Would anyone like to comment on experiences with applying wood ashes to plants? Is it a good idea, are there any caveats? I understand that ashes are alkaline, and shouldn't be applied to plants adapted to acid soils, such as blueberries. They are supposed to be good for lilacs. What is an appropriate rate of application?
Wood ashes and natural charcoal ashes are both high alkalinic materials. Wood ashes contains about 70% calcium carbonate or calcium oxide (lime) in it. Fresh ashes has calcium oxide in it. Older ashes react with the air and form calcium carbonate in it. All wood products are also high in potassium.
Only wood ashes is 100% recommended as a organic potassium fertilizer and liming agent. [u]NOTE:[/u] Commercial charcoal should never be used or recommended as an organic limimg agent or soil amendment. They contain petroleum waxing in the charcoal chunks. Natural charcoal does not.
Wood ashes is best utilized directly in your soil, not the compost pile. Latest research proves that the high alkalinity of any liming agent like ashes, will alter the natural pH swings inside of compost, as it decomposes. Plus it can chemically react with high ammonia alkalinic organic materials like animal manures, and create a loss of valuable nitrogen from the pile into the atmosphere.
[u]WARNING:[/u] Never use ashes or any liming material on your lawn or garden without a recent soil pH test first! Normal organic, amended soils tend to be between 6.0 and 7.0 because of the abundance of humus and microbes in the soil.
Wood ashes can raise a soil pH up to around 9.0 if abused!
If you have an abundant of wood ashes, and your soil pH is perfect, it is ok to put them in your pile. Always mix in about 2-3 times more browns than greens, and make sure to use more plant waste than any animal waste if needed.
The composted ashes will not harm your lawn and garden, after all the composting is finished. Mature compost always has a near neutral pH regardless of any acidic or alkalinic organic materials used in its recipe.
When you say "commercial" Captain, are you referring to charcoal such as Kingsford Charcoal as used in grilling? The reason I quiz this is cause I used to have a small pile of excess dirt that I used to dump my spent charcoal ashes onto every time I cleaned the grill out, figuring since the grass under my grill where the charcoal sprinkled out as it burnt looked nice & green it was a "good thing." And before I read an earlier post to this efffect, I had a low spot in my back yard that I used the dirt/charcoal ash to fill with & seeded with grass seed. I kinda freaked when I read the post but I figured I would wait & see what happened. It really looks good, as far as the grass goes, nice & green & the grainyness (for lack of a better word) keeps the dirt from compacting or so it seems. So I guess my question is, have I done a bad thing, have I sinned against my organic forefathers, will I ultimatly pay the cost later? Please tell me so I know what to expect.
Moderation is always the key when using controversal organic materials, or high alkalinic liming materials like ashes in your garden soil.
Keep in mind I used the term "organic", not "sustainable" in reference to the legal use of wood ashes vs. synthetic charcoal ashes. Organically no, synthetic charcoal ashes is not recommended. Sustainably, yes any form of wood or charcoal ashes is fine, and safe on all soil/composting microbes and earthworms in a compost pile.
Since I use a lot of cheap cattle/horse feeds, and various homemade compost tea brews all over my no-till garden beds, I'm really considered more 100% sustainable, rather than USDA certified organic, in my farming methods and philosophy. Even though technically speaking the different terms is just politics....
I'm starting to get a better understanding of how this organic thing works, I'm a little slow but I catch on,,,,slowly. For a long time I didn't use any type of fertilizers at all, just good ol rain water & lots of 5 gallon buckets. Then I was introduced to (GASP) the evils of Miricle Grow! Hey I figured of that ol guy was doin a commercial about it, it can't be bad, right? WRONG! Now I have seen the error of my ways & I'm really tryin hard, there for awhile my little green friends went into DTs but they're coming around & so am I. I work really hard in what spare time I do have to try to improve my little spot of the world & I hate it when I do stoopid stuff. I've done it before & I want to take this oportunity to do it again, thank y'all so much for all your time & useful information. From my heart,God bless you all.
