Wood ash is rightfully considered excellent potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, which is often used on acidic and neutral soils. However, the chemical composition of wood ash is not limited only to potassium and phosphorus; it contains elements such as magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, zinc and many trace elements necessary vegetable crops, fruit and ornamental plants. It should be noted that there is no exact chemical composition due to the origin of the natural substance. There is a direct dependence on the age and type of wood that was burned.
Effect of composition on plants
Ash – organic fertilizer, rich in microelements. Some of them affect development and growth, others protect against various diseases. Flaw nutrients has a detrimental effect on crop yields and overall plant health. Soil fertilization data natural material sufficiently compensates for the lack of nutrients.
For plants important feature that the composition of wood ash does not include the presence of chlorine. After all, many crops (tomatoes, potatoes, raspberries, strawberries) do not tolerate potassium fertilizers, most of which contain different concentrations chlorine is present. In this case, a natural product obtained by combustion works just fine.
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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, applying 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. Generally, hardwood ashes contain a higher percentage of nutrients than softwood ashes.
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 apply nitrogen fertilizers along with it. 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 and above. 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 ash infusion to fertilize plants. 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 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 properties during storage beneficial properties 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 is like organic matter, 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 potassium 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.
Wood ash contains many chemical elements necessary for garden crops. That’s why our gardeners love this inexpensive and easy-to-prepare fertilizer.
The ash, along with other elements, contains potassium, calcium and phosphorus - all in a form that is easily accessible to plants. So the fertilizer is unique and extremely useful, and most importantly, natural - without any chemicals.
The quality of the ash depends on the tree from which it was obtained. The most valuable is made from birch firewood. But conifers They are not suitable for these purposes: there are too many resins in them. The average benefit will be from fruit trees. The ash must be sifted before use. This is a dusty business, but necessary!
No chemistry!
When lighting a pioneer fire in your garden, be sure to think about whether you will subsequently use the resulting ash. If yes, then you should not put plastic, rubber and polyethylene objects on fire.
Next time, burn them separately or even throw them in the trash - out of harm’s way. There is no place for them in an ash fire! After all, we want to get environmentally pure fertilizer, without any impurities, which will not harm our plantings.
A useful property of ash is the ability to deoxidize the soil. This happens due to calcium, which it contains quite a lot. Therefore, it is good to use ash for acidic soils Oh. In addition, it improves the soil structure, making it lighter and looser.
FROM AN EXPERT
Ash is an excellent fertilizer for almost everyone garden crops. The exception is species that prefer to grow in acidic soils.
The introduction of ash is contraindicated for them.
I usually add ash for digging in the fall or spring to improve the quality of the soil. I spray the surface and then dig it up. Another method has also proven to be excellent - adding ash to the holes during planting. Since it is targeted, all the benefits go to a specific plant.
Ash - what's not allowed?
There are also contraindications when using ash. It is not recommended to be used in conjunction with nitrogen fertilizers, for example with manure, since ash will kill all beneficial effect from its introduction. And fertilizing will be ineffective.
In addition, you cannot combine superphosphates and ash. All for the same reason - phosphorus will be poorly absorbed.
Wood ash has been used for fertilizer since ancient times, when it was not yet known useful composition. Even now it does not include a clear list of elements, because plants of different types and ages can be burned. You will learn more about what is fertilized with ash and what is included in its composition below.
What can be fertilized with ash?
The sulfur, zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium contained in wood ash are necessary for the normal growth of vegetables, ornamental or fruit trees and perennial plants. Due to the absence of chlorine, it is recommended to be used for crops that do not tolerate this substance. These include strawberries, currants, strawberries, raspberries, and potatoes. Ash protects seedlings of cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers and squash from diseases. You just need to add it to the hole when planting.
The top dressing is ash for plums or cherries, and you only need to add it every 3-4 years. With its help, you can also protect your garden from pests, for example, aphids or flies, which love to settle on carrots and onions. It is recommended to sprinkle the crops in the morning, when there is still dew, or you can do this after preliminary spraying with water. The solution for treatment is prepared from 300 g of ash raw materials and approximately 1 liter of boiling water. The resulting decoction is then diluted with 10 liters of water.
Majority ornamental shrubs and garden flowers such as roses, clematis, delphiniums, peonies, hyacinths and lilies, grow well in alkaline or slightly acidic soil. Ash gives it such properties. It can also be useful for the nightshade family. You just need to add it when digging up the planting site for tomato seedlings, eggplants, hot or sweet peppers.
Composition of ash as fertilizer
This type of fertilizer is a non-combustible mineral residue that is obtained after combustion organic materials– plants or wood. Quantitative and high-quality composition The resulting powder is determined based on the raw materials used. If sunflower stems are used as it, vine or potato tops, then the ash will consist of 40% potassium. Other main organic elements are:
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- manganese;
- molybdenum;
- iron;
- sulfur;
- zinc;
- copper.
Thanks to this composition, wood ash is considered a good phosphorus and potassium fertilizer for neutral or acidic soils. It compensates for the lack of microelements in them. Due to the absence of potassium chloride, ash as a fertilizer is useful for crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries and raspberries. It also does not contain nitrogen salts, which are necessary for plant growth. This can be considered a disadvantage.
