamental trees.​
   • ​a tablespoon holds 6 grams of composition without a slide;​
   • ​What is root feeding of plants​
2. Advice! You can fertilize trees and rooted seedlings with an infusion prepared from 1.5 kg of ash and 12 liters of water. The resulting composition is simply poured evenly around the plant, no further than 0.5 m from the trunk.​
   • Advice! When watering, ash diluted in water must be constantly lightly shaken or stirred to prevent it from settling to the bottom.​
   • ​Acidic soils - when adding wood ash as a fertilizer, a certain balance is created between the natural reaction of the soil (acidic) and the alkaline component (ash), which has a beneficial effect on the growth and development of plants. The exception is crops that initially prefer acidic soil: potatoes, radishes, melons and some others, as a result of which these plants must be fertilized with ashes very carefully, having first weighed the possible benefits and possible harm.​
   • ​Peat – 1%.​
   • ​sunflower (stem, leaves and head) – 40%;​
3. Ash is an absolutely affordable and highly effective phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, containing a lot of substances and microelements necessary for the development and growth of plants. You don’t need to buy it, you don’t need to use transport for transportation - such fertilizer can be made independently. The availability and benefits of ash are undeniable! Although it should be noted that the quality characteristics and mass fraction of certain microelements may vary depending on the raw materials used to produce the ash.​
4. ​Photo: Nikonov D.V.​
5. Zucchini, cucumbers and squash respond well to fertilization with ash. It is quite enough to add a glass of ash to every square meter of soil when digging it.​

Phosphorus

1. The benefits of using ash for the garden are extraordinary. With its help you can fight pests and various plant diseases.​
   • A two-hundred-gram glass holds 100 grams;
   • ​We recommend that you read​
2. The use of ash for plants comes down not only to fertilizing the soil, it is also an excellent remedy against many pests and diseases:
3. ​Before planting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, you need to add 5 dessert spoons of ash to each hole and lightly mix it with the ground or add it when digging at the rate of three 200-gram glasses per 1 m².​
4. In practice, ash is used as a fertilizer in 3 ways:

Calcium

1. ​Shales – 1.5%.​
2. ​dried grass (nettle, quinoa, sow thistle, etc.) – 30%.​
3. ​Important! When using ash as a fertilizer, it should be remembered that when burning raw materials, nitrogen evaporates, and accordingly, its shortage must be compensated for by any nitrogen-containing additives.​
4. Ash contains potassium, phosphorus, and microelements; it alkalizes the soil, preventing rotting. When transplanting, I add ash to the soil mixture, except for crops that require an acidic substrate (anthuriums, hydrangea).​

​For plots of land intended for planting tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, it is necessary to add 3 cups of ash per square meter of soil.​

Use of ash on different types of soils

• ​Vegetable garden without chemicals:​
• ​a half-liter glass jar can store 250 grams of the substance;​
• It is known that potassium chloride, contained in many store-bought fertilizers, acidifies the soil, which is completely unsuitable for growing indoor flowers and can lead to their disease.

Methods of using ash as fertilizer

​Treatment for cruciferous flea beetle - mix ash and tobacco dust in equal proportions and pollinate the plants with the resulting composition.​

1. ​Lawn grass - before sowing the seeds, add fertilizer to the selected area, 300 g. per 1 m². It is not recommended to sprinkle already sprouted seeds.​
2. ​Dry scattering in tree trunks, under bushes, between rows of garden crops and in holes before planting seedlings.​
3. ​Wood – 45%.​

​Buckwheat, sunflower husk – 35%.​

​Wood:​

​Still, it will be more important if you add sand!​

​It is undesirable to add ash to alkaline soils, since ash increases alkalization, making it difficult for the plant root system to access nutrients.​

​For example, if you mix ash with tobacco dust and a small amount of red hot pepper, and sprinkle the resulting powder on beds with zucchini, cauliflower and white cabbage, pumpkin and other vegetables, then your plantings will be protected from slug invasion.​

• ​500 grams can fit in a liter jar.​
• ​Wood ash, on the contrary, does not allow the soil to oxidize and, due to its composition, can completely replace mineral fertilizers.​
• Ash infusion is very effective when used in the fight against powdery mildew, as well as aphids. It is prepared very simply, for this you mix: 12 l. cold water, 110 g of laundry soap and ash, 20 g of urea. All ingredients are thoroughly mixed and infused for 2 days.​
• ​Fertilization of cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage with ash during the growth period can be carried out using a pre-prepared solution: 100 g/10 l (ash/water), after mixing the ingredients, the infusion is ready within 24 hours. Pour 500 ml of infusion under each plant or make longitudinal grooves and pour them evenly.​
• ​Spraying or watering plants with a concentrated solution and/or infusion prepared from ordinary water and ash.​
  • ​Herbaceous raw materials – 10–20%.​
  • ​Peat – 10%.​
• ​conifers - about 8%;​

