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Re: Wood ashes?

Vinata,
Mushroom compost can be high in soluble salts, too.  That's the only
problem with it that I have come across.  
Rick

----------
> From: Vinata Gangolli <vgangol@uswest.com>
> To: perennials@mallorn.com
> Subject: Re: Wood ashes?
> Date: Friday, October 31, 1997 10:45 AM
> 
> Since the discussion about wood ashes involves pH of a soil, I would like
to ask 
> a related question. I read somewhere that mushroom compost should not be
added 
> to highly alkaline soils. Would somebody know from experience if this is
indeed 
> true, and if so, why?
> Thanks in advance,
> Vinata
> > OK, group.
> > 
> > I am going to stick my face in the door, and tell a short story about
wood
> > ashes.
> > 
> > Once upon a time, I was a grad student in horticulture.
> > 
> > For a semester or two, my half-time teaching assistantship was to
"handle"
> > the unusual reports from soil tests that came in from home gardeners. 
> > Anything within "normal" ranges, the computer software handled almost
> > without human interaction.  But the way-out-of-sight readings, well,
those
> > got personal attention.
> > 
> > The most common "unusual" garden soil test that we saw had extremely
high
> > potassium (potash) levels.  And invariably, when you would get a call
(or
> > get a written response) back from the gardener, you would learn that
they
> > had a wood stove.  And had been applying wood ashes profusely to their
> > garden.  
> > 
> > Is this a problem?  Not really.  Not as long as you are in a climate
where
> > you get adequate rainfall (potassium is very mobile and leaches out
> > quickly), or you are able to irrigate abundantly.  Not as long as you
have
> > an abundance of organic matter in the soil to tie up some of the excess
> > potassium.  But if your soil dries out regularly, or if your OM is
> > relatively low, you can definitely run into "high salt" problems.  
> > 
> > I'm in the Northeast.  Acid soils.  Wood ashes are like lime, raising
the
> > pH.  But the effect is "quicker" than most limestones, and adds
potassium
> > (potash) more than calcium.  
> > 
> > The lesson to take home?  If you use wood ashes on your garden, get a
good
> > soil test regularly.  The cost at most US land-grant colleges is under
ten
> > dollars.  It's easy, it's quick, and it can save you a lot of gardening
> > grief.  
> > 
> > I recently moved into a new house.  The previous owners spread the wood
> > stove ashes on the lawn, and in the most convenient area (right outside
the
> > family room).  How do I know?  I soil-tested the yard and garden after
we
> > moved in, but did each section separately.  The lawn right outside the
> > family room has a high pH and extremely high potassium levels!  The
grass
> > grows OK, but browns up quite quickly in the summer, much more quickly
than
> > the same lawn grasses on the other side of the house.  Oh, and the pH
and
> > potassium levels are "normal" range on that side.  
> > 
> > Rick Grazzini
> > rickg@centrelab.com
> > Centre Analytical Laboratories
> > USDA 5 or 6 / Sunset 43
> > 
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