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Q. Can I use the wood ashes from my fireplace or wood stove in my garden?   A. Yes! Wood ashes raise the pH of lawn or garden soil in much the same way as limestone. However, unlike limestone, which can take six months or more to change soil pH, wood ash is highly water-soluble and changes the soil pH very rapidly. If you have a lot of ashes, it's easy to apply too much. Make sure to have a soil test before applying wood ashes to determine your soil’s pH and receive a recommendation for how much to apply. (You can safely apply 20 pounds of wood ashes per 1000 square feet--one five-gallon pail full--to most lawn or garden areas each year without raising the pH unduly. To store ashes safely, remove them from your woodstove according to the manufacturer's directions and store them in a covered metal container outdoors on a cement or brick slab at least three feet from any combustible surface. Don't store ashes on a wooden deck or porch. Broadcast the ashes in the spring on a day Be sure to mix them thoroughly into the soil before planting. Don't apply wood ashes to soils that grow acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, and hollies.  

Got questions? UNH Cooperative Extension's Education Center & InfoLine offers practical help finding answers for your lawn and garden questions. Call toll free at 1-877-398-4769, M-F, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., or e-mail us at answers@unh.edu