Are you emptying that bucket? Stop! Wood ashes have extraordinary uses for your garden and at home as well! Yes, that gray powdery substance is like gold, if you know how to use it, and it has kept many households and farmsteads rich and functional for centuries!
So, have you burnt branches or logs in your garden? Or maybe you have a fireplace? Don’t waste the ashes, and learn how to exploit the amazing properties of this humble, gray gold dust!
The “Magic Properties” of Wood Ash for Your Garden
Wood ash is a concentrate of minerals, especially calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as trace elements, many of which we often forget when we talk about fertilizing our plants.
We think that NPK is all that matters (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), but then we find blossom-end-rot on our tomatoes because they lack calcium. It’s that blackening at the bottom, to be clear. Magnesium is essential for your plants’ health, as are many trace minerals.
So, wood ash is like a medicine for your plants, but can also correct your soil’s acidity, as its pH is very high, between 9 and 13!
There are many other “less-known properties” to wood ash, and we’ll meet them soon, as we go through its uses.
One warning though, only use organic wood ash in your garden. So, nothing with paints on etc…
The “Equally Magic Properties of Wood Ash for Your Home
Wood ash was arguably one of the most important products for homes in the past, and we will see many more properties, but just let me show you a few…
It is a disinfectant, it cleans perfectly well, and, once upon a time it was used to do the laundry, it takes away smells, and it also fights pests!
But let’s start with the garden…
1. Use It as a Fertilizer Supplement
As we said, wood ash is rich in nutrients that may lack from other fertilizers, and it gives your plants a mineral boost – which is great especially if your decorative or crop varieties are looking a bit sickly.
Only use a small sprinkling of wood ash though, because of its very high pH and concentration of nutrients. Plants can also suffer when they get “too much food”, and we call this nutrient toxicity. For example, a tablespoon for a tomato-sized plant, a teaspoon for a strawberry, of course, more for trees and big shrubs.
Just don’t overdo it. Sprinkle wood ash around the base of your plant, water and let it work its healing magic.
2. Use It as a Compost Activator
Here is another amazing property of wood ash: it speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. So, you can use it to activate your compost heap!
Only sprinkle a dusting or very thin layer, then water the wood ash lightly and cover with more organic matter – it’s as easy as that, your compost will start faster and be ready sooner!
3. Use It to Correct Soil Acidity
As we said, wood ash has a very high Ph (9 to 13!); it is very alkaline, so you can use it to amend acidic soil.
How to do it? Well, because wood ash also has a varied pH, and as I assume you don’t have a chemical lab, just sprinkle a thin layer, water, wait for 2 weeks, then check the soil acidity and add another thin layer if necessary, wait for 2 weeks… You got the point.
4. Use It to Suppress Weeds
Wood ash suppresses some weeds, especially acid loving ones, like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), plantain (Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata), mosses (Various species), sorrel (Rumex spp.) and horseweed (Conyza canadensis), and those that like a low potassium environment, like crabgrass (Digitaria spp.), chickweed (Stellaria media) and lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album).
On top of these, there are some weed varieties that cannot stand the high mineral salt concentration in wood ash, such as bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), knotweed (Polygonum aviculare) and foxtail (Setaria spp.).
So, you can sprinkle wood ash to suppress these weeds, but only as a one off, and be careful with the soil pH and not to damage the plants you are growing.
5. Make Your Own Natural Pesticide
Wood ash, being very alkaline, can really irritate pests, especially slugs and snails, because they have a soft skin. So, why don’t you use it to keep them off your tender lettuce or hosta leaves? Here is how.
- Mix one cup of wood as in 1 gallon of water (4.0 liters). Or adapt according to your needs.
- Stir well and let it rest for 24 hours at least.
- Strain the mixture, with a cheesecloth or similar.
- Add some natural liquid soap.
- Put the wood ash pesticide in a spray bottle and spray all over your plants.
Easy, cheap and effective!
6. Amend Heavy Clay Soil with Wood Ash
Heavy clay is a real nightmare for gardeners, isn’t it? And it’s very hard to break it up, even with sand… But wood ash can help you along.
