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 it useful? wood ash 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: in the ashes herbaceous plants There is more potassium than in wood ash, but there is less phosphorus in ash than potassium. Peat ash contains a lot of lime and very little potassium. Such ash can only be used as lime fertilizer to reduce acidity.
The benefits of ash for indoor and garden plants the fact 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 must 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, in 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 boarding 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 it hot water, 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 onion fly, from plants in 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.
Ash as a fertilizer, and a very valuable one at that, has been recognized for a long time. Many generations of gardeners use it to increase soil fertility. It contains most of the main nutrients, necessary for plant growth, since wood ash is obtained from plant material. What are its benefits? Is it safe to use as a fertilizer in the garden? Yes and no! Ashes is good source potassium, phosphorus, some trace elements. This depends on the type of wood burned.
So if your soil is deficient in potassium, ash can correct that. And if the soil on your site is very acidic (pH less than 5.5), then it can improve acid composition soil. But if your soil is neutral or alkaline, using ash as a fertilizer can raise the pH so high that plants are unable to obtain nutrients from the soil.
Composition of wood ash
When wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur escape into the air in the form of gases, while calcium, potassium, magnesium, and various trace elements remain. Carbonates and oxides remaining after burning wood, when added to the soil, neutralize its acidity.
The value of fertilizer from burned trees depends on the type of wood you burn. Typically ash deciduous trees contains a higher percentage of nutrients than softwood ash.
Anyway wood ash is alkaline complex fertilizer . Its main advantage is the high content of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus in a form accessible to plants.
Burnt wood does not contain nitrogen, which volatilizes when burned. However, this is not at all a reason to bring along with it nitrogen fertilizers. There will be no benefit in this case, since this will lead to the formation and release of ammonia, large doses of which are dangerous for plants.
Adding ash helps reduce soil acidity. It is not recommended to apply it in bulk on soils with acidity levels (pH) of 7 or higher. Since this will contribute to an even greater increase in soil alkalinity. It is applied scattered when digging up the soil or into furrows and holes during planting. The maximum consumption rate for digging soil should not exceed 1 cup per square meter. m. In this case, its effect will be observed for 2 - 4 years after application.
Ash solution or wood ash infusion - how to prepare
You can use the so-called ash solution or infusion of ash. It is prepared like this: 1 glass of wood ash (100-150 g) is poured with a bucket of water and left to steep (I leave it overnight). This solution is poured garden plants. Before watering, the infusion is stirred. Insoluble ash particles should be evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Wood ash - use in the garden, where it is possible and where it is not
Burnt wood can be successfully used in compost heaps to help create best conditions, for microorganisms that process organic substances. Sprinkle ashes on each layer of compost to enrich it with nutrients.
When used judiciously, it can be used to control various pests, such as slugs and snails, as it absorbs water from the organs of invertebrates. Sprinkle ashes around your plants to repel crawling pests. But as soon as the ash gets wet, it loses its restraining properties. Its continuous use for these purposes can significantly increase the pH of the soil, and this is harmful to plants.
Do not apply wood ash around plants such as rhododendron and blueberries. They love acidic soil, and it reduces acidity, which will have a depressing effect on these plants
Potatoes respond well to its use when growing - the friability of potatoes increases by 1-1.5%, but still use it carefully when planting potatoes, as it contributes to the development of such dangerous disease tubers, such as rhizoctonia or scab.
Do not use ash for fertilizer until the third true leaf appears, as it contains too many salts that are harmful to immature plants. When planting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, you can add 1 tablespoon of ash to the hole. But be sure to mix it with the soil, and also sprinkle some soil on top so that the roots of the seedlings do not come into contact with it. Otherwise, they will get burned, the plant will hurt, and it will take a long time to take root in the new place.
Do not use wood ash to repel pests on radishes, radishes or turnips. You may scare off the pests, but you won’t get a harvest of radishes and the like - they will go to waste. That is, the root crops will stop growing, become coarser, become woody, and will send out a flower shoot.
