What to Do With Pine Ash?
- Wood contains nutrients for plant growth, and many of these remain in the ashes. Some of the nutrients found in ash include potassium, phosphorus, aluminum, magnesium, calcium and sulfur. While the percentages are not high, the ash is free and natural.
- Ashes raise the soil's pH balance on a temporary basis. Know how that affects your garden. If your soil is acidic, use the ashes in place of lime, although it takes more ash than lime to accomplish the same thing. Ashes can be composted, but if they dominate the compost pile, they slow down the process by raising the pH. After the compost matures, the pH balance reverts to almost neutral.
- Add ash to the garden at any time except immediately before planting or plant emergence. The fall is the best time, but this poses a minor problem of safely storing the ashes throughout the summer. Ashes must have no contact with moisture, so they should be sealed in a lidded container. Wetting them slightly just before tilling them into the garden helps control dust, but too much moisture makes the ash clump together.
- In a 2009 study at the University of Kuopio in Finland, agricultural scientists mixed together wood ash and human urine testing its effectiveness as a fertilizer on tomato plants. They found that the combination provided more than four times more fruits than nonfertilized plants. There were no problems with the tomatoes or their nutritional value. The scientists observed no microbial or chemical risks, and the tomato taste was rated as equally as good as conventionally grown tomatoes.