The fact that ash is useful does not mean that it needs to be applied to the soil every year. Here you can not overdo it. It is not recommended to apply ash to the soil without first checking the acidity of the soil. Soil analysis must be done every two years. Many plants develop well on slightly acidic soils, so ash should be added in large quantities only when the soil in the garden is very acidic. Avoid bringing ash under crops that love acidic soils. Among them you can call radish, potatoes, watermelon, blueberries, rhododendrons, holly and azaleas.
A simple acidity test is performed as follows: take a soil sample, moisten with a small amount of distilled (rain) water, and dip a piece of litmus paper into the soil mixture. The momentarily changed color of litmus paper is compared with the color table attached to the litmus paper kit.
The ash contains potassium
Gardeners appreciate and use wood ashes and as a source of potassium and lime. Previously, the wood ash was washed and the resulting solution was evaporated. The precipitate formed consisted of potassium carbonate and other salts. Uncleaned wood ash contains all the mineral elements that were in the tree. It is a good source of potassium, a nutrient that makes stems of plants strong and resistant to lodging. In addition, potassium gives plants vitality, resistance to disease and winter hardiness. In the past, wood ash was the main source of this element.
The advantages of wood ash include the ability of potassium contained in it to curb the rapid growth of the plant caused by excess nitrogen, and also to prevent premature ripening, which can provoke an excessively large amount of phosphoric acid. Being in the plant, potassium is involved in the production of nutrients (photosynthesis) and their transformation into starch. Potassium plays an important role in the formation of chlorophyll (a green pigment in leaves and stems).
On the lack of potassium in the soil indicates the appearance of the leaves of plants. Since potassium moves in the plant from the lower leaves to the top, then, with its lack, the edges of the lower leaves first turn yellow, then the leaves become brown and become burned. In addition, on the lower leaves may appear speck-toast and yellow spotting.
Ash from hardwood contains more potassium than ash from soft rocks. The claim that its useful properties are exaggerated, that it is caustic and harmful to plants, is not true. Both that, and other ashes can be brought in soil on flower gardens and kitchen gardens. But potatoes should not be applied annually to the potatoes, because it can cause a scab - a disease the emergence of which in potato provokes neutral soil. On the other hand, it is good to annually make wood ash in flower beds with peonies, so that they bloom better.
The elements contained in the wood ash are soluble in water, so do not make mistakes and do not store the ash in the courtyard under the open sky. We must either immediately lay it in the compost heap or deposit it in the ridge, or store it in a dry place - in a garage or shed. If the soil analysis shows that the soil in your garden is acidic enough, apply ash in the spring, fall or winter at a rate of 2.5 kg per 10 sq.m.
Composting of ash
Wood ash is useful in the compost pile, where organic materials contain many acids. Too acidic material of the compost heap decomposes more slowly. The properties of the ash can neutralize the acidic environment of the compost. But if the soil in your site is alkaline, neutralize the compost with ashes. If compost is not neutralized, a large amount of ammonia can be released from it, capable of killing or harming earthworms and useful soil organisms in the heap.
Nature is magnanimous to those who correctly fold the compost heaps. Spores, testicles of insects and other organisms in the stage of rest, promoting the decomposition of organic material, live in the soil, on the surface of organic waste and even on food waste. Wood ash causes these natural dregs to show great activity in the decomposition of organic material.
If wood ash (or lime) was introduced into the soil, the plant residues, due to the activity of microorganisms, decompose into it faster and turn into nutrients. With increased acidity of the medium, these microorganisms may exhibit reduced activity, and the soil does not accumulate enough phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium and magnesium, necessary for plants. Wood ash - the key to the pantry nutrients for plants.
Ash for the lawn
The use of wood ash in the farm is not limited to the garden only. It is good for lawns. A good hardwood ash contains as much lime as the ground limestone used to improve lawns. Most lawn grasses grow better on soils with neutral acidity, because with this acidity index soil nutrients become more accessible for plants, they are more readily absorbed by the root system.
Lawn grasses on well-bred (or received a large dose of wood ash) soils are more aggressive than on acidic soil, and do not allow into their community of weeds. However, if the lawn is infected with weeds, this does not mean that the soil is acidic and the useful properties of ash are simply necessary. Liming can not be a panacea. It is useful as a means of controlling weeds only if the acidity of the soil is so high that the plants can not receive the nutrients contained in the soil.