Dry wood ash does not lose its beneficial properties during storage for many years. But when soaked, it loses almost all the potassium. The percentage of potassium in the ashes depends on the type and age of the burned tree. The younger it is, the more potassium it contains.
Compared to potassium, ash contains little phosphorus. But such phosphorus is used by plants better than from superphosphate.
Walnut ash as fertilizer
Some summer residents are afraid of wood ash. Their fears are most likely based on the misconception that plants of the nut family (walnut, Manchurian, gray and black) contain chemical substance juglone (nucin), belonging to the class of naphthoquinones. This substance has an adverse effect on plants growing near the nut.
Their fears are unfounded. In the nut plant, juglone is found in the green peel, leaves, roots, and bark. When burned, juglone, as an organic substance consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, completely decomposes and evaporates. Wood ash walnut, as well as from other tree crops, contains potassium (15-20%), calcium (6-9%), phosphorus (5%), and small amounts of magnesium, iron, sulfur, zinc. In addition, it includes many other microelements necessary for vegetable crops.
Ash shell walnuts can be used as cosmetic product, for example, to remove unwanted hair. The following recipe for preparing the drug is recommended: nut shells are burned, the ashes are diluted with water. For one teaspoon of ash, take 0.5 liters of water. The resulting composition is used to lubricate areas of skin with unwanted hair.
What other ash can be used as fertilizer?
In the garden, you can use ash from burning sunflower husks and rice husks as fertilizer.
When burning sunflower husks, it is formed in an amount of 0.5-1.0% of the total volume. It is very rich in potassium and can be used as a valuable potash fertilizer. Ash from sunflower husks, as well as from buckwheat straw, are leaders in the content of potassium dioxide (K 2 O) compared to wood or other plants. You should know that when sunflower husks are burned, nitrogen escapes from it into the atmosphere. Therefore, ash, unlike the husk itself, does not enrich the soil with nitrogen, just like wood ash.
In addition to sunflower husks, in the regions Krasnodar region Where rice is cultivated, a considerable amount of rice husk is obtained. It is believed that for every ton of hulled rice, about 200 kg of rice husk is wasted. This is a very valuable raw material. Rice husk ash contains almost all macro- and micronutrients - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, boron, cobalt, etc. However, when it is burned, elements such as oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen volatilize into the atmosphere.
Can ash from burning hay or straw be used as fertilizer? To be honest, cereal straw doesn't contain much in the way of nutrients. Moreover, a lot of it is required to feed plants. I don’t think you have whole stacks of it stored. Of course you can use it for everything garden crops. But keep in mind that it is considered the best made from oats, rye and rice.
Do not use ash on your property that comes from burning garbage, cardboard, coal or particle boards. These substances contain microelements that are harmful to many plants when used in excessive quantities. For example, the glue used in making cardboard boxes or particle boards, contains boron, an element toxic to many types of plants.
When you work with wood ash, you should take some precautions. Wear gloves and safety glasses, and if the weather is shallow and windy, don’t forget to wear a respirator.
What else can you add? Wood ash as a fertilizer is a valuable assistant to the gardener and gardener. I think we have figured out when, where and how best to use it.
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Every gardener knows how to use ash. Like fertilizer it's universal remedy Ideal for feeding plants. Irrigation of seedlings with ash appeared in the era of slash-and-burn agriculture. Trees were burned directly on the field, then the soil was dug up and crops were planted. In the 19th century, wood ash was used for floodplain meadows, which after fumigation with the solution increased the yield.
Ashes contain formulas chemical elements, necessary for plants. Vegetables need these substances decorative flowers, shrubs and trees. Experienced gardeners Peat ash, wood and coal ash are often used. Compound:
Fertilizing with ash in autumn and in the spring it plays an important role for the rapid germination of plants, and also increases the harvest in the garden.
WITH different parts The same tree produces different amounts of ready-made complementary food. It depends on the age and growing conditions of the bush. Most ash is produced when bark and leaves are burned. Wood waste the oak trunk yields 0.35% ash, leaves - 0.5%, bark - 7.2%. The top part of the tree always produces more fertilizer.
It is known that ash is excellent source of potassium, lime. Ash fertilizes and structures the soil.
