Fertilizing plants with wood ash

Ash is one of the simplest and most familiar fertilizers for any gardener. But while this simplicity is apparent, it actually holds many surprises and isn't suitable for every garden crop. What beneficial plant nutrients does this substance contain?

Is the powder left over from burning trees and grass equally good? How do you properly feed different vegetables and fruits with gray ash?

What does ash contain?

After tree or grass parts burn, all the chemical elements they contain, except nitrogen, become an integral part of the fine gray residue. Three dozen minerals, including potassium and iron, magnesium and calcium, manganese and phosphorus, are converted into a form easily absorbed by garden crops.

The specific impact of individual components of burnt wood on crops is as follows.

• Calcium carbonate It stimulates seedlings to grow faster and shortens the ripening period for some crops. Flowers become larger, and inflorescences become more prominent.
• Plants don't always absorb fertilizer elements. Improving this function helps calcium silicate.
• Calcium sulfate affects the greening of seedlings, increasing it several times.
• Helps trees become more resilient and survive harsh winters calcium chlorideIt also makes it possible to cultivate, for example, grapes in cold climates. This element "dries out" crops and soil. It is essential to prevent tomatoes from turning black and carrots from cracking. Thanks to it, grapes do not fall prematurely and strawberries do not mold.
• If the summer is dry, rock salt will ensure the vital activity of vegetables and fruits: it is because of it that moisture is preserved and retained in the cells.
• Potassium salt promotes winter hardiness of trees and is useful for garden flowers.
• Indispensable for rose roots magnesium, it also has a beneficial effect on the metabolism of cereal crops.
• Sodium Sodium interacts with enzymes that don't interact with other elements. Sodium causes enzymes to become more active in chemical reactions.

Which ash is better?

Burnt wood varies in composition. This depends on the age and type of brush or grass burned. Young growth provides more potassium, while older wood has a significantly higher calcium content. Hardwoods such as oak, poplar, elm, and ash contain more potassium than softwoods such as spruce, pine, and aspen. Leaves and dry grass, when burned, leave behind a significant amount of potassium.

Which burnt material is best for the garden? The question is complex. It all depends on the gardener's goals: why the complex watering is being used and which micronutrient is deficient in the particular vegetable. For example, oak ash will contain more phosphorus, while buckwheat straw will contain more potassium. Spruce firewood burns, leaving behind a very modest percentage of potassium, but this residue is richer in calcium than any other.

How to obtain ash for fertilizer

A designated area for the disposal of trees, dry grass, and shrubs should be designated in the garden. The fire pit should be maintained at a distance of five to ten meters from the plantings. Burning should only be done in calm weather, with careful control of the fire's intensity. Add wood or straw gradually.

Many gardeners, seeking to minimize contact between fire and soil, burn wood waste on iron plates. This isn't always effective. The remaining material is collected cold, after a couple of days, and if left uncovered by a breeze, it can spread throughout the garden. 200-liter iron barrels are more suitable for this purpose.

The resulting product is stored in containers with lids. Avoid collecting it in plastic bags and sealing them tightly, as condensation may form. The wood powder itself should be dry and finely ground.

Preparation of ash solution

An ash solution is most often used to improve garden crops. It's easy to prepare and ready to use immediately after preparation. For a seed soak, take 200 grams of water and dissolve a teaspoon (2 grams) of gray slurry in it. The seeds are disinfected in the solution for two to five hours (depending on their size), dried, and placed in cups with soil.

To work on a garden-wide scale, add one and a half glasses of powder (150 grams) to a bucket of water and, without allowing the solid particles to settle to the bottom, pour the contents of the bucket under the trees.

Preparing a decoction from ash

An ash decoction takes a little longer to prepare, but it also extends the period of its action on the roots. To prepare it, add the combustion product to a bucket of boiling water in a 3:1 ratio. The mixture is steeped for a couple of days, strained, and added to a spray bottle.

Some gardeners simmer the mixture diluted in the same proportions for half an hour. Adding regular laundry soap helps it stick to leaves and branches longer when sprayed, further protecting the crop from aphid infestations.

You can also prepare a concentrated mixture (one cup of suspension per liter of water). Three liters of this mixture are diluted with irrigation water to make a volume of 10 liters. Water at a rate of one bucket per one and a half square meters of area occupied by vegetables or flowers.

Use in the garden

"Gold from the oven" is beneficial for most garden crops. Carrots, beets, cabbage, and potatoes fertilized with it grow faster, produce larger yields, and tolerate winter frosts well. The standard requirement for 10 square meters of area occupied by vegetables and fruits is between one and two kilograms of gray matter.

