Use of wood ash as a fertilizer. Ash as fertilizer

Ash has been used since ancient times as a fertilizer for plants. It can be considered the first mineral remedy, which was used by farmers to enrich the soil with organic compounds. When burning dry plant waste (straw, flowers, wood, leaves), combustion products are obtained. They are rich in boron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, sulfur. All these substances are essential for the full vegetation of plants. How is ash used as a fertilizer?

Ash as fertilizer: composition and properties

Ash contains a large number of elements:

• calcium sulfate;
• calcium carbonate;
• calcium silicate;
• potassium orthophosphate;
• calcium chloride;
• sodium chloride;
• sodium orthophosphate;
• magnesium sulfate.

Ash fertilizers can improve qualitative composition soil, increasing the alkaline properties of humus, saturating the soil with mineral compounds. Ash changes the acidity of the soil, increasing its PH-value, favorably affecting the fruiting of plants. Combustion wastes have the following effects on the soil:

• They increase productivity on heavy loamy soils, allow plants to develop normally, and facilitate the mechanical processing of the soil.
• Improve the composition of the soil, ash is a natural baking powder of the soil.
• The use of ash as a fertilizer changes the physical structure of the soil. It increases the access of oxygen to the soil.

To increase the effectiveness of wood ash, it can be applied to the soil along with peat, humus and compost. So the ashes decompose faster. Direct application of ash to the soil is also allowed, which favorably affects the ability of crops to bear fruit, improves the fertile properties of humus. The positive effect after the application of ash fertilizer lasts up to three years.

wood ash as fertilizer

• Do not add ashes to fresh manure. This will reduce the nitrogen content in the organic compound, forming mineral compounds that are unable to absorb root system.
• Fertilizing seedlings with ashes is prohibited until the first true leaves begin to form. At this time, you need to fertilize with nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Acidic soils where beans and cabbage grow should not be fed with ashes.
• Apply at the same time nitrogen fertilizers and charcoal Not recommended. They need to be included in different time years, nitrogenous fertilizers in spring, and ash in autumn. It can be vice versa.
• If the ash is applied during the planting of berries and flowers, pumpkin and nightshade crops, it is necessary to mix the ash with the soil. This will help prevent burns to the root system.
• If the acidity of the soil is more than 7 units, the ash should not be used, the high alkali content makes it difficult to absorb nutrients plants.
• It is impossible to add ashes to fresh vegetable compost, this will prevent nitrogenous substances from accumulating in the substrate.

Ash as fertilizer how to apply

It is necessary to prepare top dressing from ash to make effective fertilizer. The substrate must be dry, it must not contain harmful impurities. It should consist of small fractions. Each gardener has his own way of preparing top dressing. Here are some of them.

Dry ash fertilizer

Easy to cook mineral supplement from dried ash. The fertilizer is applied in a fine-grained powder, it does not need to be sieved. Is taken right amount ash, and crumbles on the ground. The ash can be dug up with soil or used as mulch. Under the influence of moisture, it will penetrate into the lower layers of humus.

When using fertilizer from ash, it is important to respect the proportions. For sandy soils, up to 200 g / 1 sq. meter. For loamy soils, the dose should be doubled. It is important not to exceed the dosage, otherwise the alkaline characteristics of the soil will change, which will affect the condition of the plants.

Liquid fertilizer from the ashes

Top dressing is prepared by cold aging, but this requires patience. Ashes fall asleep in cold water, leave to infuse for about a week. The volume of water and the mass of ash depends on the plants that need to be fed. The standard dose is 200 g/10 liters of water.

The liquid substrate is used for foliar nutrition of plants: tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes. For this, household sprayers are used. The use of infusion in the garden can be combined with watering. This reduces the cost of caring for vegetable crops.

Preparation of the base infusion

Preparation of the base solution - difficult process, but it can be stored long time, use as needed. In 10 liters of water, it is necessary to dissolve a kilogram of ash, boil the mixture for 20 minutes. Pour off a liter of the base solution, add 10 liters of water, this solution can be used to feed the plants. It turns out a complete mineral supplement. Mineral Properties such infusions are stored for a long time. Between fertilizing with this solution, you can further enrich the soil with potassium permanganate, boric acid and ash.

Coal ash as a fertilizer

Slag and ash from combustion hard coal are rarely used, since coal ash contains radioactive elements and heavy metals. When applying this fertilizer to the soil, plants will accumulate harmful substances if the dose is exceeded. But the excess should be too large, if the ash is applied correctly, there will be no harm.

Coal ash contains more phosphorus and potassium salts, so it is effective to use it on acidic soils, as well as for feeding potatoes and tomatoes. Nightshade crops often suffer from late blight, coal ash contains a lot of copper, which helps to restrain the development of the disease. Feeding the soil with coal ash in a small amount will give a rich harvest, and will not cause harm.

Ash from the leaves: application

Plants shed their leaves in autumn, they accumulate waste products. Gardeners use the foliage as plant compost by burning it. The mass of dry matter is 1-2% of the weight of the burnt leaves. To obtain a complete fertilizer, the concentration of the necessary trace elements in the ash is sufficient.

Flowers are also rich in organic matter. Woody stems of flower crops are used in compost, crushed to small fractions. If you burn faded plants, you can get top dressing rich in trace elements.

How to burn fallen leaves? Flowers and leaves are best burned in boxes or metal barrels. Do not allow moisture to enter the container, otherwise it will lead to deterioration of the fertilizer properties. How to store fertilizer ash? The resulting ash is stored in boxes or closed plastic bags.