​need​

The use of ash for plants as protection against diseases and pests

​Also, you should not feed the following plants with wood ash: camellias, azaleas, cranberries, blueberries, rhododendrons.​

• ​By powdering wet young leaves of radishes, cabbage seedlings, and cabbage seedlings with this powder, you will prevent cruciferous fleas from eating the greens.​
• Root feeding of plants with an infusion of plant ash should not take place simultaneously with the addition of organic fertilizers containing ammonia and nitrogen to the soil where houseplants grow. These include urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and manure. And you can start applying nitrogen fertilizers only four weeks after feeding the flowers.​
• ​But when preparing the composition for feeding, you need to carefully ensure that the mixture does not contain unnecessary elements in the form of rubber, film, packaging containers, nails that may end up on the surface of the initial product, since they are unlikely to benefit your potted pets.​
• ​There is an opinion that regularly adding ashes to the garden soil contributes to the extermination of wireworms.​

Wood ash as fertilizer - video

glav-dacha.ru

Feeding with ash: preparing an infusion for caring for indoor plants

Feeding with ash: what is its benefit for green pets?

​Add to compost heap (2 kg/m³). Subsequently, compost is used traditionally.​

• ​Peat – 20–50%.​
• ​Shales - no more than 2%.​

​deciduous – 14%;​

​You can add that it won’t hurt as a preventive measure against rotting.​ Ash is successfully used in the production of garden compost. Sprinkle it over layers of organic matter and it will help maintain an optimal environment for microorganisms.​

​Sprinkling garden beds with wood ash repels onion and carrot flies.​

How to prepare liquid fertilizer from ash?

Feeding flowers and indoor plants with wood ash can be done either in dry form or in the form of an infusion. To do this, from 50 to 150 grams of the substance are diluted in a bucket of water. When adding infusion to the soil, it should be stirred constantly - this will allow the remaining ash, which does not dissolve, but contains a lot of phosphorus, to be evenly distributed over the entire surface. In addition, this infusion is used for liming the soil of domestic plants, since it contains 18-36% calcium carbonate.​As a preventive measure for various fungal diseases, plants are also pollinated with ash.​

• ​It is useful for trees to fertilize at least once every 3 years:​
• ​How to use ash as fertilizer?​
• ​Shales - about 70%.​
• ​Wood:​
• ​grapevine – 40%.​

What is important to remember when using ash?

​and you need ash and sand

​Try to use ash fertilizing no later than a month before applying nitrogen fertilizers, such as rotted manure, ammonium nitrate, etc., as ash neutralizes the effects of these substances.​

The fruit moth will not touch your apple trees if you periodically dust them with ash and do not wash them off.

​This fertilizing should be applied quite carefully, in small portions, to prevent oversaturation of the soil with useful elements. To dilute the correct and sufficiently saturated solution, you need to take only 100 g of dry matter per ten-liter bucket of water, mix thoroughly, infuse and use the finished mixture throughout the season. After the solution has been applied to the soil, its effect continues for another 2–4 years.​

nasotke.ru

Ash for the garden: how to use |

​When using an infusion of ash to feed plants in the form of fertilizer for indoor flowers, it is important to follow the correct dosage.​

Advice! Spray ash only when there is complete calm outside, this will guarantee that the product will reach exactly the plants it was intended to. The best results are obtained by pollination in the early hours, when the dew has not yet subsided.​

Using ash in the garden

​adults - 2 kg for each tree, apply in pure form to the area of ​​the trunk circle, you can make a special groove (10 cm deepening) around the circumference and apply fertilizing there. In dry weather, subsequent abundant watering is required;

​How much ash is needed for a particular crop?​

​Important! In no case should you use ash as a fertilizer after burning: polymers, household waste, rubber, colorful glossy magazines, colored paper and synthetic materials. When using such a “fertilizer” you can completely forget about the harvest - the land will be poisoned for many years.​

​conifers – 6%;​

​Herbaceous raw materials:​

Ash is alkali (potash). When it is added to the soil, the acidity drops sharply, which is extremely undesirable and sometimes fatal for most indoor plants. Why do you want to use it?​

​IMPORTANT: do not use ash from garbage, plastic, coal, or painted wood in gardening work, as it may contain chemicals, carcinogens, and heavy metals that are harmful to humans and the soil.​

​Infusion of ash (pour boiling water, leave for a day and strain) is good to spray all green plants in the garden or greenhouse. This procedure is foliar feeding of crops with useful microelements. You can sometimes water the seedlings with this infusion.