Wood combustion byproducts are indispensable on soils with excess clay. They make the soil fluffier and looser and reduce acidity when applied at a rate of up to 7 kg per 10 square meters.

On such soils, loose material is added during digging, which is done before winter. In the spring, gardeners use it on soils with increased sand content.

Unlike the majority of chemical fertilizers sold, the natural substance affects the soil for up to 4-5 years.

When measuring the required number of grams of the substance in question, keep in mind: 1 teaspoon holds 2 grams of suspension, 1 tablespoon - 6 grams. A standard 200-gram glass holds 100 grams, and a liter jar - half a kilo of powder.

Fertilization methods

There are various ways to fertilize the soil and use ash decoctions, powder, or solution in the garden. The choice depends on the ultimate goal of the preventative measures.

Root feeding

Adding ash directly to the roots is effective. The key here is not to sprinkle pure powder on the roots or spread it out. Be sure to mix the ash with soil or other ingredients before planting.

When planting seedlings, one to three tablespoons of the substance are required per hole. When rooting, add a cup of gray "flour" to bushes, and about a kilogram to fruit trees.

Foliar fertilization of plants

Foliar feeding primarily involves sprinkling and spraying with a loose substance.

Sprinkling

You can scatter fire residues in the garden throughout the season.

When trees and shrubs begin to set fruit, wood pulp is scattered not only around the trunks but also on the leaves to repel pests. In the fall, this substance is added to the soil during pre-winter tilling.

Ash is also sprinkled on compost layers to improve decomposition. The recommended dosage is 1 cup of powder per 3 square meters of area.

Pollination can also be beneficial if the shrub's roots are damaged. This approach will help them recover quickly.

Spraying

Spraying is done with either an ash solution or a strained decoction. Spraying can target not only stems and foliage, but also tubers and seeds of garden crops. Spraying is done with a spray bottle, so the mixture must be strained before use.

By directly applying the powder to the vegetative organs, its micronutrients are absorbed more quickly than when sprinkled under the roots. This method allows for denser foliage, more vibrant flower buds, and the simultaneous elimination of a wide range of pests and fungi.

Fertilizing seedlings

It's time to start caring for your harvest long before the seedlings begin to delight you with their lush foliage. Disinfect them and stimulate active seed development by soaking them in an ash solution for five hours.

Then, before placing the seed in the hole, add a mixture of ash and soil. To prevent damage to the roots from the high concentration of wood dust, take a liter of soil, pour it into the container, and add a tablespoon of our solution. This will help prevent diseases that commonly affect seedlings.

If the soil isn't fertilized and the seedlings have already taken root, you can feed them with an ash solution. The first watering should be done a week after planting (12 grams of "gold from the stove" per 1 liter of water). Mix, let sit for 24 hours, strain, and water at the roots.

You can spray young, newly planted stems with the same decoction. A surface spray will repel harmful insects from the leaves.

Fertilizing in a greenhouse

Greenhouse plants require special attention from the gardener and more frequent feedings with beneficial micronutrients. However, there is a reasonable limit here: for example, combustion products should not be added to greenhouse crops more than six times per season.

Before planting the seedlings, fertilize the soil as described above. When the stem produces its first two or three leaves, apply the second application. As soon as the first flowers appear, apply the third application. The next watering occurs when the first fruits appear. Then, apply wood combustion products as needed.

Ash can be delivered to the plant in various ways: by sprinkling (but be sure to water the soil with warm water afterward), or by pouring an infusion or ash decoction. This method is suitable for greenhouse cucumbers.

What plants benefit from ash?

Ash is the most affordable fertilizer for the garden; almost all cultivated plants appreciate it.

The treatment's effects will be noticeable in pumpkin, tomato, and cucumber beds within a very short time. They will delight you with more frequent fruit sets, vigorous growth, and larger fruit sizes.

A deficiency of the elements contained in wood pulp will be immediately noticeable in cabbage beds: the tops of the cabbage begin to turn red, and they barely grow. An ash solution or a simple sprinkle will help reduce soil acidity and stimulate growth.

Zucchini, radishes, and carrots are fed with a sprinkling of ash (1 cup per 1 square meter of soil). Onion and garlic crops require variety: powdered fertilizer alternated with bird droppings. The key is to avoid applying them immediately after each other. Allow the plants time to absorb the nutrients.

