Wood ashes for Cymbidium nutrition

[rodrigo]

I've been reading a little about wood ashes, and I like what I have found so far about it

It is rich in Calcium and Potassium.... and cheap

It seems that cymbidiums like being in the alkaline side.
Most of the cymbidium potting mixes suggested in this forum and elsewhere call for limestone, dolomite, sea shells, etc. to be added to the mix. All rich sources of Calcium and with a high PH. It has been said again and again that old or acidic potting mixes are the main cause for root rot in cymbs.
So why not apply wood ashes for potassium and to raise the PH?

Now, I've heard from some cymbidium experts that the Potassium levels should be kept slightly higher than Nitrogen levels to get better growth rates and push spike initiation.
Unfortunately very few (if any) commercial fertilizers available (around my area) have a NPK ratio with a high Potassium level.
So why not use wood ashes to provide a boost in Potassium at the time needed by the plant?

I'm really excited about this "discovery", but before I throw ashes at my Cymbs, I wanted to ask if anybody has had any experience with it.

Thanks for your feedback on this issue.

Regards,

Rodrigo

[Ray]

1) The mineral content is determined, to a large degree, by they type of wood burned. One study showed anywhere from 20% to 37% Ca and 6% 7- 16% Ca.

2) Ash is very light, you you'd have to put "a ton" on to get any decent nutritional value.

3) I have never heard that cymbs like higher pH. Mine do great in the 5.5-6.5 range.

[rodrigo]

Hello Ray,

Thanks for your feedback.
This article from Clemson University is what got me all excited about Wood Ashes:
Best Management Practices for Wood Ash Used as an Agricultural Soil Amendment

Regards,

Rodrigo

[Ray]

Best I could ascertain, the summary suggests it might be possible as a soil amendment, but says nothing about its effectiveness.

[rodrigo]

Hello Ray,

What specifically caught my attention when I read the article is the assertion:
"In terms of commercial fertilizer, average wood ash would probably be about 0-1-3 (N-P-K)"
Which is pretty much what I want to raise the Potassium level at around 3/4 of the way into my rainy season.

In other words, I want to top-dress the mix with a light slow release Potassium booster during part of my rainy season.
The use water foliage solutions (like Potassium Nitrate) during the heaviest rains does not seem too effective to me.

Besides, I have a ton of wood I do not know what to do with sitting around here.

So let me turn around the question:
What would be a good way to do this ?

Thanks for your insight,

Rodrigo

[orchids3]

Rodrigo,
Am interested in this as well but have not experimented with it. My parents and grandparents were subsistance garderners and used wood for heat. All the ashes were put on the dormant garden in the fall and winter and tilled into the soil in the spring. My other rememberance is that we "Ate very well" and had vegtables to sell. I know also that ashes from burned "Corn Cobs" is said to be 40% Potassium. We had lots of corn cobs as we fed our horses corn. I need to raise my potassium levels on my cymbidiums also - and have not decided just when and how to do it. Adjustment of a commercial fertilizer would need to be done carefully. Just adding another ingredient may cause chemical changes or seperation and percolation of the salts that are already in the fertilizer. This is a problem I am looking around for a solution too.

[rodrigo]

Originally Posted by orchids3

My parents and grandparents were subsistance garderners and used wood for heat. All the ashes were put on the dormant garden in the fall and winter and tilled into the soil in the spring. My other rememberance is that we "Ate very well" and had vegetables to sell. .... We had lots of corn cobs as we fed our horses corn.

Good old days!!! I'm already envying your childhood

Let me know if you discover a feasible solution for this.

Regards,

Rodrigo