"Antony Legat" antony@nospamthanks wrote in message
...
Colin wrote:
Hello all,

After recent and past bonfires, I have collected the ash & charcoal for
use
on the garden.

However, as there is no label on the side, I am unsure of how best to
apply
it - is it best done in spring, or should it be put on all the way
through
season?

Does anyone have any ideas?

I am talking about relatively small quantities, I have a carrier bag
full, &
I guess application rate would be a scattering of a few handfuls per m^2

Hi Colin, I have used leftover ash to good effect earlier in the year -
I simply sprinkled it around my runner beans and let it be watered in.

I would think it best to apply it in the growing season as ash is
quickly leached away (charcoal probably less so). You could try covering
the topsoil with mulch after applying/watering though - a la
permaculture - (which I have just become interested in!).

I have sprinkled it around potatos and tomatos in spring and dampened it
with the hose. Rain washed it in over a period of days. I also left some
outside in a bucket that became slurry which I layered thinly round the
plants like mortar and covered with straw. Use it in spring as a source of
potash. Damp it down after application as it may dry out the soil. How much
to use? Good question, wood ash (not coal ash nor treated timber ash) is
apparently around 10% potassium by volume so you may take note of that when
substituting it for other fertilisers. If used as a lime substitute I have
read, from memory, that it is about 1/2 as effective as lime in sweetening
soils. For a good balanced organic fertiliser ash can be mixed with blood
and bone in whatever ratios you want to vary the NPK. For example, if you
want 6-6-10 fertiliser for whatever reason equal parts B&B and ash will
deliver that. B&B being 6-6-0. A 9-9-10 mix would be 1 1/2 the amount of B&B
as ash.

rob

Hello all,

After recent and past bonfires, I have collected the ash & charcoal for use
on the garden.

However, as there is no label on the side, I am unsure of how best to apply
it - is it best done in spring, or should it be put on all the way through
season?

Does anyone have any ideas?

I am talking about relatively small quantities, I have a carrier bag full, &
I guess application rate would be a scattering of a few handfuls per m^2


Thanks,

Colin

Colin wrote:
Hello all,

After recent and past bonfires, I have collected the ash & charcoal for use
on the garden.

However, as there is no label on the side, I am unsure of how best to apply
it - is it best done in spring, or should it be put on all the way through
season?

Does anyone have any ideas?

I am talking about relatively small quantities, I have a carrier bag full, &
I guess application rate would be a scattering of a few handfuls per m^2


Thanks,

Colin


Hi Colin, I have used leftover ash to good effect earlier in the year -
I simply sprinkled it around my runner beans and let it be watered in.

I would think it best to apply it in the growing season as ash is
quickly leached away (charcoal probably less so). You could try covering
the topsoil with mulch after applying/watering though - a la
permaculture - (which I have just become interested in!).

Antony

"Colin" wrote in message
After recent and past bonfires, I have collected the ash & charcoal
for use
on the garden.

However, as there is no label on the side, I am unsure of how best
to apply
it - is it best done in spring, or should it be put on all the way
through
season?

Does anyone have any ideas?

I am talking about relatively small quantities, I have a carrier bag
full, &
I guess application rate would be a scattering of a few handfuls per
m^2

Use it in spring in the same way that you would dolomite or lime to
sweeten soil.

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"Colin" wrote in message
After recent and past bonfires, I have collected the ash & charcoal
for use
on the garden.

However, as there is no label on the side, I am unsure of how best
to apply
it - is it best done in spring, or should it be put on all the way
through
season?

Does anyone have any ideas?

I am talking about relatively small quantities, I have a carrier bag
full, &
I guess application rate would be a scattering of a few handfuls per
m^2

Use it in spring in the same way that you would dolomite or lime to
sweeten soil.



Thanks for the replies, coincidentally, i am listening to gardeners question
time. One of their tips is to burn sunflowers in a bar b q, as they
apparantly have higher than average potash levels!

I shall give it it a go in spring & see how it goes, I have already added
some of the larger lumps of charcole to compost heap,

Thanks for you helps,

Hake

Colin wrote:
Hello all,

After recent and past bonfires, I have collected the ash & charcoal for use
on the garden.

However, as there is no label on the side, I am unsure of how best to apply
it - is it best done in spring, or should it be put on all the way through
season?

Does anyone have any ideas?

I am talking about relatively small quantities, I have a carrier bag full, &
I guess application rate would be a scattering of a few handfuls per m^2

Fruit trees will thank you for a good application - at any time, though
summer or early spring would seem good times - they should reward you with
better crops. Regular applications can sometimes help to counter the bad
crop year, when fruit trees under stress go into good year/bad year
cycles.