Wood ash as a liming amendment

Abstract Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the effectiveness of a wood‐derived ash as a lime replacement. Treatments included wood ash, wood ash and lime admixtures, and lime amendments (ash amendment ranged from 0 to 20.17 and lime amendment from 0 to 4.06 g/kg soil on a dry weight basis). Treatments were compared for influence on soil pH, capacity to supply mineral nutrients to spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. ‘America'), and for effects on soil nutrient retention, leaching and electrical conductivity (EC). Plant dry weight did not differ within lime alone or wood ash alone treatments. However, in admixtures of the two, plant dry weight increased with increasing rate of wood ash addition. Wood ash containing amendments had a greater positive effect on soil pH than did lime only treatments. Wood ash treatments increased soil EC, while lime only treatments had no effect. Losses of mineral elements decreased with successive leachings for treated and control soils. Calcium, K,...