On wood ash, jorge cervantes says", hardwood ashes supply up to 10% potash and soft wood ashes contain about 5%,"..........page 174, "INDOOR MARIJUANA HORTICULTURE".........noyhing on the calcium % yet.......I'm looking........
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Wanted: organic source of K (home made)
- Thread starter Rattrap
- Start date
Okay, here's more of the straight smoke on Hardwood Ashes, I believe, that satghost and Minds_I are sharing with us.
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Using fireplace ashes in your garden
Dawne Howard
Frederick County Master Gardener Program
Since Roman times, wood ash has been recognized as a useful amendment to the soil. In fact, North America exported wood ash to Britain in the 18th century as a fertilizer, and today, 80 per-cent of the ash produced commercially in the Northeastern United States is applied to the land.
Wood stoves and fireplaces are great for warming gardeners' chilly hands and feet. So, what can we do with the ashes? Since wood ash is derived from plant material, it contains most of the 13 essential nutrients the soil must have for good plant growth and health.
When wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases, and calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace element compounds remain. The remaining carbonates and oxides are valuable liming agents, raising pH, thus neutralizing acid soils. Soils that are acid and low in potassium benefit from wood ash. However, acid-loving plants such as blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons and azaleas would not do well at all with an application of wood ash.
Wood ash has a very fine particle size, so it reacts rapidly and completely in the soil. Although small amounts of nutrients are applied with wood ash, the main effect is that it is a liming agent. The average ash is equivalent to a 0-1-3 (N-P-K). The chemical
makeup varies with the type of wood burned. Hardwoods produce three times as much ash per cord as do softwoods.
Calcium and potassium are both essential to plant growth. Calcium is needed for root development, strong cell walls and protein formation in the plant. Potassium is an important catalyst in photosynthesis and is essential for the movement of sugars, seed formation, protein synthesis and the use of nitrogen in plants.
Wood ash should never be applied to areas where potatoes will be planted as ash can promote potato scab. For most garden soil, 20 pounds (about a 5-gallon pail) per 1,000 square feet can be applied safely each year. That equals about 6 pounds of ground limestone applied to the same area.
The best time to apply wood ash is in the spring when the soil is dry and before tilling. In compost piles wood ash can be used to maintain a neutral condition, the best environment for microorganisms to break down organic materials. Sprinkle ash on each layer of compost. This is especially good if you have oak leaves or pine needles in your compost heap.
Wood ash can be used to repel insects, slugs and snails because it draws water out of these invertebrates. Sprinkle ash around the base of your plants to discourage surface-feeding insects. Once ash gets wet, it loses its deterring properties. Too much ash can increase pH or accumulate high levels of salts that can be harmful to some plants, so use ashes carefully.
Ash should be stored in a metal container with a secure lid. This helps prevent accidental fires from live coals and prevents water from flowing through the ash and leaching out the nutrients before the materials are applied to the soil.
Caution should be used when handling wood ash:
Protect yourself as you would if you were handling household bleach or any other strong alkaline material. Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask.
Do not use ash from burning trash, cardboard; coal or pressure-treated, painted or stained wood. These materials contain potentially harmful chemicals, The glue in cardboard contains boron, an element that can inhibit plant growth if applied in excess.
Do not scatter ashes during windy periods.
Do not mix ash with nitrogen fertilizer as ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrates or urea. These fertilizers lose their nitrogen as ammonia gas when mixed with high pH materials such as wood ash. For a lawn, wait at least a month after wood ash is applied before putting down a nitrogen fertilizer to allow for the soil to reduce the alkalinity of the wood ash.
Never leave wood ash in lumps or piles. Concentrated piles of wood ash causes excessive salt build-up in the soil through leaching and can create a harmful environment for plants.
I hope this information will help you and others with wood ash this winter. Cozy up to the fireplace all you gardeners, keep warm, enjoy the time of rest from your labors and read those seed catalogs.
Well, I would rather know what's up now, instead of finding out what's not good after the fact. Thanks everyone!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using fireplace ashes in your garden
Dawne Howard
Frederick County Master Gardener Program
Since Roman times, wood ash has been recognized as a useful amendment to the soil. In fact, North America exported wood ash to Britain in the 18th century as a fertilizer, and today, 80 per-cent of the ash produced commercially in the Northeastern United States is applied to the land.
Wood stoves and fireplaces are great for warming gardeners' chilly hands and feet. So, what can we do with the ashes? Since wood ash is derived from plant material, it contains most of the 13 essential nutrients the soil must have for good plant growth and health.
