Ingredients in Wood Ash

• The two largest concentrations in wood ash are calcium carbonate and potash. Other ingredients include trace amounts of phosphate, iron, manganese, boron, copper and zinc. Wood ash has trace amounts of the heavy metals lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium.
  
  

Check your Ph

• If your soil's pH is less than 5.5, it is acidic and could benefit from wood ash as a liming ingredient. The suggested rate for applying it is 20 lbs. of wood ash per 1,000 square feet. Dig it in at least 6 inches deep. If your soil is alkaline with a pH above 7.0, do not apply wood ash.
  
  

No Wood Ash Allowed

• Do not apply wood ash to blueberries, rhododendrons, potatoes, evergreen trees or shrubs, as these are acid-loving plants.