# ashes in my garden?



## turkey track (Sep 18, 2008)

I have heard that people till ashes in with their garden soil. I have a lot of ashes from burning leaves last year, and this would be a convenient way to get rid of them. Any thoughts on whether this is a good idea? If so, are there any things I need to consider when doing this?


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## LumberJ (Mar 9, 2009)

It's my understanding that ash is good for the garden. I've been using the ash from my fireplace and it hasn't hurt anything.

Here's a link with some more information:
http://www.humeseeds.com/ashes.htm


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Burned wood ash is a good source of Potash, which is a vital nutrient for plants. Good stuff to add to your garden. Throw in some Nitrogen and Phosphorus, and you will have nice healthy plants.


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

i but my ashes from the fire place in the garden too.
ever think of mowing your leaves & just pile them up in your garden all winter? easy to till in the spring, but some of the leave don't fully break down before planting.
i've burned some leaves in there too. just don't burn anything like wood IN the garden because it'll get too hot & kill the soil (leaves don't burn hot)


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

Ash is good for plants. Sometimes people do controlled burns to help promote growth. In California, some pine trees don't release their seeds from the cones until they are burned. Just thought that was an interesting fact.


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## Rootsy (Nov 1, 2006)

Ash is alkaline in nature so adding too much can significantly lower your soil PH... 

you may want to avoid ash from such trees as walnut...


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## crb (Jan 27, 2010)

I am not an expert by any means, but I was watching a show on the discovery channel about the amazon. Scientist could not figure out how the Amazonians were able to farm in the acidic soil. What they found out was that for years and years the native people would spread the ashes from their fire pits into their fields. The scientists found fields that had ashes 10 feet deep


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## JackieTreeHorn (Sep 15, 2008)

Adding ash will most likely not make your soil more alkaline. If you know anything about changing the pH of soil, you will know that it takes tremendous effort to make a change. In fact, it is exponential.


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## Fabner1 (Jan 24, 2009)

Track,

Just don't put it where you are going to grow Potatoes because it will cause them to be scabby I have heard.

Fred


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## turkey track (Sep 18, 2008)

I appreciate all the comments. Like I said, I have a lot of ashes, and this will be a good way to use them up. Thanks.


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## Rootsy (Nov 1, 2006)

JackieTreeHorn said:


> Adding ash will most likely not make your soil more alkaline. If you know anything about changing the pH of soil, you will know that it takes tremendous effort to make a change. In fact, it is exponential.


increasing alkalinity = raising PH... I said lower which was a foot in mouth moment... Knew what I meant... fingers didn't cooperate... 

What Purdue has to say...

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/woodash.html


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## Backwoods-Savage (Aug 28, 2005)

Ashes are a poor man's lime.

Spread the ashes on the garden.....just spread them thin. If you just dump some ashes, then do not expect anything to grow there this year. They must be spread thin.

btw, we've burned wood for over 50 years and have always spread ashes in the garden. We do not spread them through the winter though. We keep them in a barrel or two and then spread just before doing some tilling in the spring. It works nice.


On the scabby potatoes, too much manure will cause the scabs but we've never experienced it with ashes.


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## fasthunter (Sep 15, 2006)

Ash is good. I like to add some epsom salts to my garden as well. It's magnesium sulfate and plants like both of the ingredients in it when it breaks down. The results almost show over night too. My pepper plants get huge and very green with it. Doesn't hurt em like to much nitrogen either.


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