Since ancient times, people have used wood ash as fertilizer. Ash not only fertilizes, but also structures the soil. The use of ash in gardening simultaneously improves both mechanical and chemical composition soil. Ash has the properties of reducing acidity, accelerating the ripening of compost and loosening the soil. Fertilized and alkalized soil with ash is a favorable environment for the life of soil microorganisms, especially nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Important! Ash should be stored in a dry place. Moisture harms this fertilizer - it loses microelements and potassium. If you pack the ash in plastic bags that do not allow moisture to penetrate, it can be stored for up to several years. At the same time, the ash retains its properties.
What is useful in ash?
Wood ash is used as a fertilizer due to its beneficial chemical composition. It contains calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and other substances that are necessary for the development and growth of plants.
The chemical composition of ash varies, as it depends on the plant being burned from which it is obtained. Potato tops, grapevines, and meadow grass contain 40% potassium in their ash. Wood ash from hardwood has a different composition, in which calcium content is dominant. Coniferous trees rich in phosphorus - up to 7% of the composition.
The ash contains more than 70 elements and 30 microelements. At the same time, it does not contain chlorine, which allows you to fertilize crops that do not tolerate it. The only element that plants need and is not found in ash is nitrogen. All elements in this natural fertilizer are contained in a form that is most suitable for absorption by plants.
On what soils can ash be used?
Ash can be used on different soils. Thanks to its properties, it improves its quality if used correctly.
Ash has a loosening ability that can be used for heavy clay soil. By adding ash to such soil in the fall, you can make it looser. The amount is calculated based on the acidity of the soil and the plants that are to be grown on it. From 100 to 800 g of ash can be added per 1 m².
It is customary to fertilize light sandy soils with ash in the spring. This is done so that beneficial substances do not go deep into the ground with melt water. Adding ash to sandy soils has a particularly good effect on their quality.
Ash is used to neutralize acidic soils; swamp, swamp-podzolic and gray forest soils are enriched with it. Only in saline soil is it not recommended to add ash.
Did you know? Different plants produce different chemical compositions of ash after combustion. Ash contains the most potassium herbaceous plants: sunflower stems– up to 40%, buckwheat– up to 35%, nettle – 32%, cereals– 20%. Peat ash contains little potassium and phosphorus, but a lot of calcium. There is also a lot of calcium in the ash from willow and poplar - up to 43%, and in birch - 30%.
What plants can be fertilized with ash?
For many plants, ash is a storehouse of substances necessary for proper growth.
Ash is used to fertilize trees, vegetables, and flowers.
What vegetables are wood ash good for:
- potato;
- tomatoes, peppers, eggplant;
- cucumbers, squash, zucchini;
- onions, winter garlic;
- cabbage different types;
- carrots, parsley, beets, radishes;
- peas, beans, dill, lettuce.
In addition to fertilizing vegetables, ash for flowers is also a great benefit. Indoor flowers often need to be enriched with minerals, of which there are sufficient quantities in the ash. You can also fertilize garden flowers with ash - gladioli, asters, begonia, balsam. Ash elements also provide many benefits to trees. To fertilize trees, both dry ash and solutions containing it are used.
Did you know? Adding ash to tree trunks and planting holes of cherries and plums has a beneficial effect on these plants. It is enough to do this fertilizing once every 3-4 years. To introduce ash under the trees, grooves are made along the perimeter of the crown, into which an ash solution is poured or ash is poured. After this, the groove, the depth of which is about 10 cm, is covered with earth.
Ash is very effective fertilizer, if you use it together with humus, compost, manure and peat, you can further increase its productivity. The benefits of this fertilizer can be obtained at different stages of a plant’s life - when preparing the soil for planting, preparing seeds, planting plants, and feeding them.
Soil preparation
Before planting many plants, it is useful to add ash to the ground. When digging before planting potatoes, add 1 cup of ash per 1 m². The same amount is required for cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. To prepare the soil for tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, add 3 cups of ash per 1 m².
Before planting cabbage, for different varieties you may need 1-2 cups of ash per 1 m². Carrots, parsley, beets and radishes require 1 cup of ash for such an area, as do peas, beans, radishes, lettuce and dill.
When digging in winter, before planting onions and winter garlic, add 2 cups of ash per 1 m².
