Question?
Is it safe to dump the ashes from my wood- burning stove on my garden?

Answer
"Wood ash raises the soil pH, or alkalinity, much like limestone does," says George Hamilton, extension educator with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. The optimum soil pH range is 6.5 to 7.0. If a soil test indicates the pH is below 6.5, you can safely apply wood ash to the lawn and garden. Hamilton recommends spreading 20 lbs. (one 5-gal. pail) per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn or garden per year -- equivalent to 6 lbs. of ground limestone per 1,000 sq. ft.

"Don't make the common mistake of adding ash every year without first taking a soil test to determine if it's needed," Hamilton warns. Adding ash annually can raise the soil pH above the optimum level, which limits the ability of plants to absorb important soil nutrients, such as phosphorous, iron and magnesium.

You should have your soil tested in spring and, if called for, apply the ashes you have collected. "Unlike limestone, which can take six months or more to affect the soil, wood ash quickly changes the soil pH," explains Hamilton. Wood ash also supplies potassium, an important nutrient.