Clever Use of Plant Ash to Control Pests and Diseases in Ornamental Plants and Flowers

The residue left after burning plants is called plant ash. Because plant ash is the ash left after plants are burned, almost all the mineral elements contained in the plants are retained in the plant ash. The most abundant element is potassium, which typically contains 6% to 12% potassium, of which more than 90% is water-soluble and present in the form of carbonate. Next is phosphorus, generally 1.5% to 3%; it also contains calcium, magnesium, silicon, sulfur and trace nutrients such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron and molybdenum.

Plant ash can not only provide nutrients such as potassium for flowers, but also has a good effect on controlling flower pests and diseases.

To control leaf blight, use 1 kg each of plant ash, tea seed cake and sulfur powder, and 1.5 kg of lime, crush into powder and mix evenly. For flower leaf blight, use 1.5 to 2.5 grams per plant on the leaves.

2. To control leaf spot disease, mix 3 kg of plant ash and 1 kg of quicklime powder evenly, use 40 to 60 grams per pot, or sift and dust on top, or apply plant ash separately.

3. To prevent and control root rot, plant ash has a very good control effect on flower root rot. The specific method is: first open up the soil around the roots and remove the soil around the roots; scrape off the diseased roots, apply 0.5 to 1 kg of plant ash per plant to cover the roots, then cover with soil.

4. To prevent and control powdery mildew, for flowers affected by powdery mildew, remove the root soil at a depth of 5 to 10 cm at a distance of 5 to 10 cm from the trunk. Cover each plant with 0.5 to 3 kg of ash, and cover the soil with a thin layer of earth.

5. To prevent and control seedling diseases, seedlings in the nursery are prone to wilt disease, anthracnose and so on. When humidity is high and temperature is low, the seedlings are severely affected, and large numbers of dead seedlings often occur. Use 20 to 25 kg.

6. To control locusts, sift plant ash. When the morning dew has not dried (or after watering), spray plant ash on the locust bodies, or dust it on with gauze, then repeat after three to five days. Apply 2 to 3 times.

7. To prevent and control root mites, for damage such as root rot during the flower seedling stage, using pesticides to control the root system can easily cause phytotoxicity, so 30 to 40 kg of plant ash can be applied to the seedlings. The application method is: at the seedling stage, spread the plant ash evenly on the soil surface, then turn it evenly so that the ash and soil are fully mixed; before planting or at planting, first apply the plant ash in the furrow, then sow or plant.

8. In controlling underground pests, bulbous flower seedlings are often harmed by underground pests such as grubs; using plant ash as a base fertilizer, or covering the seeds with plant ash, can significantly reduce the damage.