Seed preparation
Before sowing seeds of different plants, they can initially be treated with microelements. This enrichment of seeds with substances is carried out before sowing peas, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and carrots. This manipulation accelerates the ripening of the crop and increases it.
Before sowing, the seeds are treated with ash for 12-24 hours. It is diluted in an amount of 20 g in 1 liter of warm water, left for 1-2 days, then the seeds are soaked in this solution for 6 hours.
You can also use ash when planting plants. There are different methods for sprinkling ash on seedlings. Ash is poured into the holes before planting in an amount of 1-3 tbsp. spoons. When planting shrubs, you can use a glass of this fertilizer, and for trees and large bushes, use 1-2 kg of ash per hole.
When planting plants, it is recommended to mix the ash with the soil, as this makes it possible to spread its effect more widely on the future root system. Also, mixing ash and soil will prevent the plant from getting burned, which is possible through direct contact.
Plant nutrition
It is customary to feed growing and already developed plants so that they bear fruit better. Fertilizing can be done with ash in different forms.
To feed strawberries with ash, you need to sprinkle the loosened soil with ash at the rate of 2 cups of ash per 1 m². In the second year of this plant’s life, such feeding will be very useful. Also popular are solutions for feeding strawberries, which are used in different seasons.
Potatoes are also fed with ash - during the first hilling, 1-2 tbsp are added to each bush. spoons of ash. When the budding stage begins, a second hilling is carried out, during which half a glass of ash can be added under each bush.
For spring feeding of garlic and onions, add 1 cup of fertilizer per 1 m² to the soil.
Ash is a good fertilizer for berries, vegetables, and trees. For the latter, the effect of the applied fertilizer lasts up to 4 years.
Important! When using ash to feed plants, do not forget about your own health. It is necessary to follow safety regulations that require protecting your eyes and respiratory organs from dust particles that can easily penetrate there.
When should ash not be used?
Even organic fertilizers have contraindications for use. Soil ash should not be used together with bird droppings, manure (promotes nitrogen volatilization), superphosphate, nitrogen mineral fertilizers(provokes the release of ammonia and harms plants). Ash is also not used in alkaline soils with a pH of 7.
Ash – indispensable assistant all gardeners. This is an excellent means of controlling garden pests and an excellent mineral fertilizer. And most importantly - absolutely free.
Ash as fertilizer
Ash is a residue formed when various organic substances are burned. This can be: firewood, straw, dried tops of garden plants, pine needles, coal and other materials.
Plants infected with various diseases cannot be sent to compost, but the ashes after burning them are allowed!
The properties and chemical composition of the future mineral fertilizer will depend on the feedstock.
Ash is obtained from:
- Deciduous wood and thick-stemmed crops (sunflower, buckwheat).
Such ash contains a lot of calcium and potassium. These minerals will serve as a good feed for garden crops and will ensure the restoration of the pH level of acidified soils.
- Coniferous wood
This ash, in addition to its high calcium content, is rich in phosphorus, which is essential for plants.
Wood ash is considered one of the most valuable types of mineral fertilizers of natural origin.
- Peat
Peat ash is not so common, it has virtually no nutritional value for garden crops. Therefore, such ashes are less in demand among gardeners. It is mainly used as an admixture to maintain optimal soil pH.
- Coal
Ash based on it is of little use for fertilizer, since it contains a small amount of useful substances. It is used on alkaline soils to acidify them.
- fallen leaves
It is convenient to store autumn biomaterial and then burn it in barrels. Leaf ash can be used both in the form of independent feeding and as a mineral additive for compost.
Separately, it should be said about the ash remaining after smoking cigarettes. It is used as fertilizer for indoor flowers. In addition, ash perfectly protects house plants from small midges and fungal diseases.
Ashes should be collected immediately after cooling. Wet ashes are not endowed with beneficial qualities. Therefore, it should be protected from moisture.
Composition and properties
Ash is famous for its beneficial properties and rich mineral composition. Thanks to this, it is able to improve the quality composition and structure of the soil, saturate it with essential elements, improve air exchange, and strengthen the immunity of plants.
The ash contains:
- calcium (in different connections: carbonate/ silicate/ chloride/ sulfate);
- potassium (in the form of orthophosphate);
- phosphorus;
- sodium (in the form of chloride);
- magnesium (in compounds: silicate/carbonate/sulfate);
- molybdenum;
- sulfur;
- manganese;
- iron;
Ash properties:
- Capable of improving the structure of the soil - making it looser.
