I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

In article , HaaRoy
writes
I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

No, garden bonfire ash from mainly brushwood and similar material makes
a good potash based plant dressing, it is especially beneficial to soft
fruit bushes. The ash should be allowed to mature for several weeks,
longer if you can, then diluted with ordinary soil sifted fine, or a
little sharp sand. It should not be applied directly touching the stems
of plants. Bonfire ash can also be dusted onto compost heaps, or used
sparingly in conjunction with mulches.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

On Sat, 07 Dec 2002 17:59:56 +0000, HaaRoy wrote:

I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

depends what you burnt: wood and plant material is good
I'd think twice about old tyres and matresses.
--
Derek Turner

The english summer consists of three fine days and a thunderstorm. - Charles II

Derek Turner wrote:
On Sat, 07 Dec 2002 17:59:56 +0000, HaaRoy
wrote:

I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for
the plants but am i under a false illusion ?

depends what you burnt: wood and plant material is good
I'd think twice about old tyres and matresses.

I'd go along with that.
We had a big derelict plot that required a lot of 'tidying up'. This
resulted in several bonfires which we moved around depending on the
wind direction. Despite the fires being quite fierce and leaving 6 ft
diam piles of ash, all the sites have been reclaimed by mother nature
and are thriving. Nature is a great re-cycler. Return to her that
which was hers and you won't go wrong.

--
ned

"HaaRoy" wrote in message
...
I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

I remember reading somewhere, that wood-ash will make the soil slightly more
alkaline. Obviously if it's scattered thinly, it shouldn't make much
difference.
However, if you've spent a couple of quid on a soil acid/alkaline test kit
and you find that your soil is already on the alk. side of neutral, it would
be best to dispose of your wood-ash elsewhere.
Regards ............ Paul England

Alan Gould wrote:

In article , HaaRoy
writes
I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

No, garden bonfire ash from mainly brushwood and similar material makes
a good potash based plant dressing, it is especially beneficial to soft
fruit bushes. The ash should be allowed to mature for several weeks,

Potash is very water soluble. This will mainly result in the area under
your ash heap getting an excess. It quickly leaches out every time it
rains. Fruit trees and soft fruit can take it when dormant and it
discourages the grass under them if applied fresh. It can burn leaves
though if they are actively growing.

I find onions quite like the extra drainage that the rough charcoal from
the embers provides. YMMV

Applied at this time of year (or preferably a bit earlier) it encourages
next seasons flowering.

longer if you can, then diluted with ordinary soil sifted fine, or a
little sharp sand. It should not be applied directly touching the stems
of plants. Bonfire ash can also be dusted onto compost heaps, or used
sparingly in conjunction with mulches.

Coal or smokeless fuel ash cannot be recommended for garden use at least if
you intend to eat the produce. There are too many heavy metal impurities in
the resulting ash to use on the veg plot.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"Paul England" wrote in message
...

"HaaRoy" wrote in message
...
I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

I remember reading somewhere, that wood-ash will make the soil slightly
more
alkaline. Obviously if it's scattered thinly, it shouldn't make much
difference.
However, if you've spent a couple of quid on a soil acid/alkaline test kit
and you find that your soil is already on the alk. side of neutral, it
would
be best to dispose of your wood-ash elsewhere.
Regards ............ Paul England

Google provides a number of sites, here's one :-
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/woodash.html

regards Paul

Xref: 127.0.0.1 uk.rec.gardening:163357

On Tue, 10 Dec 2002 21:55:29 -0000, "Paul England"
wrote:


"HaaRoy" wrote in message
.. .
I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

I remember reading somewhere, that wood-ash will make the soil slightly more
alkaline. Obviously if it's scattered thinly, it shouldn't make much
difference.
However, if you've spent a couple of quid on a soil acid/alkaline test kit
and you find that your soil is already on the alk. side of neutral, it would
be best to dispose of your wood-ash elsewhere.
Regards ............ Paul England


how would roses take to this ash ?
good or bad ?

"HaaRoy" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 10 Dec 2002 21:55:29 -0000, "Paul England"
wrote:


"HaaRoy" wrote in message
.. .
I have always thought that using ash from the bonfire was good for the
plants but am i under a false illusion ?

I remember reading somewhere, that wood-ash will make the soil slightly
more
alkaline. Obviously if it's scattered thinly, it shouldn't make much
difference.
However, if you've spent a couple of quid on a soil acid/alkaline test
kit
and you find that your soil is already on the alk. side of neutral, it
would
be best to dispose of your wood-ash elsewhere.
Regards ............ Paul England


how would roses take to this ash ?
good or bad ?

I'm not a fan of roses, but we do have a couple in the garden. However a
quick squint in the RHS booklet
"Roses - A Wisley handbook" states that roses will tolerate both acid and
alkaline soils, the ideal being a slightly acid soil (pH 6.5). I would
therefore keep woodash away from roses.
Another posting of yours (Japenese weeds) also hints that you have
rhododendrons in your neighbourhood,
which may indicate that your soil is acid, which may be good for roses also.
Regards ............ Paul

On balance it should return minerals and trace elements to the soil. The
potash is alkaline but should be converted to carbonate (pKA 8) then
bicarbonate (pKA5.8 to-6 ) quite quickly by atmospheric water and carbon
dioxide.
Potassium salts are then a good plant food.
I think the answer is to spread it thinly on the surface but don't put it on
acid loving plants.
I usually put it on the compost heap which tends to acidify naturally.
Copper is a catalyst for dioxin formation frrom organic material and
chloride in flames and fires. I would not put wood ash from treated timber
on to edible crops.