Ash in the Garden: How to Use It for Fertilizer, Protection, and Weed Control
Gardeners often encounter various pests, diseases and weeds that can damage or destroy crops.
There are many chemicals available to combat them, but they are not always safe for human health and the environment.
In addition, they can be quite expensive and ineffective if not used correctly.
There is one simple and natural remedy that can help solve many problems in the garden. It is ash.
Ash is a product of combustion of wood, grass, leaves and other plant materials. It contains many useful elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and others.
Ash can be used for a variety of purposes in the garden.
• Fertilizer. Ash can be scattered over the beds before planting or added to the soil during loosening. It increases soil fertility, improves its structure and water-holding capacity. Ash is especially useful for tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers and other vegetables.
• Protection from pests. Ash repels many insect pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, mole crickets, slugs and others. To do this, sprinkle ash on plants and the soil around them. Ash also protects against rodents, who do not like its smell and taste.
• Disease protection. Ash helps prevent or treat some fungal and bacterial plant diseases, such as late blight, alternaria, bacteriosis and others. To do this, spray the plants with an ash solution: 1 glass of ash per 10 liters of water. The solution can also be added to the holes when planting plants.
• Weed control. Ash can help get rid of unwanted vegetation in the garden. To do this, sprinkle ash on the places where weeds grow. Ash suppresses the growth of weed seeds and roots and makes the soil unsuitable for them.
Ash is an effective and inexpensive gardening product that can be obtained from any available plant waste. However, when using it, you need to follow some rules.
• Do not use ash from coal, tobacco or other synthetic materials as they may contain harmful substances.
• Do not apply ash to acidic soils as it increases the pH and may upset the nutrient balance.
• Do not sprinkle ash on plants immediately after rain or watering, as it can form a crust on the leaves and stems and interfere with respiration and photosynthesis.
• Do not overdo it with the amount of ash, as it can cause burns to plants or overfeed them with potassium. Follow the dosage recommendations: 100-200 g of ash per 1 sq. m of soil or 1 glass of ash per 10 liters of water for spraying.
By using ash in your garden, you can not only get rid of many problems, but also save on buying expensive chemicals.
Ash is a natural and affordable material that, if used correctly, will bring you great benefits and harvest.