- Increases fruiting on heavy soils.
- Improves the air permeability of the soil, thanks to which plants grow and develop better, and the simplest inhabitants are able to simply exist fully.
- It accelerates the process of decomposition of organic matter, which is why it is always added to compost heaps as a separate layer.
- The ability to maintain a positive effect on the soil for 2-3 years.
Can it be used?
Wood ash as a mineral fertilizer can be used on any type of soil. At the same time, it will try to correct the pH of slightly or highly acidified soil. Ashes will enrich neutral soils with a full range of mineral elements.
It is used for fertilizer indoor plants and a large number of garden crops: zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, eggplants and many others.
Ashes are applied mainly in the fall when preparing the land for winter.
You cannot use ash for fertilizer:
- Berries that love acidified soil: lingonberries, blueberries, cranberries.
When ash is added, the soil becomes neutral, and therefore these berries simply stop growing.
- Turnips, radishes and radishes.
These crops react to ash by rapidly releasing arrows, as well as stopping the growth of root crops.
- Flowers: camellia/rhododendron/azaleas.
They immediately stop blooming and stop growing.
- Cabbage and beans.
These plants grow well only in acidified soils.
Product preparation
The ashes must be adapted before use. It is commonly used in three ways:
- By scattering on beds, in rows, holes, under bushes and trees.
- By watering or spraying (pre-prepare an infusion based on ash).
- As a component for compost. The optimal dose is 2.5 kg per cubic meter.
Gardeners mainly use straw, leaf and wood ash. Mixing with others will help enhance its effectiveness. organic fertilizers. Together with humus or peat, ash acts as a powerful mineralizer. The average mixing ratio is 1:3. This fertilizer can be used immediately, evenly distributed over the area. It will not be difficult for plants to absorb all the nutrients from such a complex.
It is also good in composts. Moreover, no complete compost is possible without its addition. Ash has the ability to accelerate the process of decomposition of organic matter. Thus, peat ash composts will require 45 kg of wood ash per ton of main raw material. It perfectly neutralizes peat acidity.
Ash is not advisable for mixing with fresh manure or chicken droppings due to possible nitrogen losses. And its combination with superphosphate will reduce the access of garden crops to phosphorus. For a similar reason, you should not mix ash with lime.
Rules for adding pure ash:
- Prepare small grooves (about 15 cm deep).
- They pour ash into them. One adult plant consumes approximately 2 kg of this mineral fertilizer per season.
- Prepare an aqueous solution based on ash (at least 2 glasses per bucket), which is then poured into the holes in the ground.
- The grooves are buried.
How to use it correctly?
Methods of application for various crops and plants:
For the garden
When planting spring seedlings of vegetables, apply wood ash directly into the holes (9 g for each furrow), not forgetting to mix it with the soil.
Legumes and greens are very responsive to ash: they can absorb up to 200 grams per square meter per season. m.
Zucchini and pumpkins are fed with ash at least 3 times per season: during spring preparation of beds, before planting, approximately in the middle of the growing season along with watering. Each time 200 g per square meter is used. m.
Peppers and eggplants are fertilized twice: when digging in the spring (600 g per meter), when planting (100 g per hole).
Cabbage and rutabaga are fed with ash 2 times: during planting (a handful per hole) and in the form of a spray solution during active growth.
Under garlic in the fall, add 400 g of the substance per square meter. m.
For carrots, celery, and beets, one spring feeding will be enough - a glass of ash per meter.
Potatoes are fertilized with ashes 3 times: during spring digging (200 g per meter), directly into the holes when planting (3 large spoons in each), during secondary hilling in the form of a solution (400 ml per bush).
Cucumbers will require 2-3 feedings: in the spring - by spreading ash between the rows (50 g per meter), during growth and the appearance of ovaries - by watering with the addition of dry matter (1/2 liter per bush).
Tomatoes require 4 feedings: 2 dry and 2 wet. The first time ash is used when digging up soil under the beds (1/2 cup per meter), the second time when planting by scattering it between the plants. The next 2 wet feedings are carried out during the period of active growth and during fruiting (up to 1 liter per plant).
For garden
Currants respond well to the addition of ash. An adult bush requires up to 600 g of dry matter. During the growing season, you can also water the bush with an aqueous solution of ash. Thanks to this, currants bear fruit better and become more resistant to diseases and some pests.