When wood burns, nitrogen and sulfur are lost as gases, and calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace element compounds remain. The remaining carbonates and oxides are valuable liming agents, raising pH, thus neutralizing acid soils. Soils that are acid and low in potassium benefit from wood ash. However, acid-loving plants such as blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons and azaleas would not do well at all with an application of wood ash.
Wood ash has a very fine particle size, so it reacts rapidly and completely in the soil. Although small amounts of nutrients are applied with wood ash, the main effect is that it is a liming agent. The average ash is equivalent to a 0-1-3 (N-P-K). The chemical
makeup varies with the type of wood burned. Hardwoods produce three times as much ash per cord as do softwoods.
Calcium and potassium are both essential to plant growth. Calcium is needed for root development, strong cell walls and protein formation in the plant. Potassium is an important catalyst in photosynthesis and is essential for the movement of sugars, seed formation, protein synthesis and the use of nitrogen in plants.
Wood ash should never be applied to areas where potatoes will be planted as ash can promote potato scab. For most garden soil, 20 pounds (about a 5-gallon pail) per 1,000 square feet can be applied safely each year. That equals about 6 pounds of ground limestone applied to the same area.
The best time to apply wood ash is in the spring when the soil is dry and before tilling. In compost piles wood ash can be used to maintain a neutral condition, the best environment for microorganisms to break down organic materials. Sprinkle ash on each layer of compost. This is especially good if you have oak leaves or pine needles in your compost heap.
Wood ash can be used to repel insects, slugs and snails because it draws water out of these invertebrates. Sprinkle ash around the base of your plants to discourage surface-feeding insects. Once ash gets wet, it loses its deterring properties. Too much ash can increase pH or accumulate high levels of salts that can be harmful to some plants, so use ashes carefully.
Ash should be stored in a metal container with a secure lid. This helps prevent accidental fires from live coals and prevents water from flowing through the ash and leaching out the nutrients before the materials are applied to the soil.
Caution should be used when handling wood ash:
Protect yourself as you would if you were handling household bleach or any other strong alkaline material. Wear eye protection, gloves and a dust mask.
Do not use ash from burning trash, cardboard; coal or pressure-treated, painted or stained wood. These materials contain potentially harmful chemicals, The glue in cardboard contains boron, an element that can inhibit plant growth if applied in excess.
Do not scatter ashes during windy periods.
Do not mix ash with nitrogen fertilizer as ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrates or urea. These fertilizers lose their nitrogen as ammonia gas when mixed with high pH materials such as wood ash. For a lawn, wait at least a month after wood ash is applied before putting down a nitrogen fertilizer to allow for the soil to reduce the alkalinity of the wood ash.
Never leave wood ash in lumps or piles. Concentrated piles of wood ash causes excessive salt build-up in the soil through leaching and can create a harmful environment for plants.
I hope this information will help you and others with wood ash this winter. Cozy up to the fireplace all you gardeners, keep warm, enjoy the time of rest from your labors and read those seed catalogs.
Well, I would rather know what's up now, instead of finding out what's not good after the fact. Thanks everyone!
Rattrap
Member
Inert mediums - we're talking organic hydro now. My understanding & a little past experence has told me that u still need & desire an inert meduim where good types of bacteria can happily take up residence. Red Lava rock or scoria as its known here is the best for that. It has a heavily pock marked surface with lots of crags for our friendly little bacteria to take up residence.
In regards to the issue of K in wood ash, my reading of the link that Muddy Waters put up in post 19 is that once the ash is mixed with water & the liquid portion is drained off u are left with mostly just a water/potash mix.
From that link;
"Ash, for example, is mostly insoluble in water. Only a small portion of the ash dissolves in water, and this is the substance we call potash, or potassium carbonate. To make potash, you must add your ash to a quantity of water. Any leftover charcoal will float to the top, while the insoluble minerals will sink to the bottom. The good stuff, the potash, will be dissolved in the water. You must separate the water from the charcoal above and the minerals below. Once you have done this, you will have what looks like clear, clean water. But if you boil the water away, or let it evaporate in the Sun, a white, crystalline residue will remain. This residue is potash."
To my mind this tells me that it is irelivent how high your K levels are in the ash. If u mix the ash with water then drain off the liquid component u'll be left with mostly potash disolved in water anyway.
As for the idea of using Cannabis ash as a source of ash so u get just the right mix of nute elements in the mix, i think the same thing would apply. The potash is still the most soluble component so that is what u'd get primarily. Y go to all the trouble of collecting MJ ash when u'll get the same minerial out of everyday wood ash. Another point comes to mind, would the other nutrients u're after from the MJ ash even be in a soluble or usable form once the plant material is burnt. IMO the only way to get any use of the nutrients in the MJ would be to compost the living plant material like the excess stalk/leaf/trim. Perhaps after the trim has been bubble baged for its resin the remainder could be added to a compost tea? That would make far more sence to me than collecting the ash.
