Our club has 4 tracts of land. Each tract is narrow but nearly a mile long in sort of a pie shape. The first tract is dense hardwoods. The second was clearcut in ' 99 and the third and fourth were clearcut in the fall of 2001. After talking to the owner of the fourth tract Saturday we were informed that her tract would be sprayed, burned, and planted in pines in July. Can you say very large food plot? Anyway, it seems like I remember reading somewhere that wood ashes would raise the pH level. The land is covered with tree limbs and brush so if it' s done right there should be a lot of wood ashes left behind. Does anybody know roughly what effect this will have on the pH level? I plan on discing it in as soon as possible to get the ash mixed in with the soil. How long should I wait to get an accurate soil sample? Thanks in advance.

The ashes will definitely help the soil. Many years ago while flying over south Georgia I noticed a difference in the planted pines below me. Where the paper company had piled and burned the area before planting the pines were considerably darker and healthier. I would still get the soil sample. The briars and honeysuckle should be healthy.

several years ago, my mom set her lawn on fire (about 10 acres, half of it burned before the fire dept was able to put it out). a few months later the grass was definitley greener where it had burned.

The wood ashes are composed of potash (K2O) and Phosphate along with a few other minerals. When water is added it forms a very basic solution. This is the the material that was used to saphonify fats to make soap.

Dan O.

Thanks for the input guys. Like I said earlier, I plan on discing it up as soon as the smoke clears. Then I will give it a week or two before I take a soil sample. Right now my plans are to plant clover, alfalfa, rye, kale, and rape for the fall. A lot will depend getting the pH right in just a couple of months. I will probably save a few areas for corn and soybeans next spring. I haven' t tried soybeans yet but would like to give them a try along with sunflowers as a border. Got to start doing some research because September will be here soon.

hey ballistictip -- i live in davidson county but possibly moving to the ashboro area in the fall and i was wandering if your club is taking in any new members. shoot me an email so we can talk a little bit