Strawberries are fed in 2 ways: root and foliar. The first ones are done 2 times a year - before rapid flowering, after the end of fruiting. The ash is simply scattered between the rows (65 g per meter). Foliar feeding(by spraying method) is carried out during the process of setting berries. Half a glass of dry matter per bucket of water is enough. Spraying is carried out at the rate of 1 liter per square meter. m.
Fruit trees are most often fed with a liquid ash solution approximately once every 2-3 years. 2 kg per bucket of water is enough. This is a portion for one adult tree. For seedlings, 1 kg is enough. Ash helps resist pest attacks and provides the necessary mineral nutrition for plants.
For flowers
Indoor flowers are fertilized periodically at the rate of 3 large spoons per 200 ml of water, garden flowers - twice per season. First, when preparing the beds in the spring (200 g per meter), then - a glass of dry mixture in the hole when planting.
Roses especially love ash. It stimulates the development of future inflorescences, protects against diseases, strengthens their immunity, making them more resistant to temperature changes.
- Ash is good to use on clay soils and loams in the process of autumn digging. On sandy soil, it is better to postpone fertilizing with ash until spring.
- If the ash consumption is 300 g per meter, you can forget about additional mineralization of the soil in the next couple of years.
- On acidic soils, ash is good in the fall - it will help plants better survive the winter.
- Depriving compost of ash fertilizer is the same as leaving a chemical reaction without a powerful catalyst.
- It is good to use an aqueous solution of ash to soak the seeds before sowing. Ash is a powerful growth stimulant.
- It is better to store it in a closed container that does not allow moisture to pass through.
- Ash cannot be added at the same time as nitrogen. These two substances neutralize each other. You must wait at least about 30 days.
If possible, it is best to distribute these 2 substances in different seasons: nitrogen in the spring, ash in the fall.
- If, when burning biomaterial, household waste or plastic gets into the barrel, the ash becomes unusable due to its high toxicity.
- Ash is not appropriate in fresh manure - it will reduce the nitrogen content and promote the formation of compounds that plants simply cannot absorb.
- It is forbidden to fertilize seedlings with ash before the first leaves appear. At this moment, fertilizing with nitrogen is more important to stimulate growth.
- When fertilizing tomatoes or pumpkin family crops, the ash is thoroughly mixed with the soil to avoid burns to their root system.
- If the soil acidity level is 7, adding ash is unnecessary. Acidification and alkalization of the soil always leads to worse absorption of nutrients by plants.
Conclusion
Ash has been one of the favorite mineral products among gardeners for decades. It does not require capital investment, is easy to use, environmentally friendly and very effective. The minerals contained in the ash remain in the soil for up to 3 years.
I wrote this article for the Gardener's World magazine. And now that it has been published, I decided to put it on my blog in a slightly expanded form.
Ash is a highly valuable fertilizer and natural “toxic chemical”. This primarily applies to wood ash, i.e. a product obtained from burning wood or dry plant residues. The ash contains up to 40 percent calcium, up to 12 percent potassium and up to 6 percent phosphorus, a whole range of microelements (boron, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sulfur, zinc, copper, etc.). It contains no nitrogen and chlorine. However, it is ash that creates in the soil favorable conditions for the development of nitrogen-fixing nodule bacteria.
Which ash is better
The composition of the ash depends on what kind of raw materials we take for combustion. If, for example, there is gold in the stems of sunflowers, then there are traces of it in the ash from burning them. The ash of wood species contains more calcium, but the composition of microelements is poorer than the ash from herbaceous plants.
According to scientists, the best ash comes from burning seaweed. Alas, you can’t buy it from us, and there is an abundance of algae only in Primorye and the Baltic.
The most valuable wood ash comes from burning fallen leaves, young branches and deciduous growth. The older the plants, the more calcium and less potassium. The composition of ash from burning coniferous trees is somewhat worse in composition.
Combustible materials |
Phosphorus P2O5 |
Calcium CaO |
|
Buckwheat (straw) |
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Sunflower (stems, husks) |
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Wheat (straw) |
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Rye (straw) |
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Based on the chemical composition of the ash, we can conclude: it is good as a chlorine-free and nitrogen-free fertilizer with an optimal composition of microelements; as a means of protecting plants from pests; as a soil deoxidizer; as an alkaline soil conditioner (raising agent).
