Wood ash has so many benefits, did you know them all?

Wood ash is the residue left after burning firewood and grass. It is a loose-textured quick-acting potassium fertilizer, generally containing 5-15% available potassium, as well as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and other elements. Wood ash also has many uses for flowers and plants. Let's take a look together!

1. Promote germination

After sowing flowers and plants, cover with 1-2 cm of wood ash. This can effectively raise soil temperature, keep the soil loose, prompt seeds to germinate 7-10 days earlier, and make the flowers and plants grow robustly and uniformly.

2. Speed up rooting

When transplanting flowers and trees, use wood ash thoroughly mixed with organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer, or mix 5-20% wood ash into the potting soil. This can increase the absorbability of the fertilizer, promote wound healing, and raise the survival rate of transplanted flowers and trees. For flowers such as clivia (Clivia miniata), during transplanting and repotting, cut off the rotten roots and sprinkle wood ash on the wounds and root system. This can control root rot, promote new root growth, and restore their vigor.

3. Prevent leaf drop

During the growing season of flowers and trees, spray an 8-15% wood ash leachate as a foliar top dressing. This can enhance the photosynthesis of the leaves, prolong the growth period of the leaves, make the flowers and foliage more beautiful, and improve the ornamental effect.

4. Prevent disease and control pests

Spraying a 3-5% wood ash leachate also helps control pests such as aphids and red spider mites.

5. Enhance resistance

When transplanting flowers and trees in dry areas, continuously spraying a 3-5% wood ash leachate can improve their drought resistance. This is because wood ash contains a large amount of free potassium ions, which can reduce the transpiration intensity of the leaves, promote the transport of carbohydrates, and enhance the ability to resist drought and tolerate high temperatures.

6. Prevent bleeding

For flowers and trees prone to bleeding, such as peaches, figs, grapes and so on, apply fresh wood ash to the wounds caused after pruning or repotting. This can control bleeding, prevent wound infection and rot, and promote healing.