permaculture

[Allan Balliett <aballiett@frontiernet.net>]

> 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