Like fertilizer Wood ash, obtained from burning wood or plant residues, is mainly used.
Ash is used both independently and in a mixture with other fertilizers; it is added to " green manure“, but only before the Sami watering. It is completely inappropriate to mix ash with nitrogen mineral fertilizers, superphosphate, manure and bird droppings, because up to half of the nitrogen is lost. Cannot be used on alkaline soils and plantings of acidophiles (plants that require acidic soils).
The application rates are as follows. For 10 acres, approximately 10-12 kg of ash is required annually.
Apply from 120 to 240 g per 1 sq.m. to ridges and flower beds. For trees and shrubs it is applied based on the diameter of the crown: up to 2 m - 180 g, 2.5-3 m - 270-450 g, 3.5-4 m respectively 600-800 g, for grapes - 150-200 g per planting hole. After flowering, during the period of berry formation, 200-300 g of dry ash are added to the currant tree trunks, shallowly embedded with a flat cutter.
When planting cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, strawberries, lettuce, spinach, legumes, add ash at the rate of a handful/glass per planting hole or up to 300 g per 1 sq.m.
It is especially important to use ash for eggplants, potatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, beets, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, plums, currants, apples and pears, because they react poorly to the presence of chlorine in fertilizers.
To increase efficiency, it is recommended to mix ash with peat, compost or humus. On boron-poor soils, it is recommended to add 7 g of ash per 1 sq.m. For crops that consume a lot of sulfur (onions, garlic, cabbage, radishes, legumes), it is better to use coal ash rather than wood.
Ash efficiency. 1 kg of wood ash replaces 220 g of granulated superphosphate, 240 g of potassium chloride and 500 g of lime.
Rules for adding ash. On heavy soils and loams, ash is added in the fall for digging. On light (sandy and sandy loam) and peaty soils, it is better to apply in the spring before sealing to avoid leaching of potassium. In the spring months and summer As a top dressing in the spring and summer, use an aqueous solution of ash (2 cups per bucket of water) or an aqueous extract (1 cup per 3 liters of boiling water, leave covered for 24 hours, the strained infusion is diluted 1:3).
As a means of protection The ash is used as pollination and spraying of plants against pests and diseases.
For pollination, the finest, carefully sifted ash is used. Often mixed with tobacco dust (1:1). Such pollination well protects seedlings of plants of the cabbage family from the invasion of flea beetles and cabbage flies, and onions from onion flies. For 1 sq.m. approximately a glass of ash or mixture is required. Dry ash is used to pollinate potatoes before flowering to deter Colorado potato beetle. Pollination is carried out after rain.
To protect strawberries and beds from ants and naked slugs, dry ash is sprinkled around the plants or along the paths. Ash with a larger structure is better suited for these purposes.
Ash infusions are used not only to control pests, but also diseases.
In a daily strained infusion (20 g per 1 liter of water), seeds of eggplant, tomatoes and cucumbers, and potato tubers are soaked for 4-6 hours to prevent diseases and stimulate growth.
The ash-soap solution protects against fungal diseases and pests. It is used mainly on fruit trees and berry bushes, plantings of onions, cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins, as well as flower crops, when leaf-eating caterpillars of sawflies, gooseberry moths, cutworms, leaf rollers, cabbage whites, moths, aphids or signs of powdery mildew. The solution is prepared as follows: pour 3 kg of sifted ash into 10 liters of hot water, cover with a lid and leave for 2 days. Strain thoroughly, add soap solution (40 g of laundry or tar soap per 500 ml of hot water). Can be used in cloudy weather 4-6 times per season every 10-14 days.
Ash-herbal solution. Depending on the type of pest or pathogen, a herbal decoction is prepared. To 10 liters of decoction add 500 ml of ash extract and 40 g of soap. Spray the plants in the evening (after 18.00) or in the morning (before 7.00) so as not to cause burns.
As a deoxidizer. Ash is a good soil deoxidizer. Of all types of ash, peat ash is most suitable for liming soil, because it has the highest calcium content. When applied in autumn (300 g per sq.m.), acidity decreases and the phosphorus content in the soil increases. This leads to increased cold resistance cultivated plants and suppression of weeds such as woodlice, wheatgrass, horsetail, etc. To improve grass cover and suppress weeds, lawns are pollinated with ash in the fall or early spring. Large fractions of ash or crushed charcoal also absorb harmful substances from the soil, preventing plants from absorbing them.
