Wood ashes

Can I spread these in my garden with out worries? I think I may have read that they alter PH. My soil is acidic now - would wood ashes do more harm then good? I don't have a ton - just a couple of buckets full that came from our outdoor fire pit.

try this link... http://eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/garden/soil/ ma vie

Ma vie - very informative! Thanks for the link ;o)

Sue,

I raised about 400 sunflower plants this year (common H.annuus) almost entirely for the stalks for burning.

Check out this quote:

"Those who undertake to grow Sunflowers should, however, bear in mind that the ash obtained from the plants after the seed has been harvested is, owing to its richness in potash, a manure of considerable value, so that it is really wasteful to use up the dry stems merely on the domestic fire; it is of more advantage to make them up in heaps on the ground, burn them there and save the ash."

Check out this page http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sunfl100.html and scroll down to the "As Fuel. As Source of Potash for Manure" section. Apparantly, sunflower ashes are about the best kind of potash one can add to the garden, from what I've read on that site, and elsewhere.

Dave