​Care must be taken when using and storing ash. When working with this fertilizer, it is necessary to protect your eyes, hands, mouth and nose from getting it inside the human body, as poisoning may occur. And you need to store the purchased bag in a dry, cool place, as excess moisture can take away all its useful components from the substance.​

​Therefore, for ease of calculation, we will give the values ​​of its weight for different types of containers:​

The most useful is the ash obtained by burning sunflower and buckwheat, since they contain a lot of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, mora, manganese, sulfur, molybdenum and boron. All these microelements are necessary for the proper development of plants, and indoor flowers grown in pots especially need them.​

Ash as a fertilizer is used in the garden to reduce acidity and enrich it with phosphorus, potassium and calcium. In addition to macroelements in plant residues about 30 types of microelements, necessary for plants to fully grow and bear fruit.

The value of ash organic fertilizer lies in its ability to improve soil characteristics without causing the accumulation of nitrates, which subsequently pass into fruits and pose a danger to human health.

Using wood ash you can:

• provide food for garden crops;

• fight pests and fungal spores;

• disinfect the soil;

• ash in the garden helps increase the amount of beneficial microflora;

• reduce soil acidity.

When wood ash is used correctly in the garden, the fertilizer is absolutely harmless. If used incorrectly, you can harm the plants and lose the harvest.

Wood ash composition

Woody remains of burnt plants contain varying amounts of nutrients. It depends on the age and type of plant. According to its chemical characteristics, it is an alkaline additive, the amount of which in the soil should be limited if the soil cannot be strongly alkalized.

What plant ashes contain:

• carbonates (calcium and magnesium);

• sulfates (calcium and magnesium);

• silicates (calcium and magnesium);

• orthophosphates (sodium and potassium);

• chlorides (calcium and sodium).

Calcium carbonate affects the degree of activity of metabolic processes. The substance accelerates the ripening of tomatoes and cucumbers. Calcium binds nutrients and helps them get into cells. The yield of nightshades and cucumbers can be increased by 40% by using wood ash as a top dressing.

Calcium silicate is a necessary substance when growing onions. Without silicon, which tends to glue cells together, the bulb delaminates and loses its presentation. Such products will not be stored for long in winter.

Calcium sulfate is part of the superphosphate fertilizer, but compared to mineral additives it has a longer period of action. Needed by cruciferous plants, in this case, all types of cabbage.

Calcium chloride has bactericidal and antifungal properties, which makes the use of wood ash useful during outbreaks of diseases in the garden.

Sodium chloride is rock salt. Allows plants to accumulate moisture. Thanks to this substance in the composition, plants can withstand heat.

Potassium orthophosphate also regulates the amount of water in plant tissues. Participates in nitrogen synthesis. Without phosphates, nitrogen accumulates in leaves and shoots, which inhibits crop growth.

Obtaining wood ash

There are many ways to burn plants - in the fireplace during the winter, in the process of preparing dishes on the grill, simply collecting branches on the site, burning weeds.

You cannot use synthetic substances to obtain fertilizer - rubber, plastic bottles. At high temperatures, plastic and rubber form dangerous chemicals that are absorbed by plants and which pass into the fruit.

When burning young branches, the ash will contain more potassium and phosphorus. If you burn old wood, you get a supplement with a high percentage of calcium.

In the straw left after cereal crops, the content of nutrients is not the same:

• Wheat: potassium 14%, calcium 6%, phosphorus 6.5%.

• Rye: potassium 16%, calcium 8.5%, phosphorus 5%.

The biggest nutrient content:

• in potato tops - near 30% potassium, 8% phosphorus and 15% calcium;

• in sunflower stems – potassium up to 40%, calcium up to 20%, phosphorus less - up to 4%.

Wood residues contain:

• Birch: phosphorus – 7%, potassium – 14%, calcium – 36%.

• Oak: phosphorus – 10%, potassium – 20%, calcium – 75%.