Dig the wood ash into the soil, and you will help the breaking up process. Again, though, only use it if your garden is acidic, or you risk ending up with looser ground but a pH where you can grow nothing…
7. Give Your Cover Crops a Boost with Wood Ash
Being very nutrient rich, wood ash is also great to boost your cover crops, but wait until they have germinated, or it can actually inhibit the seeds.
A very thin sprinkling will be enough to give your cover crops lots of minerals and strength.
8. Use It to Stop Weeds Between Paving Stones
Are there gaps between your paving stones? I know the problem: they fill with weeds! You can use wood ash, filling all the empty spaces, to stop them from ruining your paths and save you a lot of time.
9. Deodorize Your Compost Heap!
Is your compost heap getting a bit too smelly? Or maybe you have fresh manure (more on this later)? Especially in summer, this can become a very unpleasant problem.
But don’t worry, sprinkle a thin layer of wood ash over it, and the nasty smell will disappear in about 24 hours!
10. Use It to Store Your Veggies!
Pests hate wood ash, as you know already. So, if you are worried that they may not resist the temptation of your onions, potatoes, garlic and other crops you store away… You guessed, a dusting of wood ash will do the job!
11. Use It to Get Cabbage Worms Packing
Cabbages have a big problem: as soon as they start growing their juicy and tasteful leaves, cabbage worms (I know, they are caterpillars, but we call them so) start munching away at them! If you are lucky, you will end up with lots of holes, but in serious cases, these little uninvited dinner guests can ruin your whole crop.
All you need is a dusting of wood ash, and they will leave your cabbages alone. However, you need to apply it regularly (every week or so) and after it rains until your leafy crop is safe.
12. Control Your Pond’s Algae
Sometimes, your pond can get overgrown with algae, and that’s not good for aeration and the whole ecosystem of your prized water feature. This is often due to some factors, like excessive nutrients (especially phosphorus) and acidity – yes, they thrive in low pH environments!
A thin sprinkling of wood ash will raise the water’s pH in your pond, and this can control the overgrowth of annoying algae.
13. Use It to Melt Ice
When winters get very cold, ice can be a problem. You can use salt, true, but it is always a problem, because few plants grow in salty soil… But, you guessed, there is an alternative, and you may have it in a bucket in your shed or garage – wood ash.
Again, all you will need is a thin sprinkling in most cases.
14. Use It with Manure; It Will Correct Its Acidity
If manure is not fully rotted, it can have a low pH level, so it can be a bit too acidic. For this reason, mix it with wood ash, and it will become more neutral. On top of that, it will help with the smell.
15. Prevent Apple Scab
Do your apples get dark, patchy lesions on them? It is a very common problem called “apple scab” and caused by a fungus called Venturia inaequalis. You can keep it off your fruit tree by sprinkling wood ash all around it, especially when the season is humid.
Do repeat the sprinkling after it rains through, till the apples start ripening, and, for late season varieties, when fall comes back and the season gets wet again.
16. Defend Your Bee Hive from Mites
If you have a hive, you know your bees can defend themselves from many enemies, however, there’s one that can be a real threat: varroa mite, or Varroa destructor!
This tiny creepy-crawly spreads viruses; it weakens your bees, shortens their lives, and, if unchecked, can literally get your honey-producing colony to collapse and die. So, it is always wise to surround your hive with a layer of wood ash, which will keep this intruder out.
17. Protect Your Bulbs from Rot
Here is another simple and effective use of wood ash; if you coat your bulbs in it, it will prevent them from rotting, when you store them as well as when you plant them.
You can also use it to prevent root rot with other plants, whether it has set in or not yet, especially with succulent varieties.
18. Clean Your Tools!
Why should you use chemicals to clean your tools when you have a bucket of disinfectant and abrasive wood ash? Mix it with some sand, if you wish and scrub them down – they will soon shine like new!
19. Protect Your Animals from Lice and Pests
If you have chickens (but also larger stock), you will know that they can often get infested by pests. Not only is it painful for them, these tiny guests can weaken your animals, and get them sick. What you need to keep them clean from fleas, lice and other bugs is a wood ash bath.
You will need a shallow container, sand and wood ash, then:
- Mix one part sand and two parts wood ash.