Use of fertilizer in agriculture
Ash is also excellent for indoor plants; using the mixture improves chemical composition land. It reduces acidity, and also accelerates the ripening of compost. Soil alkalized by ash is the best habitat for microorganisms and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
The vine, foliage or tops of potatoes contain 40% potassium, coniferous trees rich in phosphorus - up to 7%, others hardwoods have a different composition, which contains the most calcium.
To obtain ash at home, use metal barrels or containers. In them, the ashes are protected from wind and foreign objects. In such containers, firewood completely burns out. For raw materials, collected autumn leaves, trimmed stems of bushes, grape vines, leftover firewood different breeds trees. Wood must not be mixed with household waste: This may result in a dangerous mixture.
The resulting composition is stored in a dry place in wooden boxes that close tightly. Some gardeners use polymer bags.
The effect of ash increases if it is mixed with peat, compost or humus. Combination of ingredients improves decomposition organic matter, the quality of fruiting of trees increases. Feeding does not lose beneficial properties for three years.
But dosage must be taken into account. Excess has a detrimental effect on the plant: 100-200 grams per 1 square meter is added to sandy loam soils. m, in loamy areas - 300−400 g/1 sq. m.
Application rates
Since the ash does not contain chlorine, it is suitable for strawberries, raspberries, currants, cucumbers and squash. When adding to the holes you need to take 1-2 tbsp. l. for 1 glass of water. For sweet peppers and eggplants - 3 tbsp. l./1 tbsp. liquids. Ash is used instead potassium-phosphorus fertilizers and lime dressings in the calculation:
- 500−800 grams per 10 square meters. m - digging up soil;
- 400−500 g - before sowing;
- 300 g - in holes and furrows.
Feeding plums and cherries is done as follows:
- A trench 10–15 cm deep is dug along the perimeter of the root part.
- Fertilizer is poured into it and filled with water.
- The ditch is leveled with soil.
- The total amount of ash should not exceed 2 kg per tree.
The dry mixture can be used to fumigate plants against pests. The procedure is carried out early in the morning or late evening in dry, windless weather. The treatment repels snails and slugs. Thanks to the ashes, plants quickly take root in a new place and get sick less. In spring, seedlings of radishes, cabbage and turnips are irrigated with ash to avoid the appearance of cruciferous flea beetle. This pest quickly eats crop seedlings.
Wood ash has proven successful as a fertilizer for indoor plants. Ash prevents the soil from oxidizing; it can completely replace mineral composition substrate for flowers in pots. Fertilizing is carried out both with dry ash and with a liquid solution: 50-150 grams of the substance are diluted in water (10 liters), constantly stirred and applied to the soil. If ash impregnation is used, other fertilizers are no longer needed. After a month, the bush is sprayed with nitrogen solution if necessary.
One of the most popular natural fertilizers, which enriches the soil with microelements and thus nourishes plants, is wood ash. Its use in agricultural work in personal plot allows you to improve the structure of the soil, its chemical composition, deoxidize and loosen it if necessary, and accelerate the ripening of the compost substrate. It is not difficult to prepare ash as a fertilizer, but it is important to know how to do it correctly in order to use it in the most effective way.
Description and chemical composition
Ash is a mineral non-combustible residue that is formed when organic matter is burned. Nitrogen in the process of burning wood passes into the air, and the mass useful microelements, including potassium, boron, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, manganese and others, remains and represents a complex of valuable substances necessary for plantings to develop, strengthen immunity, as protection against harmful insects.
The formula of ash given below allows you to have an idea of the proportions of substances in it. It is approximate, since the percentage of components depends on the type of wood, its age and other characteristics:
- CaCO3, or calcium carbonate, - 15-18%;
- CaSiO3, or calcium silicate, - 15.5-18%;
- CaSO4, or calcium sulfate, - 13-14%;
- CaCl2, or calcium chloride, - 11-12%;
- K3PO4, or potassium orthophosphate, - 11-14%;
- MgCO3, or magnesium carbonate, - 3-5%;
- MgSiO3, or magnesium silicate, - 3-5%;
- MgSO4, or magnesium sulfate, - 3-6%;
- NaPO4, or sodium orthophosphate, - 13-16%;
- NaCl, or sodium chloride, - 0.5%.
