|
|
Post by mountaindweller on Jul 2, 2012 4:38:08 GMT -5
I know that woodash can be used on garden beds but it is alkaline.
How could I know how much and how often I stray woodash around (I have got enough as I never did it)
|
|
|
|
Post by Drahkk on Jul 2, 2012 5:18:05 GMT -5
Whether you're using wood ashes or lime, a soil test is the best way to determine dosage. You can probably find a pH tester for not too much money. This site does a fairly decent job of explaining lime use, and the chart at the bottom gives dosage rates. Wood ash is somewhat less alkaline than lime, so you can use about 1.5 times the amount of ash as is recommended for lime. It also doesn't tend to bind up nutrients like lime does, so you can use it during the season rather than just fall or winter. In the absence of a pH test, it's best to go light to make sure you don't overdo it. 3-5 pounds per 100 square feet should be safe. MB |
|
|
|
Post by stone on Jul 2, 2012 7:17:10 GMT -5
I live in an area where everyone has acid soil. I can pretty much scatter as much wood ash as I can produce in my brush pile burns without problems (or soil tests).
One year, I spread the entire winter's worth of ash from my wood-stove over a single short garden bed... And rendered it inhospitable to vegetation for a coupla years... so... it can be over-done.
in areas where alkalinity is a problem, ashes should not be used at all in the garden. They still work in soap production, or used for dish-washing without making the soap.
Lye can be dangerous, and using ashes to wash my dishes causes my hands to crack, so... be careful.
|
|
|
|
Post by mountaindweller on Jul 3, 2012 2:31:21 GMT -5
I have the usual Bunnings soil tester. A white powder some liquid and a colour chart. Our soil should be acid but it is alkaline and the veggie beds I managed to get it neutral. Our local landscape supplier said that these test do not measure exactly when the soil has a lot of organic matter, and we do. He said that they tend to measure too alkaline in this case.
The amounts given in the chart seem to be quite high. I think I will start sprinkling it around like you would icing sugar and then see how it goes (I thought the icing sugar amount is too high!)
|
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jul 3, 2012 4:09:21 GMT -5
mountaindweller, those soil test kits were developed by the CSIRO but are not always reliable. You should check them before using them. Just put a drop of the liquid on some of the white powder, no soil. It should be neutral - pH 7. If it isn't then throw it out, or if you still have the receipt take it back and exchange it. Find out the local geology too. That will tell you a great deal about what you can achieve with mineral amendments.
Unless you're on limestone bedrock or equivalent, your soil should be able to handle a light dusting of ash, especially if it is high in organic matter.
|
|
|
|
Post by mountaindweller on Jul 5, 2012 3:04:23 GMT -5
that is a good idea. But the local geology does not help me if you have FILL, that is the nasiest you can get.
|
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jul 5, 2012 7:35:03 GMT -5
that is a good idea. But the local geology does not help me if you have FILL, that is the nasiest you can get. Ah yes, that does make a difference. I too am on fill and find my soil on the alkaline side. Not too much, but alkaline all the same. |
|
|
|
woodash
Jul 10, 2012 9:56:17 GMT -5
Post by RpR on Jul 10, 2012 9:56:17 GMT -5
I used to, until last year, and others did it for me, put ashes in my gardens- bad move.
Where I put the ashes I have had corn germination failure of a great degree.
Could be related to other things but it happened in gardens fifty miles apart.
I now spread the ashes on the lawn under evergreen trees and the nasty boulevard hill.
|
|
|
|
woodash
Jul 11, 2012 4:27:11 GMT -5
Post by mountaindweller on Jul 11, 2012 4:27:11 GMT -5
How much ashes did you spread (handfuls by m² nothing exact)?
Fill raymondo, that means that you simply leave the fill in place and put your bed on the top?
I planted 5 currant bushes and ended up with 1 m³ or more of concrete pavers. It was a pain.
|
|
|
|
woodash
Jul 11, 2012 7:37:15 GMT -5
Post by raymondo on Jul 11, 2012 7:37:15 GMT -5
I started by diggging. I removed a lot of stuff, mostly road and footpath pavement, every time I dug. Now, I'm beginning to only put beds on top. If there are problems with growth, I dig that spot but I don't have the energy to dig the whole yard. It's 3000 m2, too much to dig by hand!
|
|
|
|
woodash
Jul 13, 2012 14:00:39 GMT -5
Post by RpR on Jul 13, 2012 14:00:39 GMT -5
I used a square or standard dirt shovel and depending on if I wanted it to spread widely or not simply threw it at the location.
The house is on an intersection that must have an atmospheric dead spot as on occasion the lightest drift will take almost a minute before it is not a visible fog in the intersection.
If the wind is from the right direction, it will blow it into the intersection and then it still lingers.
The largest area I ever covered in spreading deliberately was approx. twelve feet by twenty feet, it all depends on how big the ash pile is and rarely, I will just dump it on the ground, rake it out and water it in with a garden hose.
The largest, at one time, if it was possible to turn it into a non-compacted ash cube was probably two-feet cubed.
|
|
