Sorry, it's been a while since I've taken chemistry (something on the order
of 25 years) and I thought higher pH - more acidity. I apologize - I should
have checked.

However, I do have a recollection of reading that wood ashes were good soil
additives. If they don't help neutralize the soil, is it perhaps because
they supply some element or mineral to the soil?

alternate



B.Server wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 04:29:08 GMT, "Alternate Personality"
wrote:

I disagree. If Lester is trying to grow plants native to our area, the
increase in acidity *could* be a problem since native Central Texas
plants
generally prefer some amount of alkalinity. But if he or she is trying to
grow vegetables in the garden or any of the MANY not-exactly-native
plants
that can do well here but suffer to some extent from our excessive
alkalinity, the ashes will be of benefit. And recycling brush in the
city: (1) if Lester is clearing brush and burning it, this probably means
his/her property is outside the city; and (2) putting brush in the
landfill
really seems wrong to me. Instead, shouldn't we try our best to recycle
this
waste by composting or burning it (or both), instead?

alternate


The addition of wood ash will tend to RAISE the pH of the soil. That
is, make it MORE alkaline, not less. As T.H. noted, our soil and our
water are both quite alkaline and the addition of still more is
unlikely to be helpful. I agree that composting the brush,
particularly if you have a brush grinder to break it down, is a better
way to dispose of it. I frequently scatter ashes over the top of my
compost heap. Not an ideal solution, but it seems to help cut the
alkalinity enough and helps enrich the compost.