The composition of the ashes from among necessary for plants The only element not included is nitrogen. First of all, it is an excellent potash, lime, and phosphorus fertilizer. Having a sufficient amount of material to burn, many gardeners refuse to use synthetic compounds to protect plants and feed them, because it is so complex and effective fertilizer, like ash, is incomparably safer for the health of future consumers of grown products.
Types of ash
The types and chemical composition differ primarily in the type of material burned:
- the ashes of burnt dry plants (tops, stems, grass, straw) are especially rich in useful substances, in particular, the potassium content in it reaches 30%;
- wood ash - also beautiful view fertilizers;
- coal tar is poor in potassium and phosphorus, but the silicon oxide it contains loosens clayey, moist soils well.
IN different types ash contains its percentage nutrients, data about them are given in the table.
| Burnt plants | Content of basic plant nutrients (%) | ||
| Potassium | Phosphorus | Calcium | |
| Sunflower (stems) | 35-40 | 3-3,5 | 17-20 |
| Buckwheat (straw) | 28-37 | 2-3 | 18-20 |
| Rye (straw) | 9-15 | 4-5 | 8-9 |
| Wheat (straw) | 9-20 | 4-10 | 5-7 |
| Potatoes (tops) | >20 | <8 | <32 |
| Birch (wood) | 10-13 | 4-5 | 34-40 |
| Pine (wood) | 9-12 | 3-6 | 32-40 |
| Spruce (wood) | 3-5 | 2-3 | 23-27 |
The composition of “furnace gold” depends on the material being burned:
- hardwood produces more calcium than softwood;
- There is more potassium in young burned stands than in old ones. An increased percentage of its content is also found in ash obtained from dry vegetation;
- In general, the composition of the ash of coniferous tree species is poorer in nutritional elements than that of deciduous trees.
Useful substances in the composition
The positive influence of the microelements contained in ash concerns various aspects of the development of crops grown in the garden, vegetable garden, and flowers. Ash is a rare fertilizer, natural in composition and containing a whole range of substances important for plantings.
The list of benefits of calcium for plants is impressive: it activates metabolic processes in them, stimulates their growth, photosynthesis and enzyme formation, and accelerates the transfer of nutrients.
Magnesium is called potassium's partner in the process of energy production in plants. Sodium chloride, or rock salt, is a growth catalyst for vegetables that need to accumulate and retain the water they need for the development and juiciness of fruits.
Despite the absence of nitrogen in the list of useful substances of ash, you should not use them simultaneously. In this case, neither nitrogen nor phosphorus additives will be properly absorbed: nitrogen will evaporate, turning into ammonia, and phosphorus compounds will become inaccessible to plants during the alkaline reaction of the ash. The benefits of ash from vegetation, wood or coal, are determined not only by the correct dosage, but also by the appropriateness of use on different types of soils.
Application on different types of soils
The high alkaline reaction of wood ash is the most important factor in its use as a soil deoxidizer. This property of the fertilizer makes it especially appropriate to use it on heavy clay soils.
Ash introduced into sandy soil allows it to retain useful substances in its upper layer, preventing them from going too deep with melt water. Wood ash and its beneficial properties manifest themselves well when added to podzolic-marsh, swamp, and gray forest soils.
Not all gardeners know how to properly use the burned-out coal substrate that many accumulate in large quantities, which is much poorer in nutrients than woody species, plus contains them in the form of silicates that are inaccessible to plants. However, it is a good substitute for sand and effectively drains wet soils. Coal ash cannot be used on acidic soils: the sulfates in its composition acidify the soil even more. But on salt licks, where the use of wood ash is undesirable, they, forming soluble salts, are gradually washed out of the ground, reducing its salinity.
On what soils can it be used?