- In a shady place, rub the mix directly onto the kitchen’s skin (or other animal), through the feathers (or fur), very thoroughly.
It’s a dry bath, yes, and you will need to repeat it regularly. Also, you can scatter wood ash on their beds, and that alone will prevent lice and other pests. And remember, it also takes away bad smells from excrements!
And now, let’s move indoors…
20. Shine Your Glass, Silver and Brass with It
You can clean lots of things with wood ash, including plates, ceramics and cutlery, and it is particularly effective with glass, silver and brass!
All you need to do is to mix wood ash with a bit of water till you obtain a dense paste, then scrub away and your glass and silverware will shine again like new.
21. Keep Some in Your Fireplace
Did you remove all the wood ash from your fireplace? That’s a big mistake! Always leave a thin layer in it – it prevents bad smells.
22. Use Wood Ash to Keep Mice Away!
Mice literally hate the smell of wood ash. So, if you have a problem with these little rodents, place it where they enter your home and all around the corners (that’s where they feel safe and where they like to walk). They’ll soon find somewhere else to infest.
23. Humid Places? You Know What to Use!
Too much humidity in your basement? Or maybe you want to keep your storage area, pantry or any other place dry? The solution is very simple and cheap: just leave a bucket of wood ash there, and it will absorb the excess humidity.
Don’t throw the wood ash away once it has saturated with humidity; leave it in a sunny and hot place, and use it again!
24. Use It to get Rid of Bad Smells
Wood ash, as we said, is a natural deodorizer. So, if you want to get rid of bad smells, it will absorb them. For example, in your fridge, you can leave a small saucer or little bowl with this gray gold dust, and you will solve the problem.
Do change it regularly, like all things, it has its limits.
25. It’s an Excellent Stain Remover!
Wood ash is very abrasive, as we said, and it was used to do the laundry in the past. This tells you that you can use it as a stain remover for your clothes.
You can rub it into the stain, till it goes off, but there’s an easier way to use wood ash. Just soak your clothes in cold water, and add a cup of wood ash. Just leave them there for 24 hours, and you will see how they have “cleaned themselves”.
26. Keep Ants Away
Not just mice, but ants too cannot stand wood ash: they are very susceptible to high and low pH environments. So, you can sprinkle wood ash where they crawl, and they will back off.
Of course, you can use wood ash on the floor, not on walls.
27. Solve Pet Problems!
Did your dog pee on the carpet? Or worse? No problem, you can use wood ash both to clean the stain, and to remove bad odors.
To clean it, mix it with water to make it into a paste, and rub it in. To remove bad smells, just cover the area with a good layer of wood ash.
28. Disinfect and Deodorize Bird Cages
If you keep birds in a cage indoors, you have two problems, the guano and husks that accumulate at the bottom are not hygienic and they can smell. To prevent both health and odor problems, leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) of wood ash in the tray.
29. Make Soap With it!
If you like home-made soap, you will know that there’s an essential ingredient: lye. It is a very alkaline substance that reacts with oil and grease cleaning them. And you know that wood ash has a very high pH, so…
Make lye with wood ash, it’s simple, cheap and eco-friendly!
- Place the ash in a large non-metallic container.
- Slowly pour hot soft water over the ashes.
- Let it sit for 12–24 hours.
- The water will absorb the potassium hydroxide (lye) from the ash.
To test the strength of the wood ash, drop an egg or a potato in it. If it sinks, it’s too weak, if it floats, it’s too strong, if it stays in the middle – you got the perfect lye for your soap.
Then, just use it as any other type of lye in your soap making process.
Wood Ash – The Gray Gold Dust for Your Garden and Home!
So, do you still want to empty that wood ash bucket? Of course not… It is a very valuable resource for gardeners, homesteaders and anyone who likes recycling and natural solutions to everyday problems.
It is, indeed, gray gold dust.
Written By
Amber Noyes
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town, San Mateo. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco. With experience working on an organic farm, water conservation research, farmers’ markets, and plant nursery, she understands what makes plants thrive and how we can better understand the connection between microclimate and plant health. When she’s not on the land, Amber loves informing people of new ideas/things related to gardening, especially organic gardening, houseplants, and growing plants in a small space.