A Complete Guide to the Role and Uses of Wood Ash in Agriculture

Wood ash is a very common fertilizer in rural areas. It is the residue left after plants are burned, and many farmers like to use wood ash. So what roles does wood ash have in agriculture? Let's take a look below.

1. Cleverly treating root maggots

During the seedling stage of scallions, garlic, and chives, large numbers of root maggots are easily produced at the roots, and using pesticides as a root drench for control often fails to achieve the desired result. However, using wood ash gives a control effect of more than 90%, and increases yield by 15-20%. The method is: before trench planting, apply wood ash into the trench at 20 kg per mu, then sow and cover with soil; or during the seedling stage of scallions, garlic, and chives, evenly spread wood ash over the bed surface at 15 kg per mu, hoe it evenly, and fully mix the ash with the soil.

2. Preventing and controlling cotton seedling diseases

During the seedling stage, cotton is prone to damping-off, anthracnose, red rot, angular leaf spot, and other diseases. When the soil is wet and the temperature is low, seedling diseases occur severely, causing a large number of dead seedlings. To prevent and control cotton seedling diseases, wood ash can be scattered along the rows at 20-25 kg per mu.

3. Preventing potato pest damage

When growing potatoes, the biggest fear is damage from white grubs. Wood ash can be used as a base fertilizer for prevention and control, and dipping seed pieces in wood ash is also effective.

4. Mixed treatment for aphids

Use 10 kg of dry wood ash per mu, add 50 kg of water, stir evenly, and soak for 24 hours. Take out the filtrate, add 25 g of 80% trichlorfon, and after mixing evenly, it can control aphids on vegetables as well as cabbage caterpillars, red spiders, and others.

5. Treating apple root rot and powdery mildew

For trees with root rot, dig away the soil around the affected roots, scrape off the diseased root bark, and after air-drying the roots for 24 hours, apply 2.5-5 kg of wood ash per tree, covering the affected roots, then cover the wood ash with a small amount of soil. After 6-12 months, the disease can recede. For apple trees with powdery mildew, after budding, dig away 10-20 cm of soil from the roots (15 cm from the trunk), and from inside to outside cover each tree with 10-20 kg of wood ash, then add a thin layer of soil over the wood ash. Mild cases can be cured in one year, while severe cases can be cured by repeating once the following year.

6. Filling gaps with wood ash to separate blocks for raising cotton seedlings

When raising cotton seedlings in a seedbed, first spread wood ash at the bottom of the seedbed, fill with seedbed soil, water it thoroughly, and score lines. After 2-3 days, when cracks have dried, fill the cracks with wood ash, then water, cover the seeds, and cover with soil. In this way, when transplanting cotton seedlings, the cut blocks do not break apart or stick together. The size of each cut block is best at 7 cm square.

7. Storing fresh chili peppers

Using wood ash to store fresh chili peppers can keep them for up to 80 days. The method is: spread a 10 cm thick layer of wood ash on the ground, place a layer of chili peppers on the ash, then sprinkle another layer of wood ash over the peppers, repeating alternately, with the requirement that the peppers do not touch one another, then cover all around with a 15 cm thick layer of wood ash for insulation, and cover the top with burlap sacks or straw bags. Each pile should be 150-200 kg and about 1 m high.

8. Keeping fresh eggs fresh

Spread fresh, dry wood ash about 10 cm thick at the bottom of a storage container (a jar, vat, or pot will all do), then place eggs and ash layer by layer, with a thicker layer of ash on top. Keep it in a ventilated, dry place and check once a month. They can be kept fresh for one year.

9. Getting fat hens to lay eggs again

If a hen is too fat, excessive body fat can affect the normal function of the reproductive organs, causing it to stop laying eggs. If this situation is noticed, before the chickens go into the coop in the evening, feed each chicken a small pinch of wood ash and administer it with clean water. Do this once a day for three consecutive days, and the normal egg-laying function can gradually be restored. The general effectiveness rate is above 90%, and it does not produce side effects.

10. Preventing livestock from gnawing on trees

Add half rabbit manure to wood ash, mix thoroughly, then add water and stir into a thin paste. Brush it onto the tree trunks. When livestock approach, they will smell an unusual odor and immediately walk away.