Wood Ashes In The Garden
Categories: Soils, Fertilizers and IrrigationThere is available in my neighborhood a free supply of wood ashes. Can
you tell me how best to distribute the same in a garden (flowers and
garden truck), and what, if any, treatment is to be given the ashes for
the best results.
Wood ashes long exposed to rain lose most of their valuable contents,
and leached ashes are only of small value. If they are fresh ashes or
ashes which have been kept dry, they are chiefly valuable for potash,
which is good in its way, but not all that a plant needs. If, however,
your soil is shy of potash, the use of ashes will notably improve growth
if not applied in excess in the caustic form in which it occurs in the
ashes. They require no treatment. Spread, say, a quarter of an inch
thickness all over the ground and dig in deeply. It may also help you by
destruction of wire worms and other ground pests.
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