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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Wood Ashes as a soil amendment

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  • From: Allan Balliett <aballiett@frontiernet.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Wood Ashes as a soil amendment
  • Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 07:58:40 -0500

Alan, and all,
Go easy with that stuff. Even where soils are on the acid side I NEVER
do more than a light dusting with wood ash. It's VERY alkaline. Clients
in San Francisco indiscriminately dumped it in piles in their landscape
and nearly killed their rhododendrons and azaleas before I discouraged
the practice. They had a tiny landscape and were generating more ash
than the space could absorb. If you have a wooded area, you can return
it to the trees but broadcast it widely and thinly. Even when I add it
to compost I apply it only in very thin layers. It can kill worms, too,
if applied too heavily. Who knows the effect on microflora and fauna?
Keith

I think the pH of oak wood ash is about 8.5. Azaleas and rhodies are acid loving plants, so, yes, I'd keep wood ash away from them. I'm not sure about reasonable applications of wood ash killing worms, but thanks for the advice. I guess my question was 'how can I effectively buffer the ash when applying it,' like how much elemental sulphur to bring the pH down to 6.5, or something like that. Or if its' even worth fooling with wood stove wood ash as a garden input. Thanks! -Allan




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