When wood ash is mixed with other components in a compost heap, the resulting alkaline compost can be used as a mulch around most ornamental plants and vegetables unless, like raspberriesandrhododendrons, they require an acidic soil. Fruit too performs best in slightly acidic soil, so wood ash is unsuited for use in the fruit garden.
Vegetables grow best in soil with a
This describes how acid or alkaline soil is, and is expressed as a number between 0 and 14. Soil with a pH of 7 is neutral, an acid soil has a lower value, and an alkaline soil has a higher one. Most plants grow best in soil thatâs within a specific pH range, so itâs useful to know your soilâs pH. Testing kits are easy to use and widely available in garden centres and online.
Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: ⢠Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.
Wood ash may contain useful levels of potassium (about three per cent) â a major plant nutrient associated with flowering and fruiting. However, the levels will vary depending on the age of the wood that was burnt â young wood, such as from pruning, will have a higher potassium content than older, thicker branches.