Air conditioner. Coarse screenings of wood ash are used as a leavening agent, but more often - ash from burning coal. It is of no interest as a fertilizer, because even small amounts of nutrients are inaccessible to plants. But coal ash is good at loosening heavy soils and drying wet ones. It is important that there is no chlorine in it, but there is sulfur. It is precisely because of the high sulfur content that coal ash does not neutralize, but rather acidifies the soil. Therefore, it cannot be used on light and acidic soils.
On heavy clay soils Coal ash is added in the fall at the rate of 3 kg per hundred square meters.
How to get ash
Alas, the question “Where to buy ash?” not relevant. A rarity in stores, if you come across it, a liter bucket costs from 70 rubles. So it’s easier to answer how to get it. Moreover, without leaving your site. Firstly, those who burn a stove or fireplace with wood always have ash. Secondly, some ash can be produced by using a garden grill or barbecue. Thirdly, from burning clean wood waste, dry leaves, stems and other plant debris. Moreover, even dry weeds with seeds, leaves and grass with signs of disease are suitable for burning. A small amount of household waste is acceptable, with the exception of all types of plastic and phenol-containing materials.
You cannot make fires directly on the ground. It is advisable to make a special fire pit on the site, or make a household barbecue from a leaky iron barrel. The main thing is to follow fire safety rules.
How to store ashes
All the value of ash disappears if stored incorrectly. Immediately after receiving the ash, it is cooled and packaged in dense plastic bags or tightly sealed glass or plastic containers. It is important to store in a dry place, carefully protecting it from moisture.
Gardeners most often use wood ash as fertilizer. This is one of the most popular types of topping for tomatoes, cucumbers, various types flowers, which is traditionally used in home gardens.
This fertilizer has a very rich chemical composition, which is rich in all the necessary elements for optimal development and rapid growth of the plant.
Ash fertilizers are very effective when used correctly. With their help, you can not only increase the yield of vegetables, but also significantly save on the purchase of complementary foods. This fertilizer is quite easy to make yourself, and you can easily get rid of garden waste.
Fertilizer composition
The chemical composition is different for each type of ash, as it varies depending on the type of plant burned and its age. But relatively exact formula ash was calculated by Mendeleev. The percentage of elements in the ash approximately corresponds to the following indicators:
- calcium carbonate and calcium silicate up to 17%;
- sodium orthophosphate up to 15%;
- calcium sulfate, calcium chloride and potassium orthophosphate from 12 to 14%;
- carbonate, silicate, magnesium sulfate up to 4%;
- sodium chloride up to 0.5%.
From the presented ratio it is clear that fertilizing in the form of wood ash can fully satisfy the need garden plants The main nutrient is calcium.
The use of ash ensures the full growth and development of the root structure and greenery of all garden plants, but such fertilizer is especially important for crops with a dominant above-ground part. Growing cucumbers, tomatoes, pumpkins and zucchini cannot be done without adding ash impurities.
Types of ash
Professional gardeners have their favorite types of wood ash, because such bait has been tested for generations and is available to self-made. Its chemical composition and properties depend on the raw materials chosen as the basis for preparing the fertilizer, therefore the ash itself is divided into varieties based on the organic material chosen as the basis.
Among the most popular options for this complementary food, various starting materials are used:
- Deciduous tree species. Ash from such raw materials, as well as from herbaceous crops with a strong stem structure, for example, sunflower and buckwheat, will help add an increased dose of potassium and calcium to the soil, which will balance the balance in soils with high acidity.
- Coniferous trees. They also significantly enrich the soil composition with calcium. Additionally, they are an excellent source of phosphorus. Wheat and rye straw fertilization has similar properties.
- Peat. This composition has a minimum level of useful chemical elements and is more often used only as an admixture to the soil to maintain an acceptable level of acidity.
- Coal. Not suitable for fertilizing garden crops, but due to the high level of sulfur in the composition, it is used to acidify soils.
- Shale ash. The presence of calcium in this product reaches 65%, which makes this fertilizer very effective. But slate is less accessible than other types of raw materials and is therefore rarely used.
