Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all!

I had a clumsy moment when the big bag of wood ash disintegrated when I was moving it. Unfortunately it was right at the
end of my time down there so thought I would clear it up on the next visit as it was on an empty bed. But the car parts finally
came in so I couldn't go down for a bit waiting for it to be fixed. It has broken down quite a bit & leeched into soil where I
plan to grow the climbing French Beans or the Runners.

Will this have a detrimental affect on either of these 2 beans? I know some plants like it but not whether these do & if these
don't what do you recommend I flip to this bed?

Cheers in advance as usual!

Hi Westi, it's mostly Potash, I usually put it on soft fruit like my Rasps and Strawberries, as long as the ash was clean wood rather than stuff that was painted, it should be fine.

Have in the past raked in bonfire ash over a fairly narrow area of my vegetable patch without any noticeable negative impact although it,s always been done in winter where there,s been a temporary spare area for a bonfire.

You won,t be growing beans in the area for around 3 months so I suspect the rains we will have between now and then will dilute any impact, unless as suggested the ash was from any unwholesome source

I,ve no idea how long such contents remain in the soil but I,d take a chance of it being worth risking it.

I generally put all my woodash on my veg patch. I no longer use coal (alongside the wood), but when we did, that went on the flower beds instead, you don't want wood-coal ash on your veg patch.