• Conifers: phosphorus 3%, potassium 4%, calcium 25%.

Knowing the approximate amount of active substances in wood ash, you can regulate their presence in the soil by burning certain substances.

Video: Features of using ash from an expert

How to use ash in the garden

For fertilizing, wood ash is used in the garden in dry form and in solution. The dry fraction is laid in the fall so that soil microorganisms have time to process it. For this on 10 square meters you need to scatter 1-2 kilograms evenly, depending on the type of soil and acidity level. Next, digging is carried out to deepen the fertilizer by 10 cm, where there are the most soil bacteria.

To prepare a solution (or infusion) you need:

• 300 g of ash;

• 3 liters of water.

Preparation:

• pour ash into water;

• boil for 5 minutes;

• cool;

• add 7 liters of ordinary water.

Boiling helps dissolve magnesium. If you do without heat treatment, then the substance is infused in water for at least 3 days.

You need to water the resulting solution at the root. Half a liter for young plants, one liter for adults. Watering is important in the spring when planting seedlings, before flowering. You cannot apply nitrogen fertilizers at the same time, because the acid in nitrogen mixtures is neutralized by the alkali in the ash solution and both fertilizers become unnecessary.

A month should pass between fertilizing with ash and nitrogen (for example, urea). If there is an urgent need for nitrogen nutrition, then fertilizing can be done foliarly a week after watering with ash infusion.

Against pests - the benefits or harm of ash

The antibacterial components of the ash make it possible to use it in the country when overpowered various insects:

• caterpillars;

• beetles - Colorado potato beetles and others.

Diseases:

• fungal – scab, powdery mildew, anthracnose;

• bacterial - rot, spotting, burns, neoplasms - growths, root cancer.

The method of using ash is to spray and place ash in dry form or in a mixture into the cracks of fruit trees.

The method described above is suitable for spraying (with or without boiling), but before pouring into the spray bottle, the solution must be filtered so that the holes do not become clogged. It is recommended to add grated laundry soap - 50 g / 3 liters of infusion, so that the liquid lingers on the leaves longer. It is advisable to carry out the procedure in the evening, when the sun's rays no longer burn so much.

In compost

It is not recommended to use alkaline additives to prepare compost. They reduce the acidity in the composition and prevent complete “burning” of the compost heap. Ash can be added to ready-made rotted compost as a phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. This will increase the nutritional properties of the compost due to the phosphorus additives that it does not contain.

Do you add ash to the soil as fertilizer? If yes, then I want to puzzle you. The fact is that we have studied several stories about ash, and many of them convince us that ash is an excellent fertilizer for plants.

Narratives, because nowhere is it really said, what happens in the soil with microorganisms, nematodes, fungi, worms when ash is added. This is what we want to deal with. And even better - when and how much to throw ashes, so as not to harm all living things!

There were interesting conclusions in the old book that each layer of compost should be sprinkled with ash. That this will supposedly improve the habitat of worms and microorganisms. And, what is very important, it will deoxidize the compost. Who makes acidic compost and how does it turn out like that?

The acidity of the compost depends on the “mode” in which the fermentation took place. Acidic compost results from anaerobic conditions. So change the conditions, do not press the organic matter too hard, water it moderately and periodically shift it so that there is more oxygen in it.

It’s better to keep the ratio - For 1 part nitrogen you need 25 parts carbon when laying. Then you will not have the need to alkalize the compost with ash and kill all living things there.

But recently we watched a video where one girl, who seems to adhere to the principles of natural farming, pours almost a teaspoon of ash into a hole before planting onion seedlings. And there are bare onion roots! There was no video about the harvest...

In the comments I wrote that there is never too much ash, and that the soil needs to be alkalized. But so many people watched this video, read the comments and believed it!

Think for yourself. Ash is a caustic alkali. In the old days they used it to wash clothes; there were no powders. And with the help of ash, things became so clean and white that no Persil could hold a candle!

So who do we want to “wash” out of the soil?

Yes, we used to think that ash was a good, environmentally friendly fertilizer. We understand that it was obtained from burnt firewood, branches, dry grass and leaves, but there is nothing wrong with that. Not like synthetic fertilizers obtained in laboratory conditions, which are deposited in vegetables and fruits. Don't believe me? Do an analysis of store-bought tomatoes.