Often the choice of source material depends not on the needs and characteristics of the soil, but on the presence of organic waste from economic activity. After all, this solution allows you not only to get rid of garbage, but also to obtain safe and effective fertilizer.
Use in homestead farming
There are many ways and techniques for introducing organic ash into the soil. Professional gardeners have special techniques that are passed down from generation to generation, but for a beginner, fertilizing with ash can be a problem. Improper application of combustion products into the soil will not bring the expected result and may harm the crop.
To avoid mistakes, you need to follow a few simple rules:
- Ash bait is great for potatoes, tomatoes, strawberry and strawberry bushes, grapes, cucumbers and flowering plants;
- fertilizers must be applied on loam and clayey soils in the autumn, after harvesting, and on sandy loam and sandy soil varieties - in the spring;
- with an ash consumption of 200-300 grams per 1 square meter, the effect will last for up to 4 years;
- for soils with an acidic environment, adding wood ash in the fall will increase the resistance of plants to frost;
- in addition to directly introducing ash into the soil, it can be successfully added to compost, where it will act as a catalyst for the decomposition process;
- many gardeners like to water their plants with an infusion of 100 grams of ash per bucket of water;
- to soak the seeds of cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini, you should use a solution that has been infused for at least a day, so the seeds will receive the necessary supply of all microelements for full development;
- it is necessary to store ash in a dry place, since moisture will deprive the fertilizer of its beneficial properties and make its use pointless;
- You cannot combine ash with nitrogen fertilizers, as they neutralize each other’s effects; the interval between uses should be at least a month;
- adding impurities containing phosphorus to the ash will also reduce the effectiveness of bait;
- Treated wood and household waste cannot be used as raw materials; toxic and harmful compounds from these materials will only harm the harvest.
Ash is an excellent fertilizer not only in the garden. It is perfect for use in a greenhouse, in the garden and even for house plants. Professional florists often use ash infusion to water flowers. And lovers of indoor flowers love this simple and effective additive.
The microelements that make up the ash stimulate the growth of flowers, and regular use of such a natural stimulant strengthens the plant’s immune system, making it more resistant to various flower diseases.
Benefits of use
The use of ash feeds in the garden is quite varied, and its effectiveness has been proven by the experience of generations. Plants after soil treatment not only grow better and faster, but also become more resistant to negative factors such as bad weather conditions or garden diseases.
The benefits are especially noticeable for vegetables and flowers.
Yes, for more High Quality and increased productivity of cucumbers, eggplants and squash, it is enough to sprinkle the soil with one glass of ash before digging, and after planting, add another tablespoon under the bush. The cucumber harvest under such conditions will receive all the necessary microelements, which will make the plants more hardy and fertile. Also, when planting cucumbers, it is very effective to pre-treat the seeds with ash dust to stimulate plant growth.
Lettuces, cabbage and greens prefer richer complementary foods: 1 cup of ash is added per square meter of plot before planting, and half per bush. It is wiser to fertilize onions and garlic in the autumn, as microelements interact better with the soil and make onions and garlic more resistant to various weather conditions.
For tomatoes, the best solution would be an infusion. When watering a tomato with a solution of ash and water, the liquid must be constantly stirred. This way, the water is optimally saturated with useful elements, and they are more easily absorbed by the crop. Tomato bushes must be watered at the root, avoiding contact with leaves and fruits.
Growing flowers in the garden is also not complete without feeding with ashes. In the case of flower beds, it is better not to apply fertilizer when planting, but to use it as complementary food. Dry ash is applied using the root powder of perennial flowers. Nutrient watering is also possible, for which an infusion of 100 grams per bucket of water for 2 days is well suited.
Pest protection
Often, plants in the garden need not only additional feeding, but also protection from garden pests. You can effectively deal with slugs, snails, wireworms, ants and even aphids using pollination and dusting with ash.
The harvest of cucumbers and tomatoes can be protected from insect attacks by simply sprinkling the surface at the root with ashes; insects will avoid such bushes. You can also protect rose bushes from aphids by simply dusting the base of the stem with ash dust in the spring, and access to foliage and flowers is closed.
The widest use of ash both for the protection and fertilization of garden crops, in addition to its significant benefits, is absolutely safe for homestead farming, since organic ash contains virtually no chlorine and other hazardous substances. Products grown using this product are healthy and have a high level of quality, which is very important for private farming.
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.