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Raise Your Garden

Musings on the Seedier Side

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February 25, 2015 in Composting

Using wood ash in your garden and lawn

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I'll make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

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We burn wood to heat our home. This means we end up with tons of wood ash. We put the ash into the garden. If you don’t have a woodburning stove, the same rules might apply to your outdoor burn pile. And if you don’t have a garden, wood ash could be used on your lawn. So let’s talk about ash! 

I attended a health conference where it was argued that 100 years ago, everybody had a garden and everybody put the wood ash in the garden because it was loaded in micronutrients. Ash contains about 1 percent phosphorous, 5 percent potassium and small amounts of other nutrients that our plants need to help them bloom and establish strong root systems. 

Moderately alkaline soil favors the growth and productiveness of many garden plants. Wood ash is alkaline. So you should only apply the ash if your soil pH or acidity factor is less than 7 on a soil test. The only way to be certain is to get a soil test done. Wood ash changes the chemistry of the soil. It sweetens the soil. 

How much wood ash?
Apply 10-20 pounds of wood ash per 1000 square feet each year. No garden? You can also use wood ash on your lawn using about 15 pounds per 1000 square feet. Be careful not to burn your lawn though! And if you want your lawn or garden to be more green, you’ll have to add nitrogen. There’s none in wood ash and so it can’t be considered a complete fertilizer for this reason. 

Vegetables & Fruits that like Wood Ash:
apples, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, lettuce, onion, parsnip, pea, rhubarb, squash, sweet pea

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Substituting Wood Ash for Lime:
Since ashes are alkaline [base] so they can be a great substitute for lime. So if you’re told to spread 10 pounds o
f lime, you can do the same with 15-20 pounds of wood ash. I compost a ton of fruit scraps in my garden which are very acidic. The ashes help offset this addition by raising the pH. Lime does this too~ raises the pH of the soil. It’s really all about balance. 

We spread our wood ash in the vegetable garden all winter and work it into the soil well before the planting season begins. You don’t ever want wood ash to come in direct contact with any of your seed or the roots of the plant. If you can, keep the ash in a container by your garden and sprinkle on a layer now and then. This way you won’t raise the pH of the soil too much at once.

So why do I advocate using it on your lawn and garden?
1) Because the ash has to go somewhere and this is a convenient way to dispose of it 2) If derived from hardwood [more nutrients than softwood] this wood ash is still highly beneficial despite its lack of nitrogen. 

Another advantage is that wood ash seems to kill weeds. In the spring, I don’t have to weed my beds because the ash has already killed all the weeds. I think this is because the wood ash is a base and acts to kill the weeds (remember many plants like to be in that more acidic 4-5.5 pH range) so it must be raising the soils pH levels to deadly levels. 

Keep in mind: I don’t grow acid loving plants like blueberries in my raised beds. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to add the wood ash. I grow those types of plants in different parts of my yard to keep them separate. You might want to do the same, even if it requires some transplanting. 

  • Use only good quality hardwood ashes – stove ashes okay, burn pile not-so-much
  • No ashes from BBQ, grills, cardboards, plywood, painted or pressure treated wood

How do you dispose of your wood ash? Do you have a woodburner or burn pile?


76 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kathleen kaliszewski says

    June 21, 2022 at 7:07 pm

    great

    Reply
    • Kim Marie Blevins says

      July 15, 2022 at 6:48 pm

      ya’ll have the best contest now i just need to win one lol

      Reply
  2. jen packwoood says

    June 21, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    to a certain point

    Reply
  3. Chad Boyd says

    June 21, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    Love this! We save our ashes for using all around our property, it really does help a lot.

    Reply
  4. David Farrell says

    June 21, 2022 at 9:56 pm

    very helpful just need to burn some wood

    Reply
  5. Audrey says

    June 21, 2022 at 11:05 pm

    Great information

    Reply
  6. Liz Kilcher says

    June 22, 2022 at 4:01 am

    great info, thanks

    Reply
  7. Diane Warstler says

    June 22, 2022 at 7:04 am

    This would probably work using the ash from the fire pit too. Great idea!

