Hi All. New member here. Just wondering how much wood ash is suitable to add to garden beds or compost? (I love to cook outside over campfire so have a good source). Also anyone know about adding coffee grinds to compost? There seems to be mixed opinions. Thanks.
using wood ash from fire place or fire pit in compost?
- Thread starter Urs
- Start date
I'm not entirely sure on this topic as I can't use my ashes in my garden (as granndad likes to burn plastic in the same pile - sigh). But I believe that manure and wood ash compliment eachother well, as both individually could change the soil's PH. Personally I would invest in a soil PH meter and go through trial and error - especially if you have an area that doesn't need to be productive and can be used for tests.
Each plant can have a different preferred PH; strawberries can like acidic soil, whereas asparagus might prefer alkaline instead.
As for coffee grounds, I believe that they should make up no more than 10% of the compost.
Each plant can have a different preferred PH; strawberries can like acidic soil, whereas asparagus might prefer alkaline instead.
As for coffee grounds, I believe that they should make up no more than 10% of the compost.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2021
- Messages
- 448
- Climate
- Temperate (all seasons)
Um, you do know those are the same thing?
pH 1 to 6.9 = Acid (= low pH)
pH 7 = Neutral (Distilled Water)
pH 7.1 to 14 = Base/Alkaline (= high pH)
Ahah, oops. I've been a little unwell lately, so I made a slip up. You are right.
Cheers for the correction
Cheers for the correction
Hi there,
wood ash can be used in the garden. However too much of it on one spot raises (alkaline) the ph level to a point where some plants won`t like to grow. If you use it evenly spread throughout the compost or directly on your beds (which can also be done if you have a big amount at once to distribute) it works splendidly as fertilizer containing:
aprox. 200-300g wood ash on 1 sqm heavy/compact soil
Light and sandy soil further can be influenced in the negative more easily than havier soil, to the point where nothing grows again.
wood ash can be used in the garden. However too much of it on one spot raises (alkaline) the ph level to a point where some plants won`t like to grow. If you use it evenly spread throughout the compost or directly on your beds (which can also be done if you have a big amount at once to distribute) it works splendidly as fertilizer containing:
- Magnesium und potassium (3-6 %)
- phosphorus pentoxide (2-3 %)
- more traceelements such as: Iron, Manganese, Natrium, Boron
aprox. 200-300g wood ash on 1 sqm heavy/compact soil
Light and sandy soil further can be influenced in the negative more easily than havier soil, to the point where nothing grows again.
PorkandBeans
Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2023
- Messages
- 5
- Climate
- Temperate (all seasons)
Years ago I watched an old Russian family garden. The man used nothing on his potatoes but wood ash. I started soon after. My potatoes thank me for it!!!. I add about 1 cup of ash under every potato i plant. when I prep my soil for the rest of the garden, I put a layer of ash and then my compost on top. free fertilizer is a blessing. our forfathers did it so why not.
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2021
- Messages
- 448
- Climate
- Temperate (all seasons)
I think the main thing is an easy supply of trace elements which allow the plants to go gangbusters on the secondary metabolites which result in increased disease and insect resistance. I might try putting a cup of ash in my dead pot (nothing grows in it) and see if this will revive the soil.
Lyndiejean
Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2023
- Messages
- 12
- Climate
- Temperate (all seasons)
We use wood ash around our fruit trees and in the vegetable garden and in the compost will no ill effects. I think the Potash from it helps the fruiting of the fruit trees. I also use coffee grounds when I can get them in the compost and lightly sprinkled on the vegetable garden. Little and every now and again is my theory.
Another use for wood ash, especially if you've been burning hardwoods, is to create lye, which is used for making soap.
In compost it should be fine as it'll mix in with everything else and break down like everything else. Same goes for coffee grounds in compost. Just keep straight up ash away from acidic soil loving plants like blueberries, as they won't like their acidic soil being neutralised or made base/alkaline by the lye that will leach out of the wood ash when you water the garden.
In compost it should be fine as it'll mix in with everything else and break down like everything else. Same goes for coffee grounds in compost. Just keep straight up ash away from acidic soil loving plants like blueberries, as they won't like their acidic soil being neutralised or made base/alkaline by the lye that will leach out of the wood ash when you water the garden.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2020
- Messages
- 491
- Climate
- Cold, Cool, Mountains, or Artic
one thing to remember about wood ash do not use it heavy without checking your soil PH it does the same as lime, keep it away from acid loving crops. Also keep the wood ash light because it will make soil too sweet. Depending on type and source of the ash wood ash actually has a higher calcium carbonate then lime and carries over trace minerals and metals.
chuckles a bit i can remember grandma had a barrel out back she kept wood ash. and run water through it to collect the lye and also rendered down fat for the soap. as grandpa said dont need none that store bought perfume soap.
chuckles a bit i can remember grandma had a barrel out back she kept wood ash. and run water through it to collect the lye and also rendered down fat for the soap. as grandpa said dont need none that store bought perfume soap.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2020
- Messages
- 491
- Climate
- Cold, Cool, Mountains, or Artic
Can remember grandma saying was sweet spring water aka soft water, they had a spring on farm that was very soft water so no mineral deposits in kettle from boiling.
