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Using wood ash

alice42alice42 Posts: 18
in Tools and techniques
Can I use wood ash in the garden? I'm currently saving it to put in the compost heap in the summer, when cutting the grass, but can I use it in other ways now?
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  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 14,808

    Sprinkle it around fruit trees and bushes, it helps the flowering process, and hence fruit.

    You don't stop doing new things because you get old, you get old because you stop doing new things. <3
  • alice42alice42 Posts: 18

    Thanks fidgetbones.  Unfortunately I have very little fruit - am more of a veg/herbaceous grower.  Can I use it on any of those? 

  • iGrowiGrow Posts: 183
    Carry on putting it in the compost bin, mix well with green & brown waste.
  • alice42alice42 Posts: 18

    To anyone following this post - I read somewhere that it was good for brassicas, so have put some in the brassica bed ahead of planting out.  

  • cornellycornelly Posts: 923

    I have used it as a pest deterent, ie green and black fly on plants in pots.

  • polyhivepolyhive Posts: 8

    Thanks for the thread as I was going to post up the same Q as we are about to install a wood burner next month. :)

    PH

  • Malcolm Brown2Malcolm Brown2 Posts: 26

    Some little darlings set fire to an old set of wooden weaner pens and I have been adding the ash and charred wood gradually to the compost.   It is finished now but I am sure it would make a contribution.

  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 875
    cornelly says:

    I have used it as a pest deterent, ie green and black fly on plants in pots.

    See original post

     Interesting, Cornelly.  How do you use it as aphid deterrent?  Directly on the aphids or as a top dressing in the pots? I have never heard of this but sounds good.

  • cornellycornelly Posts: 923

    With chrysanths in pots mixed with the compost used to make my own JI compost and added some in place of the grit in JI no 3, but also sprinkle on pots then water in same around plants in the flower beds,.

  • alice42alice42 Posts: 18
    alice42 says:

    To anyone following this post - I read somewhere that it was good for brassicas, so have put some in the brassica bed ahead of planting out.  

    See original post

     A quick update:  the brassicas are doing really well, so presumably the ash at least didn't hinder them :-)   

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