    Reply
  8. Dawn says

    June 22, 2022 at 7:44 am

    Wow neaver k ew this to raise ph levels thanks started raised beds with cost gas and grpcery prices souring we need all the help we can get now days growing.

    Reply
  9. Valerie says

    June 22, 2022 at 7:52 am

    I don’t currently have a garden but I’d love to soon when I move to my new home. Of course, I found it very interesting that wood ash also deters weeds in a garden and your lawn.

    Reply
  10. Bradley Marquis says

    June 22, 2022 at 8:05 am

    good info

    Reply
  11. Penny Branson LeBaron says

    June 22, 2022 at 8:21 am

    This is not something I have done before. Thanks for the information so that I can try this

    Reply
  12. Donna Donahue says

    June 22, 2022 at 8:34 am

    Love pineapples!!

    Reply
  13. Rita Sheppard says

    June 22, 2022 at 8:51 am

    It’s very interesting that I can use wood ash for vegetable. Will have to try it.

    Reply
  14. JanetK says

    June 22, 2022 at 9:03 am

    Great article!

    Reply
  15. Stephanie says

    June 22, 2022 at 9:20 am

    Cool! I didn’t know that!! 😁👍🏼🌿🌱🌿

    Reply
  16. Michelle Damon says

    June 22, 2022 at 9:23 am

    As always, thank you for these useful tips!

    Reply
  17. cynthia says

    June 22, 2022 at 10:29 am

    I don’t think I’m sold on this idea.

    Reply
  18. Christina Silva says

    June 22, 2022 at 12:44 pm

    Very interesting about the wood ash. Always looking for ways to improve lawn and garden.

    Reply
  19. Sandy says

    June 22, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    Great info as always. Thanks.

    Reply
  20. Crystal Abel says

    June 22, 2022 at 2:10 pm

    Wonderful information!

    Reply
  21. Kayla says

    June 22, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    Thanks so much for the information!

    Reply
  22. Stephen Jones says

    June 22, 2022 at 3:19 pm

    I’ve never used wood ash in my garden or other areas yet.

    Reply
  23. Tammy Michelli says

    June 22, 2022 at 3:43 pm

    👍

    Reply
  24. Catherine Wooster says

    June 22, 2022 at 5:37 pm

    Great info to know!

    Reply
  25. Natalie says

    June 22, 2022 at 5:45 pm

    The list of veggies that like wood ash is very helpful! I will have to try it!

    Reply
  26. Sandra McFadden says

    June 22, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    Yeah my Grandparents taught me to utilize the wood ash for so many things especially enriching your soil.

    Reply
  27. Jennylyn Gross says

    June 22, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    Very interesting thank you

    Reply
  28. Monica Mount says

    June 22, 2022 at 10:06 pm

    Great gardening information!

    Reply
  29. Kathy Fronk says

    June 22, 2022 at 10:06 pm

    I was surprised about this idea. Sounds interesting.

    Reply
  30. Leela says

    June 22, 2022 at 10:28 pm

    This would be a good thing for when we move.

    Reply
    • Chrissy says

      July 17, 2022 at 6:39 pm

      Can’t wait to learn more!

      Reply
  31. irene says

    June 22, 2022 at 11:04 pm

    I would try to use it!

    Reply
  32. Tenley Erickson says

    June 23, 2022 at 1:40 am

    I had no idea it was so beneficial to use ash! Thanks for this information, very useful!

    Reply
  33. Lori Byrd says

    June 23, 2022 at 5:36 am

    Great information! Thank you.

    Reply
  34. Paula says

    June 23, 2022 at 7:57 am

    Never tried this before, definitely will now. Thank you!

    Reply
  35. monique s says

    June 23, 2022 at 10:21 am

    I have never heard of wood ash in the garden. thanks for the heads up.

    Reply