The effect of such fertilizer lasts for 2-4 years after its application to the soil. Chemical composition wood ash as a fertilizer is more valuable if it is obtained by burning buckwheat or sunflower. Rich in potassium are deciduous trees, especially birch. There is a lot of calcium in peat ash, but there is little phosphorus in it. The composition of wood ash is also beneficial from burning wood in a stove. It is not recommended to use residue from burning plastic, newspapers and household waste.
How to fertilize plants with ash - methods
Wood ash as fertilizer for indoor plants, seedlings and other horticultural crops are used in different types. The first way is to scatter it near tree trunks, between rows of plantings, under bushes or in holes. It is not recommended to use fertilizer only for very small sprouts that do not yet have 3 leaves. To prevent the plant from getting burned, it is better to replace pure ash with a mixture of ash and soil. One adult crop will require about 2 kg of this component. The feeding method itself looks like this:
- Prepare grooves around the perimeter of the trunk. Their depth should be approximately 10 cm.
- Pour fertilizer into the resulting trenches.
- Immediately cover the grooves from above with a layer of soil.
Before planting seedlings of tomatoes, eggplants or peppers, you just need to pour 4 teaspoons of dry ash into the hole and mix with the ground. The second feeding option is an infusion of ash as a fertilizer. It is used for spraying or watering plants in the garden. You can treat tomatoes, cucumbers, and cabbage with the solution. To prepare such a remedy, you will need:
- wood ash – 100-150 g;
- water - 1 bucket.
Both components are combined and infused for a couple of hours. Then you can water the plants after mixing the product. In this way it is recommended to feed flowers, currant and raspberry bushes and vegetables. The optimal frequency of use is once every 2 weeks, for both methods. Liquid fertilizer The good thing is that the garden soil is additionally saturated with moisture.
You can increase the effectiveness of fertilizer by adding humus or peat. The ideal ratio with ash is 1:4 or 1:3. It is better to use coal ash. It is simply poured into a compost heap, which is an organic product formed under the influence of bacteria and earthworms. Subsequently, such fertilizer is used traditional way, i.e. placed in holes or added when digging beds.
Video: how to use ash as fertilizer
In late spring and early summer, most people spend time at the dacha, in their garden or vegetable garden. Caring for plants is very important, because the quality of the future harvest and its availability throughout the cold season of the year depend on it. Among fertilizers there are many natural substances that contain microelements nutritious for soil and plants. If you are also interested in an effective natural composition, then watch the useful videos below about ways to use wood ash.
How to dilute ash for feeding
How to fertilize cucumbers with ash
How to fertilize tomatoes with ash
It’s good to sit near a Russian stove and look at the hot flame. The fiery tongues embrace the cheerfully gurgling cast iron pots and slowly lick up the logs, leaving behind smoldering coals and piles of ash.
Before starting the fire again, the cooled ash is collected with a scoop and thrown into the backyard. Occasionally, a zealous owner will scatter ash in the fall over the beds and under plantings, but the scope of its application is much wider. Let's find out where else ash is used, what types it comes in and what substances it contains.
Types of ash and chemical composition
You can burn anything that burns and still get ash. But not all ash will be useful. Therefore, 3 types of it are usually considered:
- woody;
- vegetable;
- coal.
Ash obtained from burning wood, plant residues (dried stems various plants) and coal (hard and brown), differs in the content of microelements. The differences are clearly presented in the tables:
As can be seen from the tables, the basis of ash is 3 chemical element– potassium, phosphorus and calcium. The composition of the ash determines its area of application.
Areas of application of wood ash
Wood ash is the most widely used, as it holds the record for the content of useful minerals. The chemical composition of wood ash allows it to be used in the following industries:
- agriculture;
- chemical industry;
- personal plots.
The most valuable property ash - high pH - determines its use as a natural antiseptic and a means of reducing soil acidity. Almost all applications of wood ash are based on these two factors.
Ash is the first fertilizer known to people since the Neolithic era. Slash-and-burn agriculture was based on its action, when the forest was burned, then the area was plowed and crops were sown.
How is ash used as a fertilizer in agriculture and gardening?
Wood ash is good fertilizer for acidic and neutral soils. In addition to potassium and phosphorus, it contains calcium, zinc, sulfur, magnesium, and iron in an easily digestible form for plants. At the same time, ash, unlike chemical fertilizers does not contain chlorine, so it is used to fertilize crops such as potatoes, currants, strawberries, and raspberries.
This gift of nature will protect cabbage of all types from clubroot and blackleg. It is useful to apply it under cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin and squash. When planting seedlings, add 1-2 tablespoons into the hole. When digging beds in the fall, 1 sq. m scatter one glass at a time.
Nightshade crops are also responsive to fertilization with wood ash. For tomatoes, potatoes, sweet pepper and eggplants add 3 tablespoons or 3 cups per square meter beds.
