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Using wood ash in your garden and lawn

2/25/2015

 
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We burn wood to heat our home. This means we end up with tons of wood ash. We put the ash into the garden. If you don't have a woodburning stove, the same rules might apply to your outdoor burn pile. And if you don't have a garden, wood ash could be used on your lawn. So let's talk about ash! 

I attended a health conference where it was argued that 100 years ago, everybody had a garden and everybody put the wood ash in the garden because it was loaded in micronutrients. Ash contains about 1 percent phosphorous, 5 percent potassium and small amounts of other nutrients that our plants need to help them bloom and establish strong root systems. 

Moderately alkaline soil favors the growth and productiveness of many garden plants. Wood ash is alkaline. So you should only apply the ash if your soil pH or acidity factor is less than 7 on a soil test. The only way to be certain is to get a soil test done. Wood ash changes the chemistry of the soil. It sweetens the soil. 

How much wood ash?
Apply 10-20 pounds of wood ash per 1000 square feet each year. No garden? You can also use wood ash on your lawn using about 15 pounds per 1000 square feet. Be careful not to burn your lawn though! And if you want your lawn or garden to be more green, you'll have to add nitrogen. There's none in wood ash and so it can't be considered a complete fertilizer for this reason. 

Vegetables & Fruits that like Wood Ash:
apples, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, lettuce, onion, parsnip, pea, rhubarb, squash, sweet pea

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Substituting Wood Ash for Lime:
Since ashes are alkaline [base] so they can be a great substitute for lime. So if you're told to spread 10 pounds o
f lime, you can do the same with 15-20 pounds of wood ash. I compost a ton of fruit scraps in my garden which are very acidic. The ashes help offset this addition by raising the pH. Lime does this too~ raises the pH of the soil. It's really all about balance. 

We spread our wood ash in the vegetable garden all winter and work it into the soil well before the planting season begins. You don't ever want wood ash to come in direct contact with any of your seed or the roots of the plant. If you can, keep the ash in a container by your garden and sprinkle on a layer now and then. This way you won't raise the pH of the soil too much at once.

So why do I advocate using it on your lawn and garden?
1) Because the ash has to go somewhere and this is a convenient way to dispose of it 2) If derived from hardwood [more nutrients than softwood] this wood ash is still highly beneficial despite its lack of nitrogen. 

Another advantage is that wood ash seems to kill weeds. In the spring, I don't have to weed my beds because the ash has already killed all the weeds. I think this is because the wood ash is a base and acts to kill the weeds (remember many plants like to be in that more acidic 4-5.5 pH range) so it must be raising the soils pH levels to deadly levels. 


Keep in mind: I don't grow acid loving plants like blueberries in my raised beds. If I did, I wouldn't be able to add the wood ash. I grow those types of plants in different parts of my yard to keep them separate. You might want to do the same, even if it requires some transplanting. 

  • Use only good quality hardwood ashes - stove ashes okay, burn pile not-so-much
  • No ashes from BBQ, grills, cardboards, plywood, painted or pressure treated wood
How do you dispose of your wood ash? Do you have a woodburner or burn pile?


45 Comments
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy link
2/24/2015 11:40:23 pm

So many great uses and a good way to make sure nothing is wasted.

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:14:42 am

Exactly the point!!

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Sally
2/25/2015 12:26:19 am

What a great idea. We burn wood in our fire place now and again but never thought of using it in our garden or lawn.

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:15:03 am

You might want to try this year Sally!

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Lori @TheHealthMinded.com link
2/25/2015 01:09:06 am

I LOVE using everything - it's the best feeling! (I play a game to create dinner using everything up in the fridge for example! I have had some real winners doing that!) So, this is great. I do not have a wood burning stove, though, but my neighbor does! I will let her know!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:15:36 am

I do the exact same thing....try to clean out my fridge then I fill it all again.

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Martha @ A Family Feast link
2/25/2015 01:19:19 am

What a great, informative article Laura! We do add our wood ash from our fireplace into our compost bins but have never considered how it might change the PH levels of that soil. Will definitely share this with my husband!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:16:10 am

Yes, it definitely changes the pH of the soil. Always a really good idea to test the pH of the soil too!

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Gingi Freeman link
2/25/2015 02:04:56 am

Seriously, somehow I think you're stalking me.. lol... yesterday I literally just had my hubby shovel out our firepit and add the ashes to our raised beds. Great info girl! <3 - www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:16:45 am

I'm definitely stalking you Gingi!! haha

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Erin R.
2/25/2015 03:35:50 am

Aw, I wish! The air quality is so ghastly here in the Salt Lake valley (giant bowl of crappy air) that we're mostly not allowed to use our fireplaces. But if my husb and I ever do get around to converting our gas fireplace to a normal one, I'll definitely remember this post. None of those chemically grocery store logs wrapped in paper, no garbage, etc., just natural wood. Excellent. That answers that one! Thanks!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:17:41 am

Great idea! too bad about the crappy air. Interesting about converting your gas fireplace. Sigh! always a project in the works.

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D.D.
2/25/2015 04:07:31 am

Right now, we've been throwing our ash in the garbage. But I do get worried that the ash might start a fire. Do you have a cooling period first! I've read of people who have burned their homes down by not disposing of it properly. Scary!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:18:14 am

Yes, throwing ash in the garbage uses a lot of trash bags and can get heavy.

