ashes as fertilizer ?

[par0thead151]

in the spirit of being frugal, i would like to start using my ashes as fertilizer on my lawn and trees.
i assume like any fertilizer it can be bad to over dose my lawn and plants with it?
also, as far as application goes, would a normal pellet fertilizer spreader work?
also, would it be a bad idea to do it before a rain? i only ask because i have a dog and do not want her to track ashes all over my house that she brings inside. i figure if it rains the ashes will have a chance to run into the soil and not stay on the blades of grass.

im sure some of you guys use ashes like this

 

[LLigetfa]

I dump my ashes in a pile all Winter and later blend it in with my compost pile but only after the composting is complete. By then there has been so much rain on the ashes that the lye has pretty well leached out. I made the mistake one year of dumping the ashes directly on the compost pile but the PH killed all the microbes and it took a long time to compost. BTW, my compost pile is HUGE, about the size of a pickup truck. I haul it in my poly cart and dump it on the lawn to top dress it.

I doubt you can run the ashes through a fertilizer spreader. It will just clog it up. You would need something like a compost spreader/top dresser.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Ash is high in potassium, and has some phosphorous, but no nitrogen to speak of. So when you look at the 3 numbers (NPK- nitrogen, phos., potassium) they list- the first one would be a zero. Nitrogen, of course is responsible for lush green growth. It also has calcium, but although plants use it- it's rarely in need for most soils. It will not help blossom end rot, which is a calcium issue, but is caused by uneven watering and calcium transport- NOT lack of calcium in the soil.

I spread ash all over my garden and yard (we have acidic soil). It is highly alkaline, so it acts as a quick acting lime- but it's not long acting like dolomitic lime etc. Thin applications work best. The nutrient may wash out of it quickly in a rain- if you have a good organic matter soil, it can hold potassium better. If you have a basic/alkaline soil, then you might want to compost some first, which will neutralize the base for you. I have composted a lot of ashes, and it's never been a probelm, despite claims about it killing a compost pile immediately (I have put gallons into a cubic yard of compostables at a time- I never put in 10% or anything like that).

If I put it directly on- all winter like LLigetfa- I'm sure it would kill my pile.

 

[ControlFreak]

I take my bucket of ash after it's full and scatter it on the front lawn, which tends to have acidic soil. I make a couple fast hard swings and try to spread it out over an arc, and as far as it will go so it spreads. I doesn't seem to have eliminated the acidic soil, but it sure is a lot quicker than walking into the back yard to dump it on the compost pile. My wife sometimes complains if I do this on fresh white snow, for obvious reasons. I have accidently dumped a pile of ash on the back lawn while walking out to the compost pile. The grass didn't grow there for a while.

 

[Bobbin]

Ashes are great for lawns that tend toward the acid side. They're also absorbed quickly so you can repeat the treatment frequently. We will use them in the vegetable garden early in the season but tend to use them more on the lawn. We keep them well away from colonies of moss that we have worked hard to cultivate.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

good point Bobbin.

Lilacs love some ash. asparagus is good with it as well- it can take seriously alkaline conditions.

Several berries like acidic soil- so keep it away from blueberries/strawberries.

 

[Bobbin]

When we began "landscaping" the yard we made a conscious decision to favor native plants and because the soil is naturally acid and we've been mindful of that in all the years hence. We have magnificent stands of Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda claytoniana, Gaultheria procumbens, and carpets of assorted mosses on the fringes of the more cultivated areas. To dust them with ashes regularly would put them in jeopardy.

There's a lot of thought in maintaining a lush, easy-care landscape, isn't there? We tend to concentrate the ashes on Sanitary Ridge (raised septic system) where we like a lush, green, healthy lawn.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have a veggie garden, but have planted in native plums, beach plums, native hazelnuts, let the blackberries take what they like, native blueberries etc. I hear you- beating on the landscape is a losing battle.

I'd love to see the moss carpets, BTW. Vic (here on Hearth) wants to cultivate some native mosses on his yard as well.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

We too use them on the vegetable garden. Around here it is called poor-man's lime.

Whatever you do, spread it thin. Did I mention you should spread it thin?! Pay heed to that advice lest nothing grow there for some time. Oh yes, I should advise you to spread it thin.


Ashes spread on ice will also tend to melt the ice much faster. That is because dirty ice melts quicker than clean ice. The same goes for snow.

 

[bboulier]

Wood ashes are basic. So, you should not use them around any plants that prefer acidic soils: blueberries (really a bad idea from experience), most berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), and azaleas. I would also be careful around any plants that are sensitive to PH values, such as tomatoes.

Bryan

 

[fire_man]

We too use them on the vegetable garden. Around here it is called poor-man's lime.

Whatever you do, spread it thin. Did I mention you should spread it thin?! Pay heed to that advice lest nothing grow there for some time. Oh yes, I should advise you to spread it thin.


Ashes spread on ice will also tend to melt the ice much faster. That is because dirty ice melts quicker than clean ice. The same goes for snow.

I wish I found this advice BEFORE I dumped an entire winter's worth of ashes (3 cords of burned wood) on my garden some 3 years ago. The Tomatoes that year were pitiful and last year was also bad. Hopefully the soil has recovered this year, but I am convinced what Dennis said is correct - go thin!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Fireman- add more compost. Mulch with shredded leaves/pine needles. They don't actually give you acidic soil, but the tannins will leach out fast and help balance stuff out. Compost is neutral and helps plant tolerance for all the "help" we try to give our gardens

 

[Bobbin]

You can also add blood meal. But I caution you, if you have a dog do not leave the bag of blood meal unattended... . I could have been featured on the show about messy jobs after our Lab X downed about 2 lbs. of it. Lol. It was a wonderful "welcome home" after a long day at work.

 

[par0thead151]

do pine trees/shrubs like ash as fertilizer?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

No- pines often live in acidic soil. Shrubs- it depends on what sort of shrub it is. Azaleas and rhododendrons are 2 that don't like it directly applied (composted is OK). Lilacs love it.