Using wood ash to change the ph in your soil?

[KirkMcquest]

Hello,

I am wondering about wood ash for use as a soil amendment in place of lime?? Have any of you tried this and compared crop yields with regular lime application? I have read that it actually works much faster than lime, and that it only takes a little bit.

I think I remember one of the videos on Youtube where it was being tried but I don't think there was ever a follow up? Did it work?

thanks

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I used all my fireplace ash in my garden for years at my last place. I don't know anything about lime to be honest.

[Lowdown3]

I talked about this on some of the older Survival Gardening videos we did on youtube.

It's great for the soil.

[Lowdown3]

I realized that probably didn't answer your question in the first reply, sorry.

Very good source of potash and will act like lime on the PH side of things.

That being said, I don't think you can go wrong sprinkling a little dolomatic lime. You'll get calcium and other trace elements from it as well as the PH difference.

[slingshot]

I've been using a wood burning furnace for years and have a lot of ashes. I used to spread it on the pastures and lawn, now it's all going in a new garden spot. Bermuda grass loves it! I've noticed over the years that cows will select the area of pasture where I've spread ashes quite a bit. I've read that only hard wood ashes should be used. It does help to raise the PH somewhat. I've been careful to keep it away from vegetables that like acidic soils. Hard wood ashes contain trace amounts of lime, calcium, potash, no nitrogen. It's a cheap, low-grade fertilizer. But hey, the price is right! Of course, the "old people" (that were so much more capable than us) used it to leach out lye for their soap making. Plus, ashes were sometimes mixed into hog feed that benefited the hogs, and also used the lye to make hominy. Ashes are a good thing!

[Davar]

Of course, the "old people" (that were so much more capable than us)

Hear hear! I've learned a lot from my grandpa, wish he was still around.

[Benn Gleck]

The Amish family we're friends with dump the ashes from their wood stoves in their vegtable garden. My Grandmother did as well and it works. Of course they use a lot of horse manure as well.