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Sam
2/25/2015 05:37:47 am

Neat way to use the ash. This is a new concept for me.

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:18:34 am

Great Sam!

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Izzy link
2/25/2015 06:06:15 am

I think there might be some houses in the Southwest that use a woodstove, but unfortunately we don't have one! I do dream of moving back East at some point in the future and having a nice woodstove and a bigger garden! I'll have to come back to this post then :)

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:19:18 am

Hmmm, that's interesting. I never thought about whether or not Southwest homes even needed heat!

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Mary link
2/25/2015 01:17:18 pm

Ash in the garden what a wonderful idea. What a great way to repurpose something I usually just throw away.

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:19:42 am

I love reusing stuff for sure!

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Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen link
2/25/2015 08:32:26 pm

I love that nothing is wasted in your home, Laura!! What an informative post :) I never thought of using ash in a garden! I'll pass this onto my parents who have a fire pit and a big garden! Hope you're having a great week!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:20:12 am

No, we don't waste much, Ha. Save on garbage bags though, haha.

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Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg link
2/25/2015 10:43:21 pm

Laura - What an informational session! I worked at a garden center for years and never knew that ash could be used in gardens. Recycling materials is very important to my family and me. I'm looking forward to starting our garden this spring. :)

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:20:51 am

Good luck on your garden, lots of fun! Lots of planning =)

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kathy beyondchickencoop link
2/25/2015 11:41:15 pm

We primarily use our wood stove for heat and also end up with a lot of ash. My husband usually spreads it around our fruit trees, but we haven't put it in our garden beds. Time to give that a try.

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:21:29 am

Wow, I wonder how the fruit trees like it. We've actually never done that!!

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Tandy | Lavender and Lime link
2/26/2015 01:05:37 am

We don't have a fire place but I will pass this post on to friends that do. We are putting a gas fire place into the house we are building :)

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:21:55 am

Sounds lovely.

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Michaell @ Foodscape link
2/26/2015 07:12:39 am

Wow! Here in Cali everyone's lawn tends to be a little more yellow. I always thought it was the drought but maybe it can be fixed with a little nitrogen. I love coming to your site. I always learn so many great tips :)

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:22:27 am

Thanks so much Michaell!

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Helen @ Scrummy Lane link
2/27/2015 03:26:11 am

This is great to know, Laura. I always thought wood fires just polluted ... now I know that the ash can be put to very good use. All I need to do is get a house with a wood fire and a garden ...then I'm good to go!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:23:10 am

Most definitely, when you start raking it in with your blog =) Love the creatively there always.

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annie@ciaochowbambina link
2/27/2015 10:24:13 am

Such useful information, Laura. Thank you. I love knowing how to repurpose our ash. Now, what can I do about the bunnies and deer?

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:23:40 am

Sigh. Bunnies and deer, just feed them, because they're cute. Haha.

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mira link
3/1/2015 03:20:41 pm

Never thought of the use of wood ash in the garden. Great info Laura! I enjoy reading your blog a lot!

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Laura
3/2/2015 07:24:02 am

Oh thanks so much Mira.

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Ashley link
3/2/2015 01:25:36 pm

This is all so interesting! We don't have a wood-burning stove or fireplace or anything so never have any ash. I always learn new things here!

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Evelyn Baldwin link
3/7/2015 04:36:08 am

We are going to install a firewall and will use woods, so just on time your article. Thx

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Zambian Lady link
3/15/2015 10:08:28 am

We used a fire to cook when I was growing and we used the ash as 'fertilizer'. Everyone around us did the same and it helped with nourishing the plants.

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Lana
5/7/2017 08:10:21 am

I put coffee grounds on my lawn for the nitrogen since angle worms and nightcrawlers love it and they aerate your lawn so using that with the wood ash would be great for fertilizing your lawn

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David link
11/22/2017 05:11:44 pm

Don’t get me wrong, I’m for natural things and have heard people say wood ash is good on the garden, but I got to thinking. Isn’t it when you combine wood ash and water you are essentially making lye (as in soap making) which is caustic and one would think acidic. Which I’d believe would happen with the first rain. Maybe my understanding is wrong. Kind regards.

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Laura
11/22/2017 06:36:27 pm

Hi David. Nope, you are not wrong and sound a lot like my sister who has been saying the exact same thing......that one of these days I'm going to have a fire start on me. This is where testing the pH would be highly useful! But with a newborn baby, just don't have time to do. So I make sure I don't put too much wood ash in the garden and distribute it in many places in the yard. It's not an exact science for me! For example, we spread it around our trees Why is this? Because that's where I planted over 300 bulbs last year. All of my bulbs were eaten by deer, squirrels and rabbits....except for the ones with the wood ash around them. The animals wouldn't touch those ones so I actually got blooms. It also depends on how much wood ash you have. Good luck and thanks for chiming in.

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Rick
6/9/2018 11:31:24 pm

Our ash goes to the trash here. It's detrimental to the soil in our area.

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Nancy
6/25/2018 11:50:58 pm

We end up using ours to fill in pot holes and the like. It's not good for our soils.

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Misty
6/30/2018 11:33:22 pm

I don't have a wood burning stove but occasionally have an outdoor fire. Our soils aren't right for the ash, so it goes to the trash.

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    Hi, I'm Laura and hail from Western New York. I consider myself a lifelong learner who loves gardening with a 360 degree view. Thanks for stopping by!
    Laura Sproull

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