In order to neutralize acidity, wood ash is added once every 4-5 years at the rate of 500-550 g/sq.m. m of area, more straw is added - up to 3-3.2 kg for the same area. It is applied for plowing, feeding not only vegetable and garden crops, but also meadow and grain crops, spending up to 3-6 c per hectare, and added to the soil under the crowns of trees (4.5-15 c).
However, despite the naturalness of the fertilizer, its overdose can harm plants. How much ash to add to the soil as a source of nutrition during planting and further fertilizing depends both on the acidity of the soil and on the needs of the crops grown on it.
When application is not possible
There are situations where the use of ash can worsen the condition of the soil or plants:
- the fertilizer should come into contact in the ground not with the seeds, but with the roots of the plantings. Therefore, for growing seedlings it is used only when it develops two true leaves;
- it cannot be used on recently limed soils: an increase in calcium in them interferes with the absorption of other elements - boron, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, phosphorus;
- It is not recommended to add to alkaline soils and those whose acidity pH is 7 or higher, as this will lead to even greater alkalinity;
- acidophilic plants (cranberries and blueberries, rhododendrons and azaleas, heathers, conifers and some others) do not like ash. Among vegetables, the “opponents” of ash are turnips, radishes, radishes - root vegetables begin to bolt.
Many gardeners prefer not to use it when growing carrots. In addition, green crops - parsley, onions - need more nitrogen to grow green mass, which is not present in the ash.
How can you replace ash?
If it is not possible to prepare yourself or buy natural ash from burning wood, it can be partially replaced with other substances. Equivalent to it are the unburnt remains of dry vegetation - grass, tops, sunflower stems. This material contains at least twice as much potassium as wood.
Since the main components of “furnace gold” are potassium and phosphorus, the list of purchased drugs - what can replace it - is headed by superphosphate and potassium sulfate, but they must be added separately from each other.
To deoxidize the soil, you can use dolomite flour and fluff lime.
You should not neglect the remnants of ash from the barbecue at the dacha after preparing barbecue: this amount is quite enough to prepare an infusion and therapeutic or preventive treatment of a considerable number of plants.
How to use ash in the garden
Since ancient times, “furnace gold” has been used in gardening for various purposes:
- as a universal fertilizer for most crops;
- to normalize soil structure and acidity;
- as a supplier of a large number of micro- and macroelements to plants;
- as a cooking accelerator and compost enricher;
- as an effective fungicide and insecticide;
- when storing root crops (prevents the development of putrefactive diseases);
- for pre-sowing treatment of seeds and saturation with microelements.
Ash as fertilizer
As a garden fertilizer, wood ash is an excellent supplier of potassium and phosphorus. The list of things that can be fertilized with ash includes almost all crops, with the exception of a few. Since it contains little chlorine, it is good to fertilize potatoes, currants, raspberries, and strawberries, for which this element is harmful. The addition of ash will be gratefully accepted when transplanting seedlings of squash, zucchini, and cucumbers to the garden bed: in the hole, mix fertilizer in the amount of 1-3 tablespoons with the soil, or when digging up the soil, add a glass of fertilizer per square meter of area.
When replanting indoor flowers, it will be useful to add 2-2.5 tablespoons of ash per liter of soil for fertilizing. Geraniums and cyclamens are especially responsive to fertilizers made from ash.
Once every few years, ash fertilizer is applied to fruit trees. To do this, make grooves 10 cm deep along the perimeter of the crown, pour dry ash into them or pour in an ash solution and sprinkle with earth. Thus, you can feed both new plantings and old ones.
Already developed crops are fed with ash at almost any period of their growing season. Fertilizers are usually applied in liquid form, but you can also sprinkle the fertilizer on the beds and then water them well. When foliar feeding with ash - spraying fertilizer on leaves and stems - it is absorbed by the plant better and faster. An ash solution is prepared for spraying.
You need to know how to feed young seedlings correctly. Fertilizing with ash is not carried out until the third true leaf begins to form on the sprouts. After this, they are carried out in the usual way, the most effective option is ash water.
When combined with humus and peat, ash further enhances their effectiveness or accelerates the readiness of compost. Do not mix it with fresh manure.
