In the north, winter means the time to gather around indoor fireplaces, and every time you plant yourself beside a nice, warm, cozy fireplace, it is obvious that wood ash will be created. As such, wood ash will pile up during winter, and it would be nice to have practical use of it. But can you use wood ash to amend clay soil?
Wood ash is packed with nutrients for your soils and plants. It contains calcium carbonate, phosphorus, and potassium, which are vital nutrients for crops. However, when it comes to amending your garden soil with ash, there are a few things to consider.
When it comes to amending soil, wood ash is essentially used as an organic fertilizer. Even so, it tends to be high in pH, which makes it a less suitable option for amending the clay soil. Read on to find more on amending the clay soil with wood ash.
Is it okay to add ashes in clay soils?
There is a history of wood ash being used for many purposes, but the garden is the primary location where ashes tend to provide the most benefits. Wood ash from fireplaces and wood-burning stoves can be a good source of calcium and potassium, which makes it an excellent alkalizing agent. In fact, the main benefit of wood ash in the soil is to raise pH or make the soil less acidic.
That said, when it comes to using ashes on soils, clay is usually alkaline, in which case it may not be a good idea to add ash into it. In this situation, it is not a matter of breaking up the clay as it is about the pH getting too high. After all, too much of everything, including extreme alkalinity, is detrimental.
Wood ash can, however, be good for clay soil when added in controlled quantities. Considering that it is relatively harder to change clay soil pH than sand, adding ashes to clay soil in a controlled amount can improve its structure and relieve compactness without significantly raising the pH.
If you are considering adding wood ash into clay soil, it is best to use softwood ashes. Unlike hardwood ashes that are very rich in nutrients, softwood ashes do not release many nutrients into the soil, meaning they won’t surge the pH considerably.
Potential benefits of adding wood ash to clay soil
In controlled amounts, wood ash can be good for clay soils. Here are benefits you can get by adding wood to clay:
Wood ash can improve the structure and texture of clay soil
The nutrients – potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, etc. – in wood ash are released into the soil, catalyzing the growth of plants.
Wood ash can protect plants from pests.
Wood ash repels snails and slugs. Their bodies dry up when they come into contact with ashes.
If you are adding ashes to your garden, it is best to spread them in winter or early spring, about a month before planting or applying any other fertilizer. Whatsoever, it might be a good idea only if you wish to grow plants that do well in alkaline soils like daylilies, ornamental clovers, phacelia, and polemoniums.
Why adding wood ash to clay soil might not be good
Garden plants typically grow best in neutral to slightly acidic soils. This means most plants won’t survive extremely alkaline soils, a reason why you might not want to add ash to an already alkaline soil like clay.
Here are reasons why wood ash might not be suitable for clay soils:
- Adding wood ash to a particular spot can potentially sterilize clay soil and worsen the quality of surface water
- Wood ash tends to be very high in pH. When added to already alkaline clay, it can increase the pH to a point where it impedes healthy plant growth.
- Wood ash may contain heavy metals like chromium, cadmium, and lead, which plants have a hard time digesting.
Is Wood Ash Good For Clay Soil: Final thoughts
Wood ash makes for an excellent alkalizing agent. While gardeners can use it in controlled amounts to improve the structure of clay soils, it can significantly raise the pH, making it hard for plants to absorb essential nutrients. Further, considering that clay soil is usually alkaline, it is safe to say that wood ash is not good for clay.
For gardeners living in regions with clay soil, the most practical way to use wood ash would be to add it to a compost pile.
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