Brian Jervis Ask a Master Gardener Jul 7, 2023 Updated Aug 11, 2024 0 ...

How to Add Ashes to Your Garden It's important to use ashes in moderation in a garden. Too much and you could harm your plants; too little and you might not see any benefits.

Apply wood ashes sparingly, no more than 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet of garden area, to avoid overwhelming the soil with alkalinity and nutrients.

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As a fertilizer, wood ash potash (K) runs about 7% to 10%. Phosphorus is about 1 1/2 %. Nitrogen, another major nutrient, is released as a gas during combustion so it is no longer present in ashes ...

Wood ash from a fireplace or brush pile will act similar to a liming agent to reduce acidity in the soil. Unlike lime, wood ashes don’t “behave” the same. Lime will only go so far. Think of the Texas ...

Fireplace ashes tend to have a pH of between 11 and 12. Adding fireplace ashes can raise your soil pH to the point your plants will have difficulty growing in your garden.