Soil preparation
Unlike synthetic fertilizers, “furnace gold” is easily absorbed by the soil. It is added when planting many plants. Usually, before directly planting seedlings, ash is added in an amount of 1.5-3 cups per square meter, depending on the crop.
On heavy clay and loamy soils, it is applied simultaneously with autumn or spring digging. On light sandy, sandy loam soils - only in the spring, deepening into the soil by 7-12 cm. Application rate - 150-250 g/sq.m. m.
The most effective return from the use of ash is on podzolic soils. Wood ash in the amount of 450-650 g/sq.m. m makes even heavy clay soil more loose and alkaline. It is enough to carry out one such addition once every four years. To prevent ash from being blown away by the wind during work, it is added immediately before loosening the soil and covered with mulch.
Seed preparation
Seed treated with microelements shows better germination, actively resists diseases and is resistant to external adverse conditions in the first time after planting in open ground.
The most accessible and effective source of microelements is wood ash. To prepare a solution, 20-30 g of the substance are diluted in water (1 liter) and left for a day or more, stirring occasionally. The seeds are placed in a gauze cover and placed in an infusion of ash for 7-12 hours. Then washed and dried.
Planting
When transferring seedlings of flower or vegetable crops to the beds, add 2.5-3 tablespoons of ash fertilizer to each hole, after mixing it with soil and humus. When planting shrubs, 1-2 cups of ash is enough; when preparing planting holes for ornamental and fruit trees, 1.5-2 kg of ash is enough. It is always recommended to mix it with soil - to increase the area of influence on the roots of the plant and prevent the possibility of burns if they come into direct contact with the fertilizer.
Collection and use technology
There are two ways to obtain wood or plant ash for agricultural needs:
- by burning in open containers. The color of such a substance is from light gray to brown;
- combustion in a closed container (furnace) with the return of gases released during combustion there and their afterburning (pyrolysis). This product is black in color and has larger granule fractions.
To deoxidize the soil, the fertilizer is used in dry form; for foliar feeding, prevention and treatment of plant diseases, an aqueous infused solution or an extract from ash is prepared.
How to assemble
The question of where to get ash to fertilize plants is usually solved on a personal plot by setting up a fire pit. Only ash from burning wood materials and plant residues is suitable for use. You cannot use a product obtained by processing any synthetic substances, colored paper, or rubber. They collect it after it has cooled completely (if the fireplace was large, approximately after two days). Store in a dry place in any closed container.
It is advisable to sift the ash mass before use so as not to litter the soil with debris and to avoid injury when working with the fertilizer from glass fragments, stones, or objects accidentally caught in the fire.
If the stove in the house is heated with wood, naturally, the ashes need to be collected and accumulated for spring and summer gardening work.
Preparation of water extract
If, to obtain an aqueous solution, 2-2.5 cups of ash for feeding are diluted in a bucket of water and the plants are immediately watered with this composition, then preparing an aqueous extract is a slightly more labor-intensive process. A glass of ashes is poured with three liters of boiling water, the container is covered with a lid and left to cool and infuse for a day. The liquid and mixture are stirred periodically. After this, a liter of mother solution is diluted with 10 liters of irrigation water for root feeding and half a liter per bucket of water for foliar feeding.
Before preparing the extract, calculate its required volume based on the number of plants in order to carry out any type of fertilizing and processing simultaneously.
Ash extract is an effective product that allows you to replace purchased potash and phosphate fertilizers. In liquid form, the absorption of the substrate by the root system is better and more efficient.
Dry feeding
The fastest way to use ash is as a dry fertilizer. It is added, as indicated above, to planting holes and holes, having first been mixed with soil. You can also sprinkle fertilizer on the beds between the rows of plants and mulch with any suitable material so that the wind does not blow it off the dry ground. Thorough watering or natural precipitation will dissolve it and deepen it into the ground. The effectiveness of dry fertilizers is inferior to that of using solutions of wood ash and extracts, but requires less effort and time.
Ash continues to be a natural, irreplaceable fertilizer. But its use requires knowledge of the correct technology and dosages so that excessive use of fertilizer does not destroy the plants.