Topic: Potash on Garlic and Onions

[vaca]

Hi,

I remember reading on A4A that garlic and onions love potash, but that it should be applied during the winter. Would it be too late to apply some now?

Thanks,
Vaca

[tim]

For Garlic it's recommended now.

[Curryandchips]

I have never applied mine during the winter, except for overwintering onions. As Tim has already mentioned, now seems the right time ...

[vaca]

excellent  ;D ;D I will apply it to my garlic this week. What about onions? will they benefit as well?

Regards,
Vaca

[Curryandchips]

I feed onions, garlic and shallots the same. Leeks are less susceptible to sprinkled potash (or bonfire ash in my case) as the roots are deeper.

[grawrc]

Ah thank you Curry! You've answered the question I hadn't asked: in what form do you apply the potash.

Well then i've asked it now!

Given that we destroyed and burned the rotten old fence on plot 20 at the weekend I have plenty of bonfire ash available. :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mine will be getting a good dose of wood ash in the next week or so. The overwintering onions are looking weedy, and not all of them came up (they were planted too late), but the standard onions are coming up strong, the garlic is looking good, and the elephant garlic is fast becomeing elephantine.

[Curryandchips]

The woodash is a natural byproduct of the incinerator I built from an old oil drum, supported on bricks and a grille, with the bottom partly chopped away, to form an ash pit. After burning wooden rubbish, hedge clippings, rotten pallets etc, the ash is shovelled out into available buckets to be deposited where required on the allotment. I actually derive considerable enjoyment from this particular form of recycling, for it all ends up on the garden ...

[vaca]

;D ;D Managed to get down to the allotment this evening and sprinkled potash on all my onions, garlic and shallots  ;D ;D

Thanks for all your help

Vaca

[cambourne7]

...problem i have is that i have planted my garlic very close together.

Any other tips to distrubute?

[Slug_killer]

Can bonfire ash be sprinkled directly, or does it need watering down / watering in ?

[tim]

As with any other dressing, just hoe it in & water if no rain.

[Tee Gee]

I remember reading on A4A that garlic and onions love potash, but that it should be applied during the winter. Would it be too late to apply some now?

I work on nitrogen up until bulbs start swelling then potash thereafter!

[Barnowl]

Will Maxicrop do?

[Belinda]

Do you have to avoid getting it directly on the plants or does that not matter?

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

potash is strongly alkaline, so yes avoid getting it on the leaves, or you might burn them

[manicscousers]

we have a wood burner on our plot, communal..we had some wood ash ready in the bottom..some soft s*d has burned plastic and painted ood in it and ruined the lot, I've had to buy some  :(