Wood, straw and coal ash as fertilizer

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Wood ash can be called one of the most effective and commonly used fertilizers. It contains many substances necessary for the proper growth of plants: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, etc. In addition to increasing the nutritional properties of the soil, ash as a fertilizer has another remarkable quality - it reduces its acidity. Another advantage of its use in a summer cottage can be the disappearance of pests such as ticks and aphids. Consider how to properly apply ash in all these cases.

Using ash as fertilizer

To have an idea of how exactly to bring ash into the beds, you need to know how much this or that amount of ash weighs. In this regard, everything is absolutely simple: a half-liter glass jar includes a pound of ash, a tablespoon - 6 g, a glass - 100 g. Based on this, you can make the correct calculations if ash is used as a fertilizer.

You can immediately improve the entire soil on the site. To do this, when digging in autumn, 100–200 g of ash per 1 m2 2over the entire area should be added to it. Similarthe event will be a success over the next four years. However, it should be taken into account that it is recommended to use ash in this way only on clay and loamy soils. Ash as a fertilizer on alkaline soils is absolutely unacceptable. Because, as mentioned above, it reduces acidity quite a lot.

A certain dose of ash is used for each specific type of crop.

For example, for potatoes, you will need to apply approximately 80 g per 1 m22. The gourd family (zucchini, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, etc.) requires 1–2 tbsp per hole when planting seedlings. Nightshade (tomatoes, eggplants) - 3 tbsp. Ash as a fertilizer after application must be mixed with the ground. As for tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes, it is better for them to use not wood, but coal diversity. Such ash contains more calcium, sodium and copper. The last element well restrains the development of late blight. In addition, it is coal ash that is best to reduce the level of soil acidity. In this regard, it can also be useful for pumpkin plants.

Let's consider in what cases, in addition to alkaline soils, ash as a fertilizer is unacceptable. Plants such as blueberries, heathers, cranberries should not be fed with it.

It is highly not recommended to add ash from the burning of garbage, magazines, newspapers, painted boards, etc. into the soil for any plants. At the same time, it may contain a very large amount of harmful substances.

Soil fertilizationash is not produced even if crops and ornamental plants such as rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas grow on the beds.

Using ash for pest control

You can both dust and spray plants with ash. Before using the first method, the cultures are lightly moistened. Dusting with dry ash helps against pests such as snails and slugs, Colorado potato beetle larvae, cruciferous fleas, etc. Using this method, you can protect strawberries from gray rot, and cabbage from black leg or clubroot. Spraying will help rid the plants of aphids, powdery mildew, all kinds of sawflies, etc. It is made with a solution of ash with water and soap (for 300 g of ash, 10 liters of water and 40-50 g of soap).