Ash from walnut leaves

Leaf ash walnut very useful for plants. The chemical composition of the leaves contains many proteins, fats, complex compounds, iodine. Majority organic compounds burns, but a sufficient amount of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium remains in the ashes.

Walnut leaf blades contain manganese, sulfur, calcium, zinc, cobalt, fluorine, strontium. Substances are presented as oxides, which dissolve well in water and are well absorbed by the tissues of the root system. Top dressing with ashes of nuts has the same benefits as the ashes of poplar, oak or pear leaves.

wood ash as fertilizer

To obtain high-quality wood ash, it is important to use quality material: stem plants and wood different breeds. Ash fertilizer rich in minerals can be obtained as a result of:

• burning sunflower husks and its stems;
• deciduous trees;
• cereal straw;
• potato tops;
• coniferous trees;
• vines of grapes;
• herbal plants.

Wood ash must not be used if the raw material used was originally treated with paint. This will negatively affect the quality, increase the risk of heavy metals entering the plant.

Wood ash as fertilizer for indoor plants

Flower growers who grow indoor plants, use wood ash to feed potted crops. To do this, prepare a useful solution:

1. Nutrient solution for root dressing. 2-3 tbsp. spoons are stirred in a liter of water, in a week the fertilizer will be ready.
2. Solution for direct soil application. When planting flowers in the substrate add 2 tbsp. spoons per kilogram of soil. Further, the plants are fertilized with ash only in upper layer soil.

Ash fertilizer for strawberries

Strawberries can be fertilized with ashes in two ways: in the form of foliar and root dressing. Root top dressing is needed twice a year: after harvesting, before the flowering stage. Foliar top dressing is carried out at the stage of fruit set. The preparation of fertilizer for strawberries has its own characteristics.

Wet feed. Dissolve 100 g of ash in 10 liters of water, boil for half an hour, then cool and pour into another container. For 1 square meter 1 liter of top dressing is required.

Dry feed. Ash is sprayed between rows at the rate of 70 g/sq. m.

Top dressing. Mix 2 g of boric acid, 70 g of sifted ash, 2 g of potassium permanganate, 15 ml of iodine and 10 liters of water. This volume is enough to feed 20 square meters. landing meters. Irrigation should be done in the evening.

Ash fertilizer for grapes

Top dressing of grapes with ash is carried out by foliar and root methods. For root dressing, take 200 g of dry ash, which is sprayed under each bush. The soil is dug up, the ash will get to the roots of the plant under the influence of external moisture. Work is carried out in the spring. You can add ash to fermented humus.

Foliar feeding helps fight grape diseases. The ash is sifted, poured with water, insisted for a day, a uterine infusion should be obtained. The solution is filtered, half a liter of solution is used for spraying, which is poured into a 10 liter bucket of water. They irrigate clusters and leaves. This volume is enough to spray 10 square meters. meters. The solution can be carried out root top dressing.

Ash fertilizer application for other crops

Ash and fertilizer from it is effective for growing various horticultural crops. For garlic, when planting, ash is applied during pre-sowing preparation of beds, which is carried out early autumn or early spring. When digging, it is enough to close up one glass per one running meter. If you need to reduce acidity, ash is added at the rate of 2 buckets per square meter.

The rich composition of the ash favorably affects the growth of roses. It helps flowers resist diseases, stimulates the development flower buds, increases the ability of roses to survive the winter. Top dressing with ashes is carried out several times during the growing season and when planting roses.

Pumpkins, zucchini, cucumbers, squash are fed three times per season. The first top dressing is carried out when digging (1 cup / sq. Meter).

The second is feeding seedlings with ashes (1-2 cups / hole),

The third - in the middle of the growing season when watering - 1 cup per square meter.

Twice you need to feed the tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. Three cups per square meter are applied during digging, half a cup of fertilizer is applied to each hole when planting seedlings.

Wood ash fertilizer has been used since ancient times as the first fertilizer used by farmers to enrich the soil with inorganic compounds.

The combustion products of dry plant waste - wood, flowers, weeds, straw, leaves and even cigarettes - are rich in magnesium and boron, calcium and zinc, sodium and potassium, sulfur and phosphorus compounds, which are essential for the full vegetation of plants.

Timely introduction of ash fertilizer into the soil increases the resistance of plants to pests, helps cultivated plants resist bacterial and fungal infections, improves taste qualities marketable products, and also changes the physical and Chemical properties soil, creating conditions for the full vegetation of plants.

Article plan

Wood ash fertilizers improve the qualitative composition of the soil, saturating the soil with mineral compounds that improve the alkaline properties of humus. Ash changes the acidity of the soil, increasing its pH, which favorably affects the fruiting of plants.

1. The qualitative composition of the soil is significantly improved when ash is added to it, which is a natural baking powder of the soil.
2. The use of ash increases the yield on heavy loamy soils, facilitates the mechanical processing of soil layers, and allows plants to develop normally.
3. Wood ash fertilizers change the physical structure of the soil and are a means of increasing the access of oxygen to the soil, without which aerobic microorganisms and soil invertebrates cannot live.

In order to increase the effectiveness of wood ash top dressing, it should be applied not in pure form, but together with humus, peat or compost.

This use of ash contributes to a more rapid decomposition of organic matter. The direct application of ash to the soil is not excluded, which also improves the fertile properties of humus and favorably affects the ability of crops to bear fruit.

After applying fertilizer from the ashes, the positive effect on plants lasts up to three years.

How do I use wood ash in my garden?