In regards to the issue of K in wood ash, my reading of the link that Muddy Waters put up in post 19 is that once the ash is mixed with water & the liquid portion is drained off u are left with mostly just a water/potash mix.
From that link;
"Ash, for example, is mostly insoluble in water. Only a small portion of the ash dissolves in water, and this is the substance we call potash, or potassium carbonate. To make potash, you must add your ash to a quantity of water. Any leftover charcoal will float to the top, while the insoluble minerals will sink to the bottom. The good stuff, the potash, will be dissolved in the water. You must separate the water from the charcoal above and the minerals below. Once you have done this, you will have what looks like clear, clean water. But if you boil the water away, or let it evaporate in the Sun, a white, crystalline residue will remain. This residue is potash."
To my mind this tells me that it is irelivent how high your K levels are in the ash. If u mix the ash with water then drain off the liquid component u'll be left with mostly potash disolved in water anyway.
As for the idea of using Cannabis ash as a source of ash so u get just the right mix of nute elements in the mix, i think the same thing would apply. The potash is still the most soluble component so that is what u'd get primarily. Y go to all the trouble of collecting MJ ash when u'll get the same minerial out of everyday wood ash. Another point comes to mind, would the other nutrients u're after from the MJ ash even be in a soluble or usable form once the plant material is burnt. IMO the only way to get any use of the nutrients in the MJ would be to compost the living plant material like the excess stalk/leaf/trim. Perhaps after the trim has been bubble baged for its resin the remainder could be added to a compost tea? That would make far more sence to me than collecting the ash.
Hello all,
Here's a link that I find is most educational.
http://cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/projects/potash/
minds_I
Here's a link that I find is most educational.
http://cavemanchemistry.com/oldcave/projects/potash/
minds_I
G
Guest
yeah but the Ca won't vanish into thin air. you're still sitting with the shit, and way more of it than usable K. what are you planning to do with it? unless i had a use for the calcium carbonate i wouldn't even bother with all this burning, extracting, nasty by-products, all the nutes i'll ever need are already in my garden soil - reduce, re-use, recycle. speaking of which, i've got 20L of comfrey brew ready which is stinking real good!
Rattrap
Member
Comfrey would be my choice too Satghost but as its classed as a noctious weed here its a bit hard to get your hands on. I'm keeping a look out for some but haven't seen any in years. Its not like u can go to the local nursery & pick up a couple of plants. The nurserys probably keep the compfrey right next to the MJ. HAHA.
liquid kelp is a good source of K.
I syphon off the liquid from equal parts of wood ash to water. I am left with a lye solution that is a very effective K source but also a pH up. Which is what I use it for primarily.
See the heavier the flower ferts get as the cycle continues to harvest, the higher the acidic doses of Alaska fish (1/4 strenght or so), full strenght EJ Bloom and molasses and liquid kelp. I use the lye water to bring the pH upto 6 or so. Its quick and the reaction is complete-no waiting to stablize.
The minimal amount of salt can be extracted but I have not had issues with it.
The calicium is insoluble so as long as strain or seperate the liquid from the solids you are golden.
minds_I
I syphon off the liquid from equal parts of wood ash to water. I am left with a lye solution that is a very effective K source but also a pH up. Which is what I use it for primarily.
See the heavier the flower ferts get as the cycle continues to harvest, the higher the acidic doses of Alaska fish (1/4 strenght or so), full strenght EJ Bloom and molasses and liquid kelp. I use the lye water to bring the pH upto 6 or so. Its quick and the reaction is complete-no waiting to stablize.
The minimal amount of salt can be extracted but I have not had issues with it.
The calicium is insoluble so as long as strain or seperate the liquid from the solids you are golden.
minds_I
G
Guest
Rattrap said:
that's been mentioned before in this thread but hasn't been confirmed yet. does anyone have any links? i'm sure you'll find that comfrey is illegal to prescribe as a medicine in some places, but cultivation? i think not. if there is such a law then it applies to Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) and not Russian comfrey "Bocking 14" variety (Symphytum x uplandicum) which is completely sterile, so it can't propagate itself without human intervention.
chooks will ignore all other food when there's comfrey on the menu, they go crazy for it!
i'll be more than happy to send a root cutting to anyone who wants it.
G
Guest
ok i get it now, that's quite bizarre. root cuttings are no problem in the mail, just send me a pm.