Use hardwood ashes only, soft wood carries over to much of the burnt resins from the pitch. Grandma would collect the ashes a few times a week and put into a barrel on back porch , she also had an old iron kettle on back of wood cook stove that she would occasionally collect small batches of lye water by half fill the iron kettle with hard wood ash and top to about an inch of water over the ashes and boiled it about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool and settle then skim the lye water off the ashes and store in glass jugs she had. She would put the ashes in with rest of ashes in the lye barrel out back.
The main barrel on back porch had a hole drilled in side to hold a stopper , roughly 3 inches of gravel in bottom and 3 to 4 inches of straws packed on top of that then filled to about a hands width below top with ashes. Slowly fill and top up slowly with rain water of the soft spring water until ashes were fully soaked and just show water at top of ashes it would sit with with cover on barrel and stopper in side for a better part of a day. Next day grandpa would tip the barrel forward and slide a 1 inch board under bottom at back to tip it forward to drain, put pail under front and pull the stopper it slowly runs or trickles out so if you measure how much water you added you will know about how much will run to be collected. Do not add water while it is draining, once it is drain replace stopper and top up with more water and repeat. The water can be boiled down to collect a concentrated lye, when rendering it to a concentrate grandma used a potato to test if dropped and sank to bottom of the lye it wasn't ready if it floated it was strong concentrate and done and would need little dilution for use for soap if potato very slowly sank and seemed hoover down in the lye it was done ready for use or storing.
With a ph meter you will be able to tell if collecting a good lye it should be up in 12 to 13 PH and additional collection will drop in pH. Would see grandma test to see if she had lye by dipping finger in and rubbing together lye on fingers takes and eats away at the dead skin on surface almost instantly and give a slick almost slimy feel because of the extreme alkalinity ( i would suggest a ph tester instead of fingers ).
A few more bits of advice do not pour water into lye concentrate instead pour the lye concentrate slowly into water, do not try using aluminum or copper containers to collect and store lye concentrate. for easier storage get some shallow plastic trays , in a well ventilates area pour the concentrate in them and blow air across to evaporate the water out and collect dried crystal store in glass or plastic sealable jars. Lye is very caustic keep pets and children away from your work area. wear eyes protection and get some good rubber cleaning gloves that come up arms.
If you are in tropics you have a perfect source of a high potash coconut fronds and shells
Use hardwood ashes only, soft wood carries over to much of the burnt resins from the pitch. Grandma would collect the ashes a few times a week and put into a barrel on back porch , she also had an old iron kettle on back of wood cook stove that she would occasionally collect small batches of lye water by half fill the iron kettle with hard wood ash and top to about an inch of water over the ashes and boiled it about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool and settle then skim the lye water off the ashes and store in glass jugs she had. She would put the ashes in with rest of ashes in the lye barrel out back.
The main barrel on back porch had a hole drilled in side to hold a stopper , roughly 3 inches of gravel in bottom and 3 to 4 inches of straws packed on top of that then filled to about a hands width below top with ashes. Slowly fill and top up slowly with rain water of the soft spring water until ashes were fully soaked and just show water at top of ashes it would sit with with cover on barrel and stopper in side for a better part of a day. Next day grandpa would tip the barrel forward and slide a 1 inch board under bottom at back to tip it forward to drain, put pail under front and pull the stopper it slowly runs or trickles out so if you measure how much water you added you will know about how much will run to be collected. Do not add water while it is draining, once it is drain replace stopper and top up with more water and repeat. The water can be boiled down to collect a concentrated lye, when rendering it to a concentrate grandma used a potato to test if dropped and sank to bottom of the lye it wasn't ready if it floated it was strong concentrate and done and would need little dilution for use for soap if potato very slowly sank and seemed hoover down in the lye it was done ready for use or storing.
With a ph meter you will be able to tell if collecting a good lye it should be up in 12 to 13 PH and additional collection will drop in pH. Would see grandma test to see if she had lye by dipping finger in and rubbing together lye on fingers takes and eats away at the dead skin on surface almost instantly and give a slick almost slimy feel because of the extreme alkalinity ( i would suggest a ph tester instead of fingers ).
A few more bits of advice do not pour water into lye concentrate instead pour the lye concentrate slowly into water, do not try using aluminum or copper containers to collect and store lye concentrate. for easier storage get some shallow plastic trays , in a well ventilates area pour the concentrate in them and blow air across to evaporate the water out and collect dried crystal store in glass or plastic sealable jars. Lye is very caustic keep pets and children away from your work area. wear eyes protection and get some good rubber cleaning gloves that come up arms.
If you are in tropics you have a perfect source of a high potash coconut fronds and shells
Thank you for sharing the memory. I love hearing and learning about how people used to do things; how to make things from scratch. I am definitely saving those instructions.
I wish we had palm trees that grew coconuts; we mainly have coastal palm trees that grow to be super tall. It flowers and then drops a million beebee sized seeds. I have one in the front yard that is home to some birds and southern yellow bats which is so cool that I will put up with those seeds once a year
I wish we had palm trees that grew coconuts; we mainly have coastal palm trees that grow to be super tall. It flowers and then drops a million beebee sized seeds. I have one in the front yard that is home to some birds and southern yellow bats which is so cool that I will put up with those seeds once a year