Plum and cherry trees only need one ash fertilizer every three years. The solution is poured into pre-prepared furrows and covered with soil. One hundred grams of powder per plant is sufficient.

Currant bushes also increase their berry production with such watering. A mixture of water and sulfur slurry is poured into the root zone.

Plant fertilizing

Although the general principles for treating garden crops are the same, the approach for specific plant species has its own nuances.

Cucumbers

Fertilize either by scattering or by watering with a solution. Cucumbers are delicate and fussy, so they should be treated with ash no more than 4-6 times per season. Additional applications can be made during the general autumn digging of the garden.

Liquid solution: 2 tablespoons per liter of water (infuse and strain); dry solution: 1 cup per square meter. To control aphids, you can spray the leaves with laundry soap added to the solution.

Tomatoes

To fertilize tomatoes, pour one and a half cups of the mixture into a bucket of water. One stem requires half a liter of the mixture for full development. Dig shallow grooves around it, fill it with the mixture, and level it with soil.

To prevent diseases, prepare a spray bottle: add 3 cups of wood dust to water, boil for 30 minutes, cool, and let steep for 24 hours. Strain and dilute in a 10-liter bucket of water. Add 50 grams of laundry soap. This will not only protect the tomatoes from diseases but also repel pests. If the plant suffers from slugs, simply sprinkle ash near the roots and loosen the soil.

Pepper

An excellent fertilizer for peppers is ash mixed with nettles. Mix a tablespoon of powder with 10 tablespoons of stinging nettles and add water. Let it steep for 24 hours, strain, add to a 10-liter bucket of water, and feed the seedlings.

If using a spray bottle, reduce the concentration of the woody component to avoid burning the leaves. The water used for spraying should be warm. Spray the mixture over the entire leaf—both the outer and inner surfaces—and the stem should also be treated.

In addition, “gold from the stove” is added to the soil during autumn digging.

Onion

Onions respond particularly well to birch charcoal, which has a higher potassium content. This fertilizer increases the amount of vermicompost in the soil, allowing plant matter to rot more quickly, making the soil more fertile.

If wood ash is used, onion bulbs will last longer and won't rot. Ash contains potassium, which is essential for onions. A deficiency causes them to turn yellow and dry out, and yellow spots will appear on the scapes.

The onions are treated with a woody substance during the seed preparation stage (soaking for six hours in a mixture of the powder, 1 teaspoon, and water). The bulbs intended for planting are sprinkled with ash the day before.

Fertilizer is applied in the form of:

• two-day infusion (250 grams per 10 liters of water - under the root);
• daily infusion for spraying against pests (100 grams per liter of water);
• dry sprinkling (100 grams per square meter).

Garlic

The fungus that often attacks garlic bulbs can be eliminated by treating the bed with a mixture of stove dust and soap diluted in plain water. This can be a simple solution (100 grams of ash per 10-liter bucket of water) or a decoction (20 grams of powder, add water, boil for half an hour, and then dilute in the same bucket).

Treatment is carried out twice a month or as needed when diseases, pests, or signs of micronutrient deficiencies appear. To prevent powdery mildew, garlic is treated in the second ten days of June with a decoction to which an additional 50 grams of laundry soap is added.

Let us remember that, along with fertilization, one of the most effective means of prevention is timely weeding of garlic.

Potato

Using wood-burning products reduces potato damage from the Colorado potato beetle, the tubers contain more starch, and are resistant to late blight. When the gardening season is drawing to a close and the potato crop has been harvested, it's time to consider soil management. If the soil is clayey, apply 100 grams per square meter during fall tillage; if the soil is sandy, the procedure should be carried out in the spring.

Before planting, the sprouted tubers should be dusted with ash: sprinkle a kilogram of the powder onto a bag of potatoes. At planting time, add 40 grams of the powder to each hole. When the first flowers appear on the stems, sprinkle half a cup of the powder under the roots.

If you're using a solution of fertilizer, dilute one and a half cups per bucket of water. Water in the morning to prevent moisture from lingering near the growing tubers overnight.

Cabbage

Cabbage seedlings will be less susceptible to slug infestations if you periodically apply ash infusion or sprinkle stove dust around the plants. If the weather is unfavorable and there's constant rain, treatments should be carried out more frequently than in dry, hot summers.

When planting seedlings, add 40-50 grams of the product to each hole. This will protect the crop from diseases such as clubroot and blackleg. When digging the soil at the end of the gardening season, add 100 grams per square meter to the cabbage bed.

