Ashes to green up a lawn

[mandikl0721]

Anybody else ever heard of this little trick? My husband learned it from his dad, who found that sprinkling ashes from a woodstove around the yard helped to green up the grass. We don't use any fertilizer, and we've got some pretty crummy soil, so we'll see how much it helps this year, since this is really the first time that my husband has spread the ashes from the stove in the yard consistently.

 

[maddie]

Wood ash contains less than 10 % potash, 1% phosphate and trace amounts of micro-nutrients such as iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. It helps increase the alkalinity of the soil. It also helps keep slugs and pest away. Yes, wood ash in small quantities is good.. but over doing it may ruin the soil and prevent the plants from absorbing the nutrients.

 

[Pat]

I have added ashes from the fireplace to the soil a few times to help enrich the soil. As Maddie stated you don't want to add too much as it make ruin the soil.

 

[happyflowerlady]

I have done that before when we had a wood stove, and I scattered the ashes on different areas each time, and made sure they were well spread out; and it really seemed to help. Someone had a fire pit outside the place we are now renting, and I am going to take the old ashes from that and add it around the yard and garden area, and see if it helps it. We had to burn trash when we moved here to clean up the property, so there should be some ashes spread around the burned areas already.

 

[sissy]

ashes also help fruit trees

 

[Shdwdrgn]

What about ash from charcoal? I always have a good pile of ash after I cook something on my smoker, and have always just thrown away the ash.

 

[Jed]

Potassium in wood ash is beneficial to flowering plants but only those that don't mind a high pH. It also lacks nitrogen and is not a replacement for fertilizer. A shovelful per square metre is probably all you would want to apply.
I have two burners going this time of year (winter) and have no shortage of wood ash to use.

 

[headfullofbees]

There is probably a little magnesium in there, and that is helping your lawn to absorb nitrogen.

A mild solution of epsom salts will do this.

 

[Gardener]

Well, in my opinion, it really depends on what sort of material was burnt to make the ash. Since you are saying it comes from your woodstove, it would be very beneficial for your yard (but not too much!). If it was something else burnt, there could be negative effects from the ash.

 

[Jed]

Before the days of recycling all types of paper were burnt in my woodstove and firebox heater, these days though I recycle. With all the chemicals in inks, I agree you must take some care even using them as mulch on gardens. I burn kiln dry mill scraps of eucalyptus trees. It burns hot and the ash is superb.

 

[headfullofbees]

The amount of ink used and the amounts of dangerous chemicals present, is so small as to be of no consequence.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6720484_ingredients-ink.html

 

[claudine]

To be honest, I have never heard about this method before, I have never added any ashes to the soil in my garden. I must give it a try, because it sounds like a really good idea. Thank you for the tip.

 

[Marie]

ashes also help fruit trees

This is very true. Every winter, once the leaves have fallen off my fruit trees, I go around and sprinkle wood ash from my wood-burner around the base of each tree. I don't know the chemistry behind it, but I know that it has always helped to increase the blossom and flowers on all my fruit trees.


I've never tried it with my lawn, but I can't imagine it would do any harm, so it's worth a shot.
Don't forget to let us all know how it turns out

 

[PeteGreen]

I had never heard of sprinkling ash on your lawn, but it does make sense in that it adds nutrients and such. Thanks for the info.