On Feb 6, 5:39 am, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

It leaches out very fast. so there would be little point applying it
to an empty bed in winter. Store it dry till spring/early summer. The
best use I found, is to lay a circle of dry woodash around the stems of
cabbage, corn, tomato and lettuce seedlings immediately after planting
out. Slugs won't cross the barrier of dry ash. Meanwhile the plants are
getting a dose of potash. For the same reason, it's good to lay an ash
circle round clematis stems just as new growth starts in spring.


Mostly my experience too. Note that leaching will depend on organic
content, and
also P will probably not leach at all. In all-compost beds, one
application in
march is enough, as their pH (at least my beds) has been altered long
term.
One good rain is enough to soak it in. The other micronutrients
are just as valuable as K. Typical content is several percent K, few
percent P,
50% Ca, several percent Mg, and subpercent Cu, Zn, B, Mn, and other
micronutrients which I have forgotten. pH is 10.4.

Virtually all green vegetables except chicory, in my
experience, like a side dressing or two before and during the season.
That includes
bok choi, lettuce, cabbage, collard, kale, peas, string beans, chard,
beets,
and also carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, melons, squash, garlic and
onions.

Woodash is also a good spring tonic to soft-fruit bushes, like
curants an gooseberries.

but most definitely not for raspberries or blueberries. It will kill
blueberries in fact.


Janet