IN mandatory use ash in gardening. It is added to planting pits and once every 3-4 years they are scattered in circles around the trunks under cherries, plums, and black currants. This is done like this: along the perimeter of the crown, dig a groove half a shovel deep, pour in ash or pour in an ash solution and level it with a rake. On mature tree consume about 2 kg of fertilizer. Liquid ash fertilizer obtained by adding 2 cups of ash to 10 liters of water. The solution is mixed, infused and poured into the grooves. For cucumbers, cabbage, and tomatoes, apply half a liter per plant. The undissolved residue is distributed over trunk circle or thrown into a compost bin.
On heavy clay and acidified soils, ash is applied twice a year - in spring and autumn, on light sandy loam soils - only in spring.
When adding ash, the acid-base balance of the soil should be taken into account. Normal indicator considered pH7, a lower number indicates acidic, and a higher number indicates alkaline.
Soil acidity is measured with litmus paper, dipping it into a water extract. soil mixture. The resulting color is then compared to a color scale. You should know that in highly acidified or, conversely, alkaline soils, essential minerals are not available to plants. Therefore, crops will grow poorly if even excess fertilizer is applied. First, you need to bring the acidity levels back to normal, and then apply any fertilizers. Ash applied to the soil acts slowly over several years, so you need to regularly measure soil indicators and adjust application rates.
How to fight pests and plant diseases with ash
Wood ash is useful not only as a fertilizer. Ash-soap solution is extremely cheap, effective and completely safe remedy to combat garden pests. It is prepared as follows:
- 300 g of sifted ash is poured with boiling water and boiled for half an hour;
- filter and pour into a bucket of water;
- for better adhesion, add 50 g of laundry soap.
Spraying is carried out in the evening, in dry weather, trying to get on both sides of the leaves. The product is effective against all sucking insects - aphids, fleas, ticks and others.
Treatment with ash-soap solution does not harm plants and flying beneficial insects, so it can be done frequently. If you add tobacco dust to this solution, the infusion will help repel Colorado potato beetle and its larvae from potato plantings.
A mixture of sifted ash and tobacco dust is used to dust onion plantings from onion fly, cabbage from cruciferous flea beetle.
An infusion of wood ash protects blackcurrants and gooseberries from sawfly larvae, moths, aphids and powdery mildew. To prepare, pour a half-liter jar of ash into a bucket hot water and insist for two days.
To protect cabbage from flea beetles and strawberries from slugs, dusting the beds with dry ash helps.
How to fertilize indoor plants with ash
Ash is an excellent fertilizer for indoor flowers. During spring transplant it is added to the soil in the amount of 2 tablespoons per 1 kg of earthen mixture. Geranium, cyclamens, and fuchsia respond especially well to such additives.
Ash infusions are effective for large plants that are not replanted every year. The infusion is prepared as follows: 3 tablespoons of sifted ash are diluted in 1 liter of water and infused for a week, stirring from time to time. To feed indoor flowers, use up to 100 ml of product per 1-liter pot.
When flowers are damaged by thrips or midges, dusting the soil surface is effective. At the same time, reduce watering and use sticky traps. This set of measures helps to quickly and safely get rid of pests.
Ash in a cat's diet
Many cat lovers, reading the composition of pet food, wondered why it contains ash? The point is that mineral elements, which are found in it, are equally necessary for both plants and animals. Therefore, ash in cat food allows them to replenish their reserves. Microelements are needed for normal hair growth, strengthening bones and teeth, they are involved in digestion and metabolism. If your pet constantly tries to chew on inedible objects, treat him to food that contains ash. These foods should be given with caution to cats with urolithiasis. For sick animals, you should choose a diet based on natural products.
How to use ash in everyday life
Ash of any kind is effective when used in country and country toilets. To suppress pathogens and eliminate odor, it is added to the contents. Subsequently, the ash mixed with fecal matter decomposes faster in compost heaps without acidifying them.
Using ash and peat, it is not difficult to make a homemade dry closet. To do this, after using the device, the contents are filled with a portion of these natural antiseptics.
Where is coal ash used?
Coal ash is produced by burning brown or hard coal. Its composition differs from that of wood. Coal combustion products contain a small amount of useful substances. In addition, these substances in coal ash are present in a form that is difficult for plants to reach - in the form of silicates. Therefore, coal ash is practically not used as a fertilizer. But they still add it to the soil. Coal ash contains large number silicon oxides, therefore it is used for draining and loosening heavy, wet clay soils. This measure improves the structure of the soil and increases its breathability.
Coal combustion products must be combined with ammonia, organic and calcium-containing fertilizers.
Brown coal ash, unlike coal ash, is rich in microelements and does not increase soil acidity. It is used to saturate the soil with rare microelements such as boron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum. They help increase productivity. Brown coal crumbs contain a small amount of glumic acids and are the raw material for the production of glumates - substances with high physiological activity. Glumates increase the agrochemical properties of the soil and prevent the leaching of useful elements.
Brown coal processing products are used in the preparation of earthen mixtures for tomatoes and cucumbers.
Ash of any type must be stored in tightly closed containers in dry rooms. If moisture gets in, its benefits are sharply reduced.
If the norm and timing of application are observed, ash significantly increases the agrochemical properties of the soil, helps in solving everyday problems and remains a completely free and safe natural remedy.
Features of using wood ash - video