Contraindications for the use of ash

1. Do not add ashes to fresh manure– this reduces the nitrogen content of the organic compost and leads to the creation of mineral compounds that the plant root system is unable to absorb.
2. It is forbidden to fertilize seedlings with ashes until the first true leaves are formed. At this stage, it is worth fertilizing with nitrogenous compounds.
3. Cannot be enriched with ashes acidic soils on which cabbage or beans grow.
4. It is forbidden to simultaneously apply charcoal and nitrogen fertilizers to the soil, it is better to carry out these operations at different times: in the fall - ash, in the spring - nitrogenous fertilizers, or vice versa.
5. During the planting of flowers and berries, nightshade (tomatoes) and pumpkin (zucchini or cucumbers) crops, the ashes are mixed with the soil to prevent burns of the integumentary tissues of the roots.
6. On soils where pH > 7 units, ash is not used, since the high content of alkali in the soil makes it difficult for plants to absorb nutrients.
7. Avoid adding ash to fresh vegetable compost, as this prevents the accumulation of nitrogenous substances in the substrate.

Rules for the preparation of dressings from wood ash

It is not difficult to make effective fertilizer from pre-harvested ash. It is only important to accumulate the necessary volumes of material. The substrate must be dry, consist of fine fractions and must not contain substances harmful to plants and humans. Gardeners in practice use several methods for preparing top dressing from wood ash.

It is not difficult to prepare mineral top dressing from dried ash, since the fertilizer is used unchanged - in a fine powder. You don't even need to sift it. The right amount is taken and sprayed on the ground. It is dug with the soil or left on the ground as a mulch, which, under the influence of moisture, will gradually penetrate into the lower horizons of humus.

When applying fertilizer from ash, it is important to observe the proportions of ash application per 1 m². For sandy soils, from 100 to 200 g of ash is applied per 1 m², for loamy soils the dose increases by 2-4 times - the mass depends on the percentage of clay in the soil.

It is important not to exceed the amount of ash introduced into the soil, otherwise the alkaline characteristics of the soil may change, which will affect the plants.

To make a liquid mineral fertilizer from vegetable ash, it is important to be patient when the top dressing is prepared using the cold aging method. The ashes are poured into cold water, mixed and left to infuse for 6-7 days. The mass of ash and the volume of water depend on the plants that will be fed. But, as a rule, it is 100-200 g of ash per 10 liters of water.

Such a liquid substrate is well absorbed by the root system of the plant. The use of infusion is recommended to be combined with watering plants, which significantly reduces the cost of caring for crops. In addition, wet dressing can also be used for foliar feeding of plants, which is often done by gardeners cultivating grapes, cucumbers and tomatoes. Only then should household sprayers be used.

In the practice of preparing fertilizers from organic ash, more complex recipes are also used, such as the preparation of a basic (mother) solution. 1 kg of ash is dissolved in 10 liters of water, and the mixture is boiled for 10-20 minutes. Then 1 liter of the stock solution is diluted with 10 liters of water and the plants are wet fed. Using this technique, you can quickly prepare a complete mineral supplement.

The base solution is stored for a long time and can be used in subsequent top dressing. The mineral properties of the mother liquor prepared in advance retain their properties for a long time. In the pauses between top dressing, it can be further enriched with boric acid, potassium permanganate and ash. In fact, a ready-to-use fertilizer is obtained.

How to apply ash on soil

In autumn, plants shed their leaves, in which waste products have accumulated. Gardeners use the leaves as vegetable compost, dispose of them in a landfill, or burn them. The first and second steps are the most pragmatic. The mass of solids of ash is 1-2% of the weight of the burnt leaves, but the concentration of the necessary trace elements is sufficient to obtain a complete fertilizer.

Also rich in organic matter and flowers, available in abundance on the plots. Many flower crops have woody stems and will require special grinding to finer fractions to use them in compost. However, fertilizer can be obtained from faded plants if they are burned, fortunately, from the ashes of flowers, fertilizing rich in microelements can be obtained.

How to burn leaves for ash

Leaves and flowers are best burned in metal barrels or boxes, which will help during leaf fall and freeing the site from plant residues accumulate several kilograms of ash fraction. The main thing is to prevent moisture from getting inside the container, which will lead to excessive leaching of the substance and worsen its fertilizing properties. Ashes are usually stored in closed plastic bags or boxes.

There is an opinion among gardeners that the ash from the burnt leaves of a walnut (Voloshsky) nut is extremely valuable and useful for plants, like fertilizer. There is no doubt that the chemical composition of walnut leaves is rich in iodine, proteins, fats and other complex compounds. But all this organic diversity burns out, and phosphorus (up to 550 mg), potassium (up to 1300 mg), magnesium (up to 220 mg) remain in the ashes of the leaves of the walnut.

Walnut leaf blades are rich in calcium (90-160 mg), sulfur (40-90 mg), manganese (up to 15 mg) and zinc (about 6 mg). In smaller quantities, iodine, cobalt, nickel, chromium, strontium and fluorine are present. All these substances are presented as oxides, which dissolve well in water and are well absorbed by the tissues of plant root systems. Therefore, the benefit of ash walnuts the same as from the ashes of pear, oak or poplar leaves.

Is there nitrogen in ash fertilizers

In the process of combustion of plant organic matter, nitrogen present in the tissues of leaves and wood escapes and no traces of it are observed in the ashes. Therefore, organic ash is not considered, and only mineral compounds can be present in the ash. This makes charcoal an ideal inorganic nutrient rich in potassium, phosphorus, calcium and other elements.

The nitrogen present in large quantities in fresh manure and vegetable compost, volatilizes from the fermenting substance if ash is added to it. Such conclusions are associated with the high alkaline activity of the ash.