Carrots, beets

Beets and carrots are always close to each other in gardens: they're sown at the same time and harvested on the same day. Often, the beds are also located next to each other. It's no surprise that the fertilizer ratios required are almost identical. This is especially true for ash-based fertilizers.

When digging the bed before sowing seeds, add a cup of powder per square meter. If you sprinkle the substance on already dug soil, it may form a crust. In this case, it will be more than difficult for the seeds to penetrate the crust and reach the light.

As soon as the first shoots appear, sprinkle the beds with wood pulp again. Immediately water the seedlings generously to ensure the fertilizer penetrates the roots. This approach will not only fertilize the soil but also protect the crop from pests.

Zucchini

If the soil intended for planting zucchini has a high clay content, add washed river sand, a tablespoon of superphosphate and three tablespoons of ash per square meter.

Before planting, soak zucchini seeds in a liter of water with 2 tablespoons of wood combustion product. When green peppers appear on the stalks, water the plants with a mixture of urea (1 tablespoon), wood combustion product (2 cups), and 10 liters of water.

If the leaves are affected by brown spots or begin to turn yellow, they can be watered with a solution of 200 g of powder per 10-liter bucket of water. The dried medicine is then poured directly from the oven into the grooves around the zucchini roots.

Strawberry

Wood fertilizer can be applied to the strawberry bed three times per season: at the beginning, when the snow melts and the top layer of soil has warmed slightly in the early spring sun; after the berry harvest; and in the fall, during a thorough digging of the entire garden.

When the first green leaves poke through the layer of last year's foliage and gardeners begin clearing and loosening the soil, it's time to add some sulfur fertilizer. Approximately 15 grams of the substance not only stimulates more vigorous foliar growth but also prevents the development of gray mold.

When the last strawberry leaves the bed and the harvest is canned for compote and jam, the bush doesn't cease to exist. It's during this period that the buds for the next harvest begin to form and the roots begin to grow. Each bush should be generously watered with an ash solution or infusion.

Traditional autumn fertilization is no different from other crops: a glass of powder per square meter of soil will allow strawberries to survive winter frosts and snowfalls.

Grape

The climbing plant doesn't appreciate frequent intrusions into its world: ash additives can be applied no more than four times per season. The first application, a sprinkling, is done in early spring. The second application is in early summer for preventative purposes. If signs of disease appear on the leaves, the plant can be sprayed in July.

Grapevines are treated in the evening after sunset. Dissolve 350 grams of powder in a liter of water, let it steep for 24 hours, and store in a cool cellar. The infusion should be used within a month. Before spraying, dilute the concentrate in five parts water and add grated laundry soap to ensure the spray stays on the foliage.

The final treatment is carried out in the fall after the grapes have been removed from the branches. Each root is generously watered before winter, and 350 grams of ash is added to the final bucket per trunk. Autumn fertilizing is sufficient once every three to four years.

Trees and bushes

When planting the seedlings, add a mixture of soil and 100 grams of wood pulp to the hole. This fertilizer allows the roots to quickly adapt to the new location and allows air to reach the root system.

If shrubs and trees have been growing on the site for several years, fertilizing them once every three to four years is sufficient to prevent diseases and provide the plants with potassium, phosphorus, and calcium.

This can be done either by adding a couple of kilograms of “gold from the stove” to the grooves around the trunk, or by generously watering the area around the trunk, adding 450 grams of wood dust to the last bucket.

Flowers

Fertilizing flowers always has two goals: to grow a stem that can support the weight of the inflorescence, and to grow luxurious buds.

Annuals are fertilized a couple of times during the summer: 20 days after planting to strengthen the stems, and when buds appear to stimulate their development and prolong their life cycle. Perennials are fertilized three times, including an application of ash before wintering. Flowers are not fertilized at planting.

Fertilizing methods include sprinkling, watering with a two-day infusion (10 g per liter), and spraying (20 g per liter). Flowers are fed either early in the morning before sunrise or late in the evening after sunset.

Indoor plants are fertilized in the same way, with adjustments made for the area occupied by the soil.

Conclusion

Ash is a simple fertilizer that's always at hand, and it's proven effective for centuries. It's healthy and environmentally friendly, as long as it's not contaminated with the "benefits" of civilization—plastic, paint, or old glossy magazines—during the preparation process. Ash will be beneficial in the garden if the gardener, in turn, pays attention to it. They prepare it correctly, store it carefully, and precisely apply the right proportions.