Any body help with an answer
Thanks

Hi Bertman,
If the ashes come from burning logs, they are very good as a soil enhancement. They are`rich in phosphorous, which is the "P" in the "NPK" formula on a fertilizer bag, ie., 6-12-6, 6% Nitrogen, 12% Phosphorous, and 6% Potassium. They` are also particularly rich in Potassium, (K) containing anywhere from 4 to 10 % dry weight K2O, which is good. I would caution against using the ashes from any wood that may have been painted, as this might contain Lead, which you certainly will want to keep OUT of your vegetable garden. Otherwise, ashes are` fine.

+1 to what he said. i would use them sparingly though. you dont want to kill all the microbe that are making the compost. a little sprinkle each time you add compost should be fine.

Our Connecticut soil is really acidic due to acid rain so wood ashes are a very good thing. One year I had a lot of ashes so I sifted them through a window screen and saved them for the summer. I dusted them on my squash stems and didn't have any problems with borers that year. This is a well-known organic gardening technique.
You can also chop up leaves with your mower and spread leaves, grass clippings and ashes (or lime) on your garden in the Fall and till them under right away or wait until Spring.

Bob B

My garden soil tends to be a bit alkaline rather than acidic. For this reason, I use almost no wood ashes in my compost. It would raise the PH even more. I try to incorporate things that may make my garden a bit more acidic (lower the PH).