Ash can be enriched or vegetable humus, in these substances nitrogen is in a bound state. Only in this case, organic and inorganic compounds are in equilibrium.

Tobacco ash from all types of cigarettes and cigars is effective as a mineral fertilizer for feeding flowers growing in an enclosed space (in a house or a greenhouse). It is difficult to accumulate the required amount of substance, since a smoked cigarette produces 0.5-0.7 g of ash. But in order not to spend money on expensive mineral complexes should organize the collection and storage of ashes, which contain needed by plants chemical compounds.

There is an opinion that cigarette ash is harmful to plants and cannot be used as a mineral fertilizer. This misconception is refuted by the chemical composition of cigarette ash, from which all harmful substances evaporate, and only mineral compounds remain, albeit in microscopic volumes.

Cigarette ash is used as a dry and wet top dressing, as well as a remedy for fungal infections.

If there are no smokers in the family, then wood ash from plants should be used to feed home flowers. Best to use liquid fertilizer from vegetable ash, it is in this form that top dressing will be most effective and safe for indoor plants. The minerals dissolved in water are easily absorbed by the flower, and the possibility of burning the roots of the plant is eliminated.

• Ash consumption rate: 10-15 g per liter of water.
• The infusion should be kept for 2-3 days.
• The irrigation dose depends on the size of the plant and can range from 50 ml to 300 ml per plant.

Liquid top dressing with an ash solution should be carried out 3-4 times a year. At the time of flowering, fertilizer can be carried out more often, with an interval of 2-3 weeks. In this case, the flowering period will continue.

Coal ash - can it be used as top dressing?

Coal ash extracted from the stove is most suitable for installation drainage systems and the manufacture of building materials, and as a means of soil fertilization, it is inferior in efficiency to the ashes of wood, leaves, flower stems and shrubs.

Such conclusions are associated with a low content in coal slag of easily soluble mineral compounds - potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, boron, zinc and sodium.

But in coal ash there are compounds that are necessary for the soil - these are carbonates (CaCO 3), silicates (CaSiO 3) and sulfates (CaSO 4). These substances are poorly soluble in water, however, this property does not prevent them from performing two important functions: soil fertilization - albeit insignificant, and a change in the physical structure of the fertile layer. In practice, coal ash is an alternative to river sand.

These components help to change the structural composition of the soil and enrich the soil with sulfur and silicon compounds, which are required in large quantities by all types of cabbage, horseradish, onion and legumes.

Rules for the use of ash from the stove

1. sift coal slag, selecting fractions diameter 2-5 mm;
2. spray ash on the soil, at the rate of 40-100 g / m² (the mass depends on the percentage of clay in the soil);
3. dig a plot to a depth of at least 15-20 cm;

Important note. Work on fertilizing loamy soil with ash from coal slag should be carried out in the fall, before the autumn tillage. If the clay content in the soil exceeds 50-60%, then, in addition to coal ash, sawdust or lime is introduced into the soil. Also, the joint application of fermented manure or vegetable compost is mandatory, which will significantly improve the soil structure.

On sandy soils, coal slag is not used.

Note. Coal ash, even with a low content of trace elements, will not only help to change the physicochemical properties of the soil, but also enrich it with silicon and sulfur compounds, which, having dissolved by precipitation, will be easily absorbed by plants.

The plant most needs fertilizers rich in potassium and phosphorus, and an excess of nitrogen fertilizers leads to increased development of stems and leaves, and to a deterioration in the quality of marketable fruits. As a result, it is important to feed the cucumbers with mineral fertilizers two or three times during the growing season, the most accessible of which is plant ash.

There are two ways to prepare mineral fertilizer: from dry ash and infused ash. aqueous solution, in the latter case, liquid top dressing can be applied during watering cucumber bushes.

1. Dry feed. Fresh or stored ashes are used. The ash is scattered over the row-spacing, and then the planned irrigation is carried out, as a result of which the ash is dissolved in water and absorbed by the root system of plants. The consumption rate is 50 g of ash per linear meter.
2. Wet feed. 150 g of ash insist on 10 liters of water for 5-7 days. After that, watering is carried out, at the rate of 0.5 liters per bush.

Plants are fed in phases:

1. formation of flower buds,
2. with the mass appearance of the first ovaries
3. and during the period of intensive fruiting.

However, do not abuse the top dressing with ashes and spend them no more than 2-3 per cultivation season.

The need to feed tomatoes with ashes depends on the growth phase of the plant. First of all, the plant needs the substances contained in the ashes in the flowering phase of the first brush. And secondarily, tomatoes need ash feed during the process of fruit formation.

It is a simple task to prepare mineral fertilizer from sifted ash, since both ash dissolved in water and its fine fraction form are suitable for tomatoes.

1. Dry feed. Harvested ash is used, which will require 50-60 g / m² to enrich the soil. The ash is simply scattered around the bushes and, dissolving under natural or artificial precipitation, enters the soil.
2. Wet feed. Ash solution fertilizer is prepared by soaking 50-100 g of ash in 10 liters of water for 7 days. The consumption rate depends on the type of plant: undersized varieties 0.5 l of infusion is consumed, for tall ones - up to 1.0 l.

In total, 2 top dressings are carried out wet and no more than 2 dry.

How to conduct summer top dressing ash tomato

There are two ways to fertilize the berry with ashes: using root (dry or wet) and foliar top dressing. Root feeding of plants is carried out twice a year: before the flowering stage and after the main harvest. Foliar feeding is carried out in the phase of fruit set.

Cooking mineral fertilizer from sifted ash, is performed in the same way as for tomatoes or cucumbers, but the foliar mixture of strawberries has a different composition, which is used only for berries.

1. Dry feed. Ashes for dry top dressing of strawberries do not need to be sieved. It is enough to scatter the ashes along the aisles. Consumption rate 60-70 g/m².
2. Wet feed. The preparation of liquid top dressing from vegetable ash can be performed using an accelerated method. Dissolve 100 g of ash in 10 liters of water and boil for 20-30 minutes, cool and pour into another container without draining the precipitate formed during boiling. The consumption rate is 1 liter of water per 1 m² of beds.
3. Top dressing. In 10 l hot water dissolve boric acid(2 g), potassium permanganate (2 g), 60-70 g of sifted ashes and 15 ml of iodine. All ingredients must be completely dissolved. Irrigation is carried out in the evening. This volume is sufficient for foliar feeding 20 m² landing.

Mineral nutrition of grapes

Plant ash fertilizer has a very significant effect on the fruiting of grapes. In practice, two types of dressings are used - root and foliar. In the first case, the ash is introduced into the soil, which is dug up, in the second, a liquid ash solution is used, sprayed directly onto the plants.

1. Root top dressing. 100-200 g of dry ash is taken, which is sprayed around the bush. The earth is dug up and under the influence of external moisture (rain, dew and artificial irrigation), the ash will be delivered to the roots of the plant. Works are carried out in early spring or during the autumn tillage. Ash can be added to fermented humus.
2. Foliar top dressing. Such feeding of grapes helps to fight plant diseases and serves as an effective substitute for potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

Sifted ash, in a volume of 2 liters, is poured into 8 liters of water, after which the solution is allowed to brew for a day - this will be the mother infusion.

After the expiration date, the solution is filtered through a layer of cotton wool or several layers of gauze. For spraying plants, 0.5 l of stock solution is mixed with 10 l of water and irrigated with leaves and clusters. This volume is enough to spray 10 m² of planting.

This solution can also be used for root dressing, if during spring processing ash was not introduced into the soil. For 1 liter of the main solution, add 10 liters of water and water the ground under the bush, combining top dressing with the planned watering.

Note. External top dressing with ashes is carried out one month before the collection of clusters.

How to use wood ash as fertilizer for grapes

Feeding roses with ash

The mineral composition of the ash has a beneficial effect on roses: it stimulates the development of flower buds, helps flowers resist diseases, and increases the ability of roses to endure low temperatures. Top dressing from ash is applied to the soil when planting roses and several times during the growing season.

A rose grown on sandy soils is fertilized with ash at the rate of 200-400 g / m², and if the plant grows on heavy loamy areas, then the dose of ash fertilizer is doubled (up to 400-800 g / m²). The introduction of ashes, in a dry form, followed by watering the soil favorably affects the development of the plant and leads to long-term flowering.

EVERYTHING you need to know about wood ash as a fertilizer

Conclusion

Ash top dressing main part plant care, and the benefit that garden plot there is always an abundance of organic matter that can be burned. It is only important to burn the dry remains of plants so as not to pollute the air with smoke. Even plants stricken with diseases can be of benefit, for in a fire the sources of infection will die, and the remaining ashes can be saved for use in the next season.

The best way to accumulate fertilizer from plant ash is to burn plant residues in special barrels. As harvesting progresses, organic residues are burned, and the result will be minimal loss of accumulated ash.

Growing healthy "live" food requires special agricultural techniques and natural fertilizers. The best organic fertilizer known - this is manure. What is the best mineral? To "without chemistry"? Ordinary wood (vegetable) ash as a fertilizer has no equal!

Experienced gardeners-gardeners never take out any plant residues for garbage, whether it be trimmings of trees, bushes, “obsolete” tops or fallen leaves. All this wealth will be carefully dried, burned and brought into the soil.

In addition to the direct use of ash as a natural fertilizer, it can become:

• mineral supplement;
• soil structure improver;
• means for pest control;
• means for the prevention of plant disease;

Such a widespread use of ordinary ash is due to its composition and properties.

What is included in the composition of ordinary wood ash

The set of macro and microelements contained in the ash directly depends on the "initial raw materials". For example, ashes from burning straw contain mass fraction useful substances two times less than the ashes from birch firewood. The “composition of ash” can be given only in very approximate values.

Any vegetable ash, regardless of the way it is obtained, contains. The table shows the approximate content of substances in percent by weight.

There is no chlorine in the ash, so it can be safely used to fertilize any kind of berries and vegetables. Since ash is a natural substance, you should not be afraid of an overdose.

The lack of nitrogen in the ash should be compensated by applying fresh manure or one-component nitrogen fertilizers.

Coal slag has no "nutritional" value for plants. However, it has proven itself well on heavy soils due to the high percentage of calcium. The disappearance of the wireworm was also noticed after the introduction of coal ash as a fertilizer.

Properties of ash and features of its impact on the soil

Ash has pronounced alkaline properties. Suffice it to recall that earlier, on its basis, housewives made lye, in which they washed and bleached linen. This property is indispensable for improving soil structure, reducing acidity.

Few plants (with the exception of some types of flowers) prefer acidic soils. Neutral, and preferably alkaline earth - a gardener's dream middle lane and the north of our country. Fertilizer with ash simultaneously reduces acidity. The earth becomes lighter, more structured. The effect of a single application lasts up to 3 years. If the application is carried out regularly, the land will not be slow to respond with excellent harvests.

