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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (12108)	5/9/2011 9:39:58 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 24232

Learned this from my grandfather the first time we made a compost pile. Wood Ash: An Alternative Liming Material for Agricultural Soils ...Soil fertility As trees grow, plant nutrients are absorbed from the soil and are incorporated into plant tissue. When hogfuel is burned, most of the nitrogen and sulphur are released into the atmosphere while much of the phosphorus and potassium is retained in the ash. When ash is applied to soil, a significant amount of plant nutrients are also added to the soil. Liming may improve soil fertility by several mechanisms. An increase in soil pH may increase the decomposition rate of soil organic matter by soil bacteria and thus speed up the rate of release of plant nutrients such as nitrogen. This temporary benefit may be observed for two or three years after liming. Liming acid soils increases phosphorus availability. Below pH 6.0, iron and aluminum reduce phosphorus availability. Over-liming may also reduce phosphorus availability as well as that of the micronutrients. Above pH 7.0, calcium and magnesium precipitate phosphorus to form compounds of low solubility, which means reduced availability for crop growth. Research recently completed in Alberta shows that most soils are deficient in phosphorus. A significant amount of phosphorus is added to soil when ash is applied. Field research shows phosphorus soil test values increased after liming with Ash also contains a substantial amount of potassium that would be beneficial on potassium-deficient soils. Increased crop growth may also be due to improved availability of sulphur after liming with ash, particularly for crops that have a high sulphur requirement, such as alfalfa and canola. Ash also contains calcium, magnesium and micronutrients; however, most soils have an adequate supply of these nutrients. www1.agric.gov.ab.ca