Topic: wood ash - good for . . .?

[peanuts]

We have a wood burning stove, and the ash gets put on the garden daily, and some goes into the compost heap.   I'm wondering if there are any veg that definitely won't like ash, or can it just be scattered all over the veg patch? We have a light clay soil, not sticky, that  crumbles beautifully when damp, but bakes hard in the sun. No stones at all.
We're soon, sadly, going to have taken down a huge oak tree beside the house, as it is getting sick, and it is too risky to leave it.  The wood we will keep for burning, obviously, but the  small branches will be shredded, and we will end up with an enormous pile.  We only have a couple of flower beds and I don't want to put it on that, as there are too many small plants and bulbs.   I think it isn't good to put direct on the veg patch as it isn't rotted down, so will take goodness from the soil?  Any other ideas for its use? Thanks, Peanuts

[ACE]

I've chucked ash over gardens for years, I did not seem to have an ill effect on anything. The woodchip from your  tree is another matter, makes a good mulch, but robs the soil initially, (puts it back later). I would use it for this years paths, then dig it in next autumn. We get it delivered from the tree cutters free as it cost them to tip it. I usually cover the herbatious border with council compost, then layer the chips over the top. Two years of that and the top soil is black and crumbly. But it sounds as if you will have too much and if storage is a problem give it to your friends.

[tomatoada]

I dig a shallow trench along the sides of my potato patch and put in ashes to deter the slugs.  I am sure it works.

[Digeroo]

What a pity to burn oak, it is such a lovely wood.

[goodlife]

Potatoes don't like ash..definately..or anything that likes 'acid' growing conditions..like blueberries. If used in large quantity and it 'touches' potatoes it can cause them to go scabby..but that is as bad as it gets.
There is no benefit spreading ash on soil as 'fertilizer' when there is no crop to use it up as ash is 'washed off' from soil very quickly.
Ash has similar effect to the soil to the lime..it rises the ph levels..not as strong as lime though.
I like to use ash by mixing it into some compost for hungry crops like brassicas I like to mix in some blood,fish and bone meal too..and spread that on soil around plants as feed...couple handfulls per plant...and for onions too...and they love it!
Used around fruit bushes is good too ;)
I have wood burner too and get more ash than I can cope with..so all hedges around my plot get their share too...it don't harm..but I'm not sure if it gives them any benefit neither...one have to put them somewhere..and in compost bins, not in one go but spead some between each layer of stuff.

[goodlife]

about wood chip..could you use it somewhere on ground to walk on..around compost bins etc.?
I used loads of fresh chippings between my raspberrycanes..I lined the bath with black plastic and piled the chippings on top...then I gave them good sprinkle of growmore..gives chipping the nitrogen they need for rotting off...and I needed to get rid of the growmore anyway. Same time I fed the rasberry canes as well..year later I just shoveled the now more softer chippings on top of the raspberry rows and there they have been turning into good black stuff ;)

[Vinlander]

Apart from the alkalinity, the main advantage of wood ash is potash (the clue is in the name) so it is best saved for fruiting plants that aren't lime-haters.

Incidentally, charcoal has the ability to 'hold' nutrients that would otherwise wash away, so a mix of ash and (smashed) charcoal from your fire will be a great benefit to soils that drain too fast (look up terra preta).

If you have any really big chunks of charcoal they may be a bit tarry inside - best to smash them and leave them in the rain somewhere unimportant (mulch the flower garden) for a year.

The big advantage of charcoal is that it takes millennia to rot - and it can't burn in damp soil - so it is much more 'green' than wood - in carbon footprint terms.

The only safe way to store (sequester) carbon in my opinion.

Thousands of tons of unwanted wood and chip/fibreboard goes to landfill in skips every week, along with all kinds of plant waste from various industries (including the farming and food industries).

If it was all minimally burnt we would end up with tars (feedstocks for plastic) useful fuel gases and even more useful charcoal to be ploughed into light soils. Enough to make a huge dent in the greenhouse effect.

Cheers.

[peanuts]

Thanks for many helpful replies!I realise I'd probably have done better to put my queries about ash/shredded wood in two separate posts, sorry!

Ash: Useful to know that onions and brassicas, and raspberries like ash, and I'll avoid putting it where I'm about to plant potatoes.

Where we are in SW France, most houses burn wood for heating, and oak is prized for burning, once properly aged.  I agree oak is a lovely wood though.  We'll be giving some from the felled tree to a family member who does wood-turning.
Our soil definitely isn't able to drain too quickly, as we are at the bottom of a valley, and the water table is very high.  When there is heavy rain part of our garden becomes a pretty lake for a day or two!

Wood shredding: we have a grass (actually mostly weed) path beside our raspberries, so what I'll do is put down some weed supressing black material, and cardboard, followed by a really thick layer of chippings, then.  Will save us from cutting that long path!
And I'll also use the shreddings as a mulch for the raspberry canes.  I always put lots of leaf mould down round them,as we have a lot of trees and therefore leaves.
Cheers, Peanuts

[ACE]

Thousands of tons of unwanted wood and chip/fibreboard goes to landfill

Judging from what I saw last week at my mates, most of it must end up in the B&Q peat free rubbish compost, It was mainly pulped timber and chipboard. If I recollect all that loverly timber that was washed up on the beaches a while back was pulped for compost.

[Garden Manager]

I dont burn that much, only small quantities in an incinerator every so often, but what ash i produce i always use on the garden in some way. Mostly i use it to feed my roses rather than fruit or veg (applied before mulching in spring), but i guess fruit bushes and trees would benefit. failing than add it to the compost heap which if protected from rain should help to retain the nutrients in the ash, which are easily washed away by rain. Not sure about using it directly where veg is to be grown, although i suppose the best veg to use it on would be those that flower and fruit like beans, tomatoes or courgettes. May need other feeds to balance out the potash though.

Hope this helps

[1066]

If I recollect all that loverly timber that was washed up on the beaches a while back was pulped for compost.

what a waste! (no pun intended)

[peanuts]

Thanks Garden Manager, I need the reminder to put the ash around fruit bushes and particularly raspberries as we have lots.  When in UK I used to feed the raspberries in Jan and March I think with a potash fertiliser.  I've got lazy here in France and don't feed them at all, just putting on mulch early summer. This year they are in for a surprise - lots of wood chippings from the shredded bark along both sides of the row, and  ash from bonfires and  wood burning stove!

[Garden Manager]

Feeding in my garden used to be very hit and miss, sometimes i would feed things other times just let them get on with it, but recently have realised that i was not getting the best out of plants both edible and ornamental so am now making more of an effort, particularly with edibles. When i havent got and ashes i use blood fish and bone in the spring as a general feed to kick start growth then top up later with liquid feeds such as liquid growmore and a tomato food as appropriate.Also mulching more too, dont make enough compost to do everything so tend to prioritise things like fruit bushes and trees and well as roses.

[darkbrowneggs]

I keep chickens, so I sprinkle the ash on the droppings board under the perches. 

It makes them easier to clean and dries the droppings so keeps the house smelling sweeter. 

The ash does something to the chicken poo, so you can put it in a dustbin then use it as a sprinkle on fertilizer (fresh chicken poo isn't good as it is too strong and "burns" plants.  This of course only works if you have chickens.   ;)

All the best
Sue