So, in time we read the book by B.A. Bublik, where he talked about ash. That soil dwellers do not fare so well in this caustic-alkaline environment. But indeed, we drive slugs away from plants with the help of ash. Place a roll of ash around the plants and the slugs will no longer crawl over it. They move back, realizing that this will destroy them.

How are slugs different from worms? The same delicate body, secreted mucus for better movement. Perhaps this tissue structure can be compared to the oral cavity. Pour ash into your mouth or eye, what will it taste like? But worms are a humus factory, which is so necessary for good plant growth.

In the humus where the worms were operating there is a lot of soil nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other necessary microelements, which are already in a balanced state according to natural, natural technology.

But worms will never take root on bare soil, and even sprinkled with ash. Do not burn organic matter in vain; it is better to mulch the soil with it. Then the worms will appear and create an excellent humus layer!

Therefore, we can sum it up with a can of worms. Ash kills worms (as well as slugs) or simply makes the environment uncomfortable. What do you choose?

A lifeless garden that requires ash fertilizing all the time, or a self-regulating natural system, where most of the time you will just rest and observe?

The same is the case with soil microorganisms, hyphae of soil fungi and other tiny inhabitants of the earth. Fungal hyphae, when associated with plants for symbiosis, play a very important role in transporting useful substances and secrete biostimulants and vitamins.

But even in my head I can’t imagine how soil fungi will develop normally in the ground when it is generously flavored with ash?

Where did this mania come from - fertilizing the garden with ash? We can say that our grandparents did this, this is how they did it in the old days. How do you know that this was always done in the old days? Most likely, it was our great-grandmothers who did not pour the ashes without first recognizing the acidity of the soil using folk methods.

And they began to sprinkle it on all different soils during the chemicalization of lands, when some people realized that they could first promote and sell chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides. To kill already good soil! And then start selling all sorts of and even better chemical fertilizers, pesticides, locusticides...

The rich immediately and lovingly destroyed all life in the earth, proud and arrogant that they said everything was done correctly, as scientists had to do. And for the average people or those who simply didn’t want to spend money on chemicals, they colorfully told that ash is gray gold, you can’t have too much of it, sprinkle it anywhere and everywhere.

There will be no plant diseases or pests. Let's add on our own - and there will be no harvest! At least, in 5-10 years, when it is the turn of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren to feed from this land.

Sprinkling the entire garden with ash is akin to applying mineral fertilizers. Only the ash is free. But this does not mean that she is gentle. Either one or the other gets into the soil and impairs the development of soil life. Which leads over time to the loss of land.

After all, the question is, why intentionally alkalize the soil? So that it becomes salty (lime predominates, the soil cracks, a crust is created and turns to stone) and nothing grows on it? The situation is different with acidic soils, but more on that later. Just know that acidic soil is much easier to neutralize than alkaline soil.

Have you ever thought that in nature no one specifically burns organic matter in order to fertilize the soil? Or maybe you accidentally saw a squirrel with matches in the forest?

If a fire breaks out in a forest or steppe, then this is a disaster for all living things. So why do we simulate fire in our gardens? And aren’t we afraid to use ash to make the soil unfertile?

It’s worth considering that when we burn organic matter, we lose the nitrogen needed for plants. What for? You can simply put the same crushed organic matter in the beds.

It’s good if it’s some kind of badylka, grass, leaves. What should you do with thick branches, logs, old and completely worthless boards?

What's wrong with a warm bed? Place all woody organic matter (with some green organic matter) in the beds and get a harvest 1-2 weeks earlier! Could you achieve this effect using ash?

Probably those who get ash from heating a house or bathhouse would like to know - what should they do? Should I throw away the ash altogether? We ourselves periodically heat the house with firewood and have already collected about 2 bags of ash. And you just need to use it wisely, after thinking first, and not go around and “salt” the garden like borscht.

Be sure to first know the acidity of your soil. This can be done using traditional methods or purchasing indicator (litmus) paper. And it is advisable to check the soil from different parts of the garden, because it may be that the garden is on a slope and the soil at the bottom is wetter, which means it may be more acidic.

If the soil is neutral, then most cultivated plants will feel good! But even such soil simply needs to be mulched to give it a lumpy structure, to breed worms (which is humus) and breed soil microorganisms and fungi - they will quickly process the mulch (organic matter) and transfer nutrition to the plants in a digestible form.

If the soil is closer to alkaline, then it is not advisable to add ash at all. Otherwise, you will soon see salt deposits on the surface of the earth. Do you know that a person can deposit salts (stones) in the body?

Why do this to the soil then? Then the plants will accumulate these salts and deposit them in your body. So what should you do if the soil is alkaline?

The answer is simple - mulch and add compost (if you already have it and need to use it). Mulch is a home for worms and microorganisms, and thanks to them, the soil pH balance is restored.

But if you believe more in your neighbor, who, contrary to all logic, introduces ash into the alkaline soil (you have done this all your life), then you will soon deteriorate the soil structure, lime will predominate and plants simply will not be able to properly absorb the substances they need from soil solutions! And this means less harvest, the arrival of pests and the occurrence of diseases.

Remember, the effect of added ash in the soil lasts for 2-4 years! And many people bring it there every year. In one hand there is a bucket of ash, with the other they scatter it and almost chant: “I sow, I winnow, I sow!”

We believe that ash can be added to the soil if the soil is quite acidic. They recommend 300-800 grams per square meter, depending on the acidity of the soil. Such soils also include marshy, soddy-podzolic, marshy-podzolic and gray forest soils.

And then, it is advisable to add ash to the garden in the fall! When all soil life “curls up and buries itself for winter sleep.” Then you will be less likely to harm worms and microorganisms.

During the winter and spring, the soil will be saturated with minerals, which will deoxidize it. And when constant warmth sets in and our garden assistants become more active, the habitat for them will even improve. The alkali from the ash will no longer be as caustic and the pH of the soil will improve.

Of course, acidic, swampy soil is the worst of all and it needs to be disturbed a little, helped with ash, so that later it will come to life. Because, for example, in acidic soil per 1 sq.m. About 25 individuals of worms live, and in pastures and meadows, where neutral soil is closer, 450 individuals of worms per 1 sq.m. live!

All you need is a variety of herbs with different root systems, structured soil, cow cakes (organic matter, mulch, compost, humus in our case) and no ash!

But in a secluded and shady place under a tree there was a party, they left a scorched area from the fire. What's growing there? And nothing will grow for another 2-5 years! Not because all the seeds burned there, because with the lightest breeze a bunch of seeds will fly there again! Because the soil there is highly alkaline.

But if the soil is slightly acidic, acidified, so to speak, then simply plant there those plants that feel good in such soil.

Many people throw ash under potato tubers, but few people know that potatoes grow well in slightly acidic soil. Eggplants, zucchini, peas also feel good on such land... But no, again we go with a bucket of ash and sow, winnow...

And who adds ash to strawberries and raspberries when the soil is neutral? Well, try mulching some of the strawberries with peat or pine litter from the forest - what a fragrant strawberry you will get! Slugs don’t like needles, and there will be much less gray rot.

And plant a couple of raspberry bushes in a low area, where the soil remains moist for a long time (and therefore slightly acidified) - the berries will bend the branches to the bottom!

A few ash secrets.
Ash should not be mixed with nitrogen fertilizers such as fresh manure, bird droppings, legume mulch or fresh compost. Most of the nitrogen is immediately lost and nitrogen fertilizers will have to be applied again. And compost in a heap or bed may simply not begin to ferment, because nitrogen is the “start” of organic matter fermentation.

If peat and ash are rusty-colored, this is a sign of the predominance of iron in the ash. Such ash cannot be added to the soil, since a lot of iron will not allow plants to absorb phosphorus normally.

Also, what does iron like to “eat”? That's right, late blight on tomatoes and scab on potatoes. If plants suffer from this disease, then sow mustard nearby, it will bind free iron in the soil and the plants will improve their health.

Ash can be applied to the soil in a mixture with mature compost and humus. Only when they are ripe!

After adding ash, it is advisable to loosen the soil so that the ash gets under it. If you simply sprinkle ash on top of the soil, as is often done to drive away, for example, cabbage flea beetles from young radish sprouts, then a crust will soon form on the ground. This crust prevents air permeability, which is harmful for both plants and soil animals.

May this flea be not afraid of your ash! Just sow radishes from cabbage or mustard in a remote place, for example, in a greenhouse, or sow radishes after the cabbage flea beetle has finished flying.

So in 2015 I sprinkled ash on the radishes, and they also bloomed quickly. And even after dusting, the next day the leaves became curled and turned pale. After a couple of days, the flea also gnawed at it.

It turns out that ash has a bad effect on radishes, their roots become tanned and their color is discarded. But I only know this about radishes, so maybe some other plants also benefit from ash – not so hot?

You see, if you don’t care what you eat and you’re already tired of gardening, constantly feeding the plants, then you’ve lost a lot. First of all, children's interest and observation. Secondly - healthy food. Thirdly – ​​money.

The choice is yours, but it’s never too late to get to know your land again and help it develop – while relaxing! And do not persistently violate natural laws and be at a loss.

The final result.
First, we check the acidity of the soil, and then we decide whether to add ash or not.
It should be applied when the soil is acidified.
Ash is best applied to the soil in the fall, when there are fewer living organisms in the soil.
Ash and nitrogen fertilizers are incompatible.
To feed the plants in the garden, prefer not to once again rake the tops and leaves into a pile, then burn them, then walk around and scatter the ash around... but simply place the collected organic matter on the beds.
Ash is a caustic alkali and it creates unfavorable conditions for the life of worms, soil microorganisms, fungi, nematodes, algae, etc., that is, everything that makes humus so expensive!
Think a hundred times, observe nature, and then “chop”! And of course, experiment!)

References:
B.A. Bublik. “About a vegetable garden for the thrifty and lazy”;
G.F. Raspopov. “Soil fungi in plant life”;
A.M. Igonin. “How to increase soil fertility tens of times with the help of earthworms.”
Author of the article: Yulia Nekhaeva, edited by Nikolai Nekhaev.

Do a KIND SHARE this page on social media. networks

In contact with

We have all seen more than once the ash that remains after burning wood. Many housewives, growing indoor and garden plants, use ash as mineral fertilizers. And this is not surprising, because ash is the most natural fertilizer. However, is wood ash good for plants?

Composition and value of ash

Ash is the non-combustible part of the mineral impurities of herbaceous plants or wood during their absolute combustion. In this regard, a distinction is made between wood and vegetable ash. Wood ash is considered the best. Ash is considered a good alkaline potassium-phosphorus complex fertilizer. The composition of the ash includes potassium carbonate, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper, sulfur and no nitrogen. The ratio of useful substances depends on the raw material: in grapevine ash, potato tops and sunflower stems there is up to 40% potassium. The ash of tree species contains about 30% calcium, and the ash of conifers contains up to 7% phosphorus. Remember: there is more potassium in the ash of herbaceous plants than in wood ash, but there is less phosphorus in the ash than potassium. Peat ash contains a lot of lime and very little potassium. Such ash can only be used as a lime fertilizer to reduce acidity.

The benefit of ash for indoor and garden plants is that the phosphorus and potassium contained in it are well absorbed by plants. Also, the ash contains no chlorine. Therefore, it can be used for crops that are very sensitive to this element and respond negatively to it. These are plants such as raspberries, currants, strawberries, grapes, citrus fruits, potatoes and others.

For what soils is ash useful?

Ash is excellent for acidic, neutral, sod-podzolic, gray forest, bog-podzolic and swampy soils. Favorable conditions are created for the growth and development of plants: they take root faster when transplanted and suffer little pain. At the same time, ash not only introduces useful microelements into the soil, but also improves its structure and reduces its acidity. On heavy soils it should be applied both in autumn and spring, and on light soils (sandy and sandy loam) - only in spring. Apply about 200 g per sq.m.

You cannot add ash to soil with a pH of 7 or higher: ash increases the alkaline reaction of the substrate. Remember: if the soil contains a lot of lime, but little potassium and phosphorus, then ash cannot be added in bulk. Since in this case the soil will be even more replenished with lime. The effect of ash after application to the soil lasts from 2 to 4 years.

Using dry ash

Ash should be stored in plastic bags in a dry place, so it will retain all its beneficial properties. To maximize the benefits of wood ash, you should dose it correctly. 1 teaspoon contains 2 g of ash, 1 tablespoon - 6 g, 1 glass - 100 g, half-liter jar - 250 g, 1 liter jar - 500 g.

Wood ash in the form of coal, in particular birch and aspen, is a very useful thing for those involved in floriculture. Pieces of coal with a diameter of 0.8 - 1 cm are recommended to be added to the substrate for orchids, aroids, cacti and succulents (3 - 8% of the volume of the substrate). The coal will make the substrate loose and permeable to water. Coal is also an excellent antiseptic and protects roots from rotting. Charcoal powder can be used to treat plant wounds. Before planting indoor plants, it is recommended to add ash to the substrate and mix thoroughly with the soil. Ash is an excellent fertilizer during the growing season of crops. Some recommendations for use:

Ash should be added to cucumbers every 10 days from flowering, sprinkling the soil at the rate of 1 cup per 1 sq.m.

For zucchini and squash add 1 - 2 tablespoons of ash for seedlings or 1 cup per 1 sq.m. when digging the beds.

For tomatoes, ash is added in the spring during soil preparation at the rate of 2/3 cup per 1 sq.m. In mid-July - early August, half a glass of ash per 1 sq.m. is added to the soil.

Ash is added to the pepper when the fruit is set, sprinkled on the soil at the rate of 1 cup per 1 sq.m.

Add 1 tablespoon of ash per 1 sq.m. under the beans.

For beets, turnips and radishes, add 100 - 200 g of ash per 1 sq.m.

For strawberries, raspberries and flowers, add 100 g of ash per 1 sq.m.

Ash is very useful for cherries and plums. To do this, once every 4 years you need to feed them with ash. Along the perimeter of the crown of the tree, a ditch about 15 cm deep is sealed, ash is poured into it or filled with ash solution. It is prepared like this: 2 cups of ash are poured into one bucket of water. The ditch is immediately covered with earth. An adult tree needs about 2 kg of ash. They “love” ash and blackcurrant bushes. It is recommended to add three cups of ash to each bush and immediately incorporate it into the soil. By the way, ash repels slugs and snails. To do this, you need to scatter dry ash near the stems and around the plants near which they live. If aphids appear, you should sprinkle the soil under the gooseberry and currant bushes with ash.

Ash infusions

Ash infusion is used to fertilize plants. The ash infusion is prepared as follows: 100 - 150 g of ash should be poured into one bucket of water and left for about a week, stirring occasionally: the beneficial substances from the ash easily pass into the water. The resulting infusion is watered over plants and used as fertilizer. The solution should be stirred constantly, pouring into the grooves under tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage. The norm is half a liter of mixture for each plant. After this, you must immediately cover it with soil.

You can prepare an ash-soap solution. It is considered a universal, preventive and protective nutritional remedy. To do this, you need to sift 3 kg of ash, pour 10 liters of hot water into it, and leave for two days. Then strain, add 40 g of soap, previously diluted in a small amount of hot water. You can also add mineral fertilizers. This solution should be sprayed on plants in the evening in dry weather. Apply several times per season every 10 - 14 days.

Ash dusting

You can dust flowers (lunaria, noctule, alyssum) and some plants (cabbage, radishes, radish, onions, watercress) with ash. This method helps to drive away pests, in particular cabbage fly, cruciferous flea beetle and onion fly, from plants in the spring. Dusting with wood ash is done like this. Take an empty tin or plastic jar, make many holes in the bottom, then pour ash into the jar and, shaking it slightly over the plants, gradually cover them with dusty ash powder. Powdering should be done early in the morning. Wood and straw ash copes well with gray rot on strawberries. During the ripening of the berries, the bushes are pollinated at the rate of 10 - 15 g of ash per bush. Pollination should be repeated 2 - 3 times, but ash is taken at a rate of 5 - 7 g per bush. Ash can be used to pollinate potato beds: the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle die completely.

Soak

It is recommended to soak the seeds in a wood ash solution for 5 - 6 hours. This bath will be useful for eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and other crops. Dilute 20 g of ash with 1 liter of water and strain.

What you can and cannot do with ash

Wood ash is not at all a simple mixture, as it might seem at first glance. It must be applied according to all the rules:

Do not mix ash with nitrogen mineral fertilizers, superphosphate, phosphate rock, lime, manure, ammonium nitrate, urea and bird droppings. In this case, up to half of the nitrogen is lost. At least a month later, nitrogen fertilizers should be applied to the soil after adding ash.

Wood ash can be added to superphosphate no more than 8% by weight of superphosphate.

Wood ash should not be abused as a fertilizer. By increasing the alkaline reaction of the soil, ash will block plants’ access to beneficial substances found in the soil.

If peat ash is rusty in color, it should not be added to the soil. Such ash will contain a lot of iron, which will inhibit the absorption of phosphorus.

Ash can be used together with humus, compost or peat.

Ash should not be added to the soil for plants that prefer high acidity of the substrate (azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, heathers).

Ash must be buried in the soil to a depth of at least 8 - 10 cm, since if left on the surface, it will form a crust that is harmful to plants and the soil itself.

1 kg of wood ash replaces 220 g of granulated superphosphate, 500 g of lime and 240 g of potassium chloride.