How to apply ash correctly depends on the initial structure of the soil. Clay, heavy areas are best fertilized in the fall. So the soil will have enough time to "digest" the introduced. In sandy, easily washed out areas where nutrient retention is the goal, ash should be used as a fertilizer in the spring.

Advice! For early snow melting in the garden, “pollinate” it with ashes. Dark snow will melt much faster, introducing valuable fertilizer into the soil.

Norms and rules for the introduction of wood ash

Experienced gardeners bring ash "by eye", evenly scattering it in the necessary areas.

A novice gardener should know how to use ash:

1. It is impossible to use ashes from bonfires, where, along with branches and tops, household waste, painted wood, chipboard, plywood were burned. This "fertilizer" is extremely toxic.
2. A faceted glass contains about 100 gr. ash. This amount is enough for 1 square. m. dry spray or for the preparation of 1 bucket of water solution. AT liter jar fits 500 gr., in a bucket - 5 kg.
3. During storage, the ashes should be protected from moisture - potassium is lost under its action. In addition, moisture causes the ash to cake, which makes it impossible to apply it evenly in dry form.
4. If it is not possible to "produce" ash on your own, then you can buy it. The cost of 1 kg of ash varies from 60 to 100 rubles.
5. Ash is chemically very active substance. Any joint application of it with other fertilizers, whether it be manure or saltpeter, can lead to unpredictable results. At best, everything will go to waste. At worst, aggressive substances harmful to plantings can form. The required pause between applications is about 3 weeks.
6. For lovers of room greens, top dressing with ash will provide good growth and flower health. For irrigation, a tablespoon (6 g) of ash is diluted in a liter of water. You can add dry ash to the soil during transplantation.

The folk technology of use consists in "mixing" handfuls of ash into the ground, starting with planting seeds for seedlings. It is also introduced into each hole (also a handful) when planting plants in the ground. Peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins vividly "respond" to such care.

How to use wood ash to protect garden plants

Fertilizing the soil is not limited to the beneficial properties of ash. Based on it, you can prepare effective medicines for plants and "poison" for pests.

The proposed plant protection measures are time-consuming, require frequent repetition (after each watering or rain). Their use is justified in small, cultivated areas.

A competent approach, used throughout the entire growing season of plants, increases the yield by several times. Without the use of chemistry, a healthy ecosystem is formed on the site, which in the future will protect itself. The owner receives excellent, healthy food.

It is good to sit near the Russian stove and look at the hot flame. Fiery tongues embrace merrily gurgling cast-iron pots and slowly lick the logs, leaving behind smoldering embers and heaps of ash.

Before a new kindling, the cooled ash is collected with a scoop and thrown into the backyard. Occasionally, a zealous owner will scatter ash in the fall over the beds and under the plantations, but its scope is much wider. We will find out where else ash is used, what types it is and what substances it contains.

Types of ash and chemical composition

You can burn anything that burns and still get ash. But not all ash will be useful. Therefore, it is usually considered 3 of its types:

• wood;
• vegetable;
• coal.

The ash obtained from the combustion of firewood, plant residues (dried stems of various plants) and coal (stone and brown) differs in the content of trace elements. The differences are clearly shown in the tables:

As can be seen from the tables, the basis of ash is 3 chemical element- potassium, phosphorus and calcium. The composition of the ash determines the scope of its application.

Areas of application for wood ash

The most widely used wood ash, as a champion in the content of useful minerals. The chemical composition of wood ash allows it to be used in the following industries:

• Agriculture;
• chemical industry;
• personal household plots.

The most valuable property of ash - high pH - determines its use as a natural antiseptic and an agent that reduces soil acidity. Almost all areas of application of wood ash are based on these two factors.

Ash is the first fertilizer known to people since the Neolithic era. Slash-and-burn agriculture was based on its action, when the forest was burned, then this place was plowed up and cultivated plants were sown.

How is ash used as a fertilizer in agriculture and horticulture

Wood ash is a good fertilizer for acidic and neutral soils. In addition to potassium and phosphorus, it contains calcium, zinc, sulfur, magnesium, iron in an easily digestible form for plants. At the same time, ash, unlike chemical fertilizers does not contain chlorine, so crops such as potatoes, currants, strawberries, raspberries are fertilized with it.

This gift of nature will protect cabbage of all kinds from keel and black leg. It is useful to make it under cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin and squash. When planting seedlings, 1-2 tablespoons are added to the hole. At autumn digging beds per 1 sq. m scatter one glass.

Nightshade crops are also responsive to wood ash fertilizer. Under tomatoes, potatoes, Bell pepper and eggplant contribute 3 tablespoons or 3 cups per square meter of beds.

AT without fail ash is used in gardening. It is added to landing pits and once every 3–4 years they are scattered in tree trunks under cherries, plums, black currants. This is done as follows: along the perimeter of the crown, they dig a groove half a bayonet of a shovel deep, pour ash or pour in an ash solution and level it with a rake. On the mature tree consume about 2 kg of fertilizer. Liquid ash fertilizer is obtained by adding 2 cups of ash to 10 liters of water. The solution is stirred, infused and poured into the grooves. Under cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes contribute half a liter under the plant. The undissolved residue is distributed over trunk circle or throw it in the compost bin.

On heavy clayey and acidified soils, ash is applied twice a year - in spring and autumn, on light sandy loamy soils - only in spring.

When making ash, the acid-base balance of the soil should be taken into account. pH7 is considered normal, a lower number indicates acidic, and a high one indicates alkaline.

The acidity of the soil is measured with litmus paper, lowering it into a water extract. soil mixture. Then the resulting color is compared with the color scale. You should be aware that in highly acidic or, conversely, alkaline soils, basic minerals are not available to plants. Therefore, crops will grow poorly when even excess fertilizer is applied. First you need to bring the acidity back to normal, and then apply any fertilizer. Ash applied to the soil acts slowly, over several years, so you need to regularly measure soil indicators and adjust the application rates.

How to deal with pests and plant diseases with ash

Wood ash is useful not only as a fertilizer. Ash-soap solution is an exceptionally cheap, effective and completely safe remedy to fight garden pests. It is prepared as follows:

• 300 g of sifted ash is poured with boiling water and boiled for half an hour;
• filter and pour into a bucket of water;
• for better adhesion, add 50 g of laundry soap.

Spraying is carried out in the evening, in dry weather, trying to get on both sides of the leaves. The remedy is effective against all sucking insects - aphids, fleas, ticks and others.

Processing with an ash-soap solution does not harm plants and flying beneficial insects so it can be done frequently. If tobacco dust is added to this solution, the infusion will help scare away the Colorado potato beetle and its larvae from potato plantings.

A mixture of sifted ash and tobacco dust is dusted with onion plantings from an onion fly, cabbage from a cruciferous flea.

Wood ash infusion protects blackcurrants and gooseberries from sawfly larvae, moths, aphids and powdery mildew. For preparation, a half-liter jar of ash is poured into a bucket of hot water and insisted for two days.

To protect cabbage from fleas, strawberries from slugs, dusting the beds with dry ash helps.

How to fertilize houseplants with ashes

Ash is an excellent fertilizer for indoor plants. During spring transplant it is added to the soil in the amount of 2 tablespoons per 1 kg of earth mixture. Geranium, cyclamen, fuchsia respond especially well to such additives.

Ash infusions are effective for large plants that are not transplanted every year. The infusion is prepared as follows: 3 tablespoons of sifted ash is diluted in 1 liter of water and infused for a week, stirring from time to time. For feeding indoor flowers, up to 100 ml of the product is consumed per 1 liter pot.

When flowers are affected by thrips or midges, dusting the soil surface is effective. At the same time, watering is reduced and glue traps are used. This set of measures helps to quickly and safely get rid of pests.

Ash in the diet of cats

Many cat lovers, reading the composition of pet food, wondered - why does it contain ash? The fact is that the mineral elements that are in it are equally necessary for both plants and animals. Therefore, the ash in cat food allows you to renew their supplies. Trace elements are needed for normal hair growth, strengthening bones and teeth, they are involved in digestion and metabolism. If your pet is constantly trying to chew on inedible items, treat him to food that contains ash. Caution should be given to such foods for cats with urolithiasis. For sick animals, a diet based on natural products should be chosen.

How is ash used in everyday life

Ash of any kind is effective when used in country and village toilets. To suppress pathogens and eliminate odor, it is poured into the contents. Subsequently, the ash mixed with fecal masses decomposes faster into compost heaps without acidifying them.

With the help of ash and peat, it is easy to arrange a homemade dry closet. To do this, after using the device, the contents are covered with a portion of these natural antiseptics.

Where is coal ash used?

Coal ash is obtained by burning brown or hard coal. In its composition, it differs from wood. Coal combustion products contain a small amount of useful substances. In addition, these substances in coal ash are present in a form that is difficult for plants to access - in the form of silicates. Therefore, as a fertilizer, coal ash is practically not used. But they still bring it into the soil. Coal ash contains a large amount of silicon oxides, so it is used for drying and loosening heavy wet clay soils. This measure improves the structure of the soil, increases its air permeability.

Combustion products of coal must be combined with ammonia, organic and calcium-containing types of fertilizers.

Brown coal ash, unlike coal ash, is rich in trace elements and does not increase soil acidity. It is used to saturate the soil with such rare microelements as boron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum. They help increase productivity. Brown coal crumb contains a small amount of glumic acids and is a raw material for the production of glumates - substances with high physiological activity. Glumates increase the agrochemical properties of the soil and prevent the washing out of useful elements.

Brown coal processing products are used in the preparation of an earth mixture for tomatoes and cucumbers.

It is necessary to store ashes of any type in tightly closed containers in dry rooms. When moisture gets in, its benefits are sharply reduced.

Subject to the norms and terms of application, ash significantly increases the agrochemical properties of the soil, helps in solving household issues and remains at the same time completely free and safe natural remedy.

Features of the use of wood ash - video

Ash as a fertilizer, and, moreover, very valuable, has long been recognized. Many generations of gardeners use it to improve soil fertility. It contains in its composition most essential nutrients needed for plant growth, as wood ash is derived from plant material. What is its use? Is it safe to use it in the garden as a fertilizer? Yes and no! Ashes is good source potassium, phosphorus, some trace elements. It depends on the type of wood burned.

So if your soil is deficient in potassium, then ash can fix it. And if the soil in your area is very acidic (pH less than 5.5), then it can improve the acidic composition of the soil. But if the soil in your area is neutral or alkaline, then using ashes as a fertilizer can raise the pH so high that the plants lose their ability to get nutrients from the soil.

Composition of wood ash

When firewood burns, nitrogen and sulfur go into the air in the form of gases, while calcium, potassium, magnesium, and various trace elements remain. Carbonates, oxides left after burning wood, when introduced into the soil, neutralize its acidity.

The value of fertilizer from burned trees depends on the type of wood you are burning. In general, hardwood ash contains a higher percentage of nutrients than softwood ash.

Anyway wood ash is an alkaline complex fertilizer. Its main advantage is the high content of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus in a form accessible to plants.

Burnt wood does not contain nitrogen, which volatilizes when burned. However, this is not at all a reason to apply nitrogen fertilizers with it. There will be no benefit in this case, as this will lead to the formation and release of ammonia, large doses of which are dangerous for plants.

The introduction of ash helps to reduce the acidity of the soil. It is not recommended to apply it in bulk on soils with acidity (pH) values ​​of 7 or higher. Since this will contribute to an even greater increase in the alkalinity of the soil. It is brought in randomly for digging the soil or in grooves, holes during planting. The maximum consumption rate for digging the soil should not exceed 1 glass per square meter. m. In this case, its action will be observed for 2 - 4 years after the introduction.

Ash solution or infusion of wood ash - how to cook

You can use the so-called ash solution or ash infusion to fertilize plants. It is prepared as follows: 1 glass of wood ash (100-150 g) is poured with a bucket of water, insisted (I leave it overnight). This solution is poured garden plants. Before watering, the infusion is mixed. Insoluble ash particles should be evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Wood ash - use in the garden, where you can and where you can't

Burnt wood can be successfully used in compost heaps to help create best conditions, for microorganisms processing organic substances. Sprinkle ashes on each layer of compost to enrich the latter with nutrients.

With judicious use, it can be used to control various pests, such as slugs or snails, as it sucks water from the organs of invertebrates. Sprinkle ashes around your plants to repel crawling pests. But as soon as the ash gets wet, it loses its deterrent properties. Its continuous use for these purposes can greatly increase the pH of the soil, and this is harmful to plants.

Wood ash should not be applied around plants such as rhododendron, blueberries. They love acidic soil, and it reduces acidity, which will depress these plants.

Potatoes respond well to its use in cultivation - potato friability increases by 1-1.5%, but still use it carefully when planting potatoes, as it contributes to the development of such a dangerous tuber disease as rhizoctoniosis or scab.

Do not use ashes for fertilizer until the third true leaf appears, as it contains too many salts that are harmful to immature plants. When planting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, you can add 1 tablespoon of ash to the hole. But be sure to mix it with the soil, and also sprinkle it on top of the earth so that the roots of the seedlings do not come into contact with it. Otherwise, they will get burned, the plant will get sick, take root in a new place for a long time.

Do not use wood ash to repel pests on radishes, radishes, or turnips. You may scare away pests, but you won’t wait for the harvest of radishes and the like - they will go “into the arrow”. That is, the root crops will stop growing, coarsen, stiffen - they will release a flower arrow.

Dry wood ash does not lose its properties during storage. useful properties for many years. But when soaking, it loses almost all of its potassium. The percentage of potassium in the ashes depends on the type and age of the burnt wood. The younger it is, the more potassium it contains.

Ash contains little phosphorus compared to potassium. But such phosphorus is used by plants better than from superphosphate.

Walnut ash as a fertilizer

Some summer residents are afraid of wood ash. Their fears are most likely based on the delusion that plants of the nut family (walnut, Manchurian, gray and black) contain Chemical substance juglone (nucin), belonging to the class of naphthoquinones. This substance has an adverse effect on plants growing next to the nut.

Their fears are unfounded. In the walnut plant, juglone is found in the green skin, leaves, roots, and also the bark. When burned, juglone, as an organic substance consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, completely decomposes, volatilizes. Ash from walnut wood, as well as from other tree crops, contains potassium (15-20%), calcium (6-9%), phosphorus (5%), in small quantities magnesium, iron, sulfur, zinc. In addition, it includes many other trace elements necessary for vegetable crops.

Walnut shell ash can be used as a cosmetic product, for example, to remove unwanted hair. The following recipe for the preparation of the drug is recommended: the nut shells are burned, the ashes are diluted with water. For one teaspoon of ash, take 0.5 liters of water. The resulting composition is used to lubricate areas of the skin with unwanted hair.

What other ash can be used as fertilizer

In the garden, you can use ash from burning sunflower husks, rice husks as fertilizer.

When burning sunflower husk, it is formed in the amount of 0.5-1.0% of the total volume. It is very rich in potassium, can be used as a valuable potash fertilizer. Ash from sunflower husks, as well as from buckwheat straw, are leaders in the content of potassium dioxide (K 2 O) compared to wood or from other plants. You should know that when burning sunflower husks, nitrogen from it escapes into the atmosphere. Therefore, ashes, unlike the husk itself, do not enrich the soil with nitrogen, just like wood.

In addition to sunflower husks, in areas Krasnodar Territory where rice is cultivated, a considerable amount of rice husks are obtained. It is believed that for each ton of rice hulled, about 200 kg of rice husks are wasted. This is a very valuable resource. Rice husk ash contains almost all nutritious macro- and microelements - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, boron, cobalt, etc. True, when it is burned, elements such as oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen evaporate in atmosphere.

Can ash from burning hay or straw be used as fertilizer? To be honest, straw from cereals does not contain much nutrients. Moreover, a lot of it is required for plant nutrition. I don't think you have whole stacks of her. Of course, you can use it for all garden crops. But keep in mind that it is considered the best from under oats, rye and rice.

Do not use on your site the same ashes that come from burning garbage, cardboard, coal, or particle board. These substances contain trace elements that are harmful to many plants when used in excessive amounts. For example, the adhesive used in the manufacture cardboard boxes or chipboard, contains boron, an element toxic to many plant species.

When you work with wood ash, you must take some precautions. Wear gloves and goggles, and if it's shallow and windy, don't forget to wear a respirator.

What else can be added? Wood ash as a fertilizer is a valuable assistant to the gardener, gardener. I think we figured out when, where and how best to apply it.