tjo@gypsy.UUCP (05/16/85)
A question about lilacs and wood ashes: Speaking of lilacs, I've heard that wood or charcoal ashes are especially beneficial as lilac fertilizer. Aside from the fact that potassium is generally good for flowering plants, is there any particular reason to use ashes for lilacs? Also, should ashes be just as beneficial to other deciduous flowering shrubs like forsythia, quince, etc? What about deciduous azaleas (Exburies)?
jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) (05/18/85)
> > Also, should ashes be just as beneficial to other deciduous > flowering shrubs like forsythia, quince, etc? > What about deciduous azaleas (Exburies)? Woodland shrubs like azaleas, camelias, rhododendrons and other members of the camelia and laurel family like very acid soil (like that created on the forest floor through all the leaf mold). I can't imagine that ash would do them any good. -- jcpatilla "'Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill !'"
jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) (05/21/85)
> > A question about lilacs and wood ashes: > > Speaking of lilacs, I've heard that wood or charcoal ashes are > especially beneficial as lilac fertilizer. Aside from the fact > that potassium is generally good for flowering plants, is there > any particular reason to use ashes for lilacs? > > Also, should ashes be just as beneficial to other deciduous > flowering shrubs like forsythia, quince, etc? > What about deciduous azaleas (Exburies)? Lilacs like alkaline soil. Ashes will make your soil more alkaline. I recommend against using ashes for azaleas, because these like acid soil. The Sunset Western Garden Book says that quince may suffer from chlorosis in alkaline soils. I don't know what forsythia likes. Ashes in the soil will make carrots taste sweeter. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff