Nothing seems to make a room as cozy in the winter as a fire in your fireplace.  After shoveling all of that heavy snow or on a cold winter evening a fire warms up our hands and feet quickly and there is just something about the crack and snap of a fire that makes me want to curl up with a good book or better yet my gardening catalogs! Like many of you, I’m faced with the dilemma of what to do with the ashes after the fire is finished. Many of you may not know it but there are some ways to use those ashes in your yard!

Wood ash contains the nutrient calcium which is not typically found in soil or most fertilizers. Calcium is the building block of lime which is a material often used to “sweeten” soils that are acidic. Wood ash can be used as a substitute for lime but before you apply it to your soil or lawn you’ll want to get a soil test to determine where your soil PH is and then how much wood ash should be applied.  The PH scale is a numeric expression of how acidic or alkaline a solution is with the number 7 being totally neutral. A number below 7 is considered acidic and therefore a number above 7 is considered to be alkaline. Most plants prefer slightly acidic soil but too much of anything is not a good thing and unless you are growing acid loving plants such as Azaleas or Blueberries you want that PH figure to be as close to 7 as possible.

You can also use wood ashes in your garden as a deterrent to slugs and snails. The ashes have a desiccant effect which means it dries these “slimers” out so they avoid the ash at all costs. You want to avoid putting the ashes directly on any plant material as it can have a similar effect but if you use them to outline your vegetable garden it can be an effective way to keep these pests away from your plants. It is worth noting however that you will need to reapply the ash after each rainfall as it will lose its effectiveness when wet.

Many birds, including chickens, use dust as a way to keep themselves clean. Rolling around in the dirt allows the birds to clean their feathers and skin while removing parasites such as mites or lice Mixing sand with wood ash makes a terrific dust bath for our feathered friends and if you have pets a handful of wood ash rubbed into their fur can help deodorize them too! Wood ash acts like baking soda and can absorb and neutralize offensive odors.

Finally, wood ash is a great replacement for rock salt which is used to melt snow and ice. The salt is not good for your plants or the environment in general and wood ash effectively melts snow, de-ices and provides traction in slippery spots. Wood ash also does not corrode concrete or metal and it won’t harm your plants or pets either. There are probably other good uses for fireplace ashes so please share them on our Facebook page!