Potash is used for a variety of mined and manufactured salts, all of which contain the mineral potassium in a water-soluble form. Potash is one of the three most important plant nutrients. Potash is used in many things, from detergents to ceramics (Source).

Potash produces a number of effects in plants and gardens. It can decrease the acidity of the soil and balance its pH level, making it more suitable for growing plants.

It can also increase the water retention capacity of soil, which is especially important in warm climates where drought is a concern.

Potash also increases the amount of organic matter in soil by providing phosphorus to microbes who then release carbon dioxide, which plants use as fuel to create sugars they need to grow (Source).

If you want to make your own homemade Potash, check out some of our favorite guides below.

*Potash can be harmful to the skin. Wear gloves, safety goggles, and close-toed shoes when making it! 

7 DIY Potash Plans

#1. Potash – How and Why You Want To Make Your Own

#2. How to Make Potash (Free Fertilizer)

#3. Potassium Salts From Wood Ashes + Improved Purification

#4. How to Make a Potassium Fertilizer

How To Make Potash: Written Guide

Creating your fertilizer is a way of ensuring that the plants and glass in your garden get the proper nutrients.

You can make simple fertilizers as potash using available materials like wood.  Potash is a broad term typically used in describing several alkali salts.

Components of potash:

  • Sodium chloride
  • Potassium chloride
  • Sodium carbonate
  • Potassium carbonate

You can find all of these soluble compounds in burnt plant ashes. It is, therefore, straightforward to make potash at home.

Benefits of potash

  • Potash helps the development of roots.
  • This ion is essential for younger plants adapting to a new environment because the roots require potassium to develop.
  • Your plants can have more robust and supportive roots when phosphorous is mixed with the potassium contained in potash.
  • Plants require 20% of each of these components and 2% nitrogen to develop sustainable roots. With potash, your plants will be resistant to diseases.
  • This nutrient ensures that your plant’s defense mechanism is also enhanced, and the chances of withering are reduced.
  • Potassium helps thicken the plant walls, stalks, and even the roots making them more resistant to diseases.
  • Plants that are already infested with insects and other disease conditions can survive if potash is introduced.
  • Potash contains potassium for enhanced metabolism.
  • Potassium is a significant nutrient in a plant’s metabolism.
  • This ion is essential in helping plants to retain water.
  • It also helps in maintaining a proper PH.
  • Potassium enhances protein synthesis, thereby energizing the plants to grow strong and healthy.
  • Potassium is also a support system for other nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
  • You must understand that these nutrients cannot perform optimally if there is no proper balance.

Note

Potassium is not the only vital nutrient for your plants because failure to balance with other essential ones can affect plant’s growth.

You also need to apply the correct amounts of these nutrients for proper balancing.  Here is what you need to make potash.  Make sure you have dry hardwoods (preferably oakwood).

You will require dry tree barks.  Ensure you also have a source of fire will also help start the fire to burn the wood.

Other Methods

1st Plan

  • The first thing you need to do is collecting the hardwoods. It is recommendable to collect oakwood, but hickory and beech can be used.
  • Arrange the hardwoods well and burn them to ashes.
  • You have to ensure that the wood burns in a scorching flame to achieve white ashes.
  • You have to generate a massive fire to burn all the woods to ashes to obtain the required results.
  • When the fire is entirely out, and the ashes are cool, collect the finest ashes.
  • Do not collect any wood chips or coal left unburnt.
  • You have to make sure that you collect the ash in plastic, clay, glass, or wooden container.
  • The collected ashes should never be stored in metallic containers.
  • Add clean water to the container to a level above the ashes. The container should be almost full.
  • Skim off any floating solids from the mixture. Do this while stirring to allow any remaining unburnt woods to float.
  • At this point, you should allow the container’s content to settle for one hour or more.
  • After the bucket’s content has been layered, you can siphon or filter the liquid through a cloth into a clean container.
  • Set up the filter in a pan and boil under intense heat until you are left with the white potash known as potassium carbonate.
  • The boiling does not produce quality potash but with good quantity.
  • You can repeat this process with the ash to ensure that you collect enough potash.

2nd Plan

This second method is a bit tedious and costly because some of the products used must be purchased.

Here are a few steps required:

Supplies

  • You have to buy a cold pack composed of 40 grams of potassium nitrate.
  • Ensure you also buy at least 37 grams of potassium.
  • It would be necessary to acquire a sieve, a plastic container, and a weighing scale.
  • You will also need a measuring jar.
  • Acquire at least 2 plastic containers.
  • You must make sure you have a wooden stick and filter paper.

Procedure

  • Using the measuring jar, measure 100ml of water and put it in a clean plastic container.
  • Transfer the 40-gram potassium nitrate into the water and dissolve using a wooden stick.
  • Stir the solution gently and consistently until the solute completely dissolves. Potassium nitrate dissolves a bit fast.
  • Use the filter paper fitted into another container, filter the solution and transfer into a saucepan.
  • You have to ensure that undissolved substances are not transferred into the saucepan.
  • In the next step, add 37 grams of potassium chloride into the pan and put it in heat.
  • Stir the mixture while controlling the heat to make sure the solution does not boil.
  • After the solution is adequately mixed, filter the solution into a plastic container using the second filter paper.
  • Place the filtered solution into a freezