The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: benkt on November 17, 2013, 10:00:29 am
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We had a massive bonfire yesterday after clearing a mass of brambles and dead wood from a completely overgrown part of our woodland. I've now got a huge heap of ash that I'd like to use appropriately. We have a heavy clay soil which we are slowly improving in our veg beds but is still pretty hard to work in the field. Which crops will most appreciate an application of ash to the soil and when/how should I do it?
Thanks,
Ben
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I am in the same situation after a large fire earlier in the year although I have bagged the ash for the moment.
I am also continuing top bag the ash from the fire in the house (we only burn wood at the moment).
I would say that you have 3 options:
1st - just add the ash into a compost heap.
2nd - put round the base of any fruit bushes, trees in the spring to help with flowering and then with fruiting.
3rd - apply to where your spuds will be grown next year - they like a lot of potash.
To improve the soil structure think about adding in compost/leaf mould. Your local authority may have compost for sale.
Grow a green manure in the spring and dig into the soil to help improve the organic content things like - phacelia, borage, vetches, mustards, rye grass, clovers. The legumes will leave nitrogen and also some of them have deep tap roots to help break up any compaction layers below.
We have clay soil although we haven't gotten round yet to grow anything this year but I'm planning on getting the veg beds done over the next few weeks. I'll be adding in a load of bought in compost I think and will eventually get round to doing green manures.
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I used to save all my wood ash and store in bins inside. Then I spread it on the chickens droppings board after cleaning it off. It keeps the place smelling sweet as it absorbs the wetness in the droppings making for easier cleaning next time. Apparently there is some sort of chemical reaction making the chicken poo safe to use as a fertilizer without burning the crop as fresh droppings would do
Only works if you have chickens!!!!
Potash is good for all fruiting things ie soft fruit top fruit etc.
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I put most of my wood ash round the fruit trees and bushes, and the rest I make a wee dustbath for the chooks with in a dip of loose soil.
Hadn't heard of putting it in the base of the coop tho DBE, I'll have a go at that with the most recent bonfire ash thanks :thumbsup:
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I think it's also supposed to be quite good against red mites which is another reason to spread it in the chicken houses - like diatom, it's a very fine dust which affects them in some way.
H
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In the hennery as above - dust bath and anti redmite.
Around the root run of stone fruit.
Where you intend to grow tomatoes.
In the onion, shallot and garlic bed.
If there's any left over, spread it over the pasture.
Don't leave it lying to get wet where it is - get it bagged up, or in bins, and keep dry.
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what about spinach, lettuce and cabbages, do they like it?
Your list is great, FW :&>
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I too put mine in the hen house. I try to sift out any of the larger chucks of charcoal and I break them up and put them in the compost heap so that they can become biochar.
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what about spinach, lettuce and cabbages, do they like it?
Your list is great, FW :&>
Well, wood ash is potash so probably everything would benefit from small amounts occasionally, but only those things I've quoted like large applications :garden:
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I just spread mine over the veggie patch and soem in the greenhouse border.
It's interesting to hear folk using it in the hen house.. i'd have thought it was caustic enough to risk burning feet.
We get about 6 dustbin fulls per winter from the wood burners and I've had a couple of tractor buckets full from burning brash.
I work on the assumption (true ot not) that it must be a bit like liming .. makes the soil more alkaline.
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Dry light wood ash is good for mixing with carrot seed when hand sowing them through finger & thumb to get the seed sown a bit thinner in the rows . The ash being alkaline is not only a good potash source .
It is often said helps clay release it's locked in nutrients ( similar effect to lime ) though too much in one place will see it attract& absorb water then go slimy
It is also supposed to be fairly effective in keeping carrot root fly away when used as above sowing your carrots and for dusting " LIGHTLY " around newly planted out brassicas after you have watered them in .
If you have acid loving plants /crops don't use it around the plants or grow " hungry " crops in recently dusted ground. ( Think of it as a form of lime )
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It the ash is from hardwood it could be used to make lye for soft soap. Otherwise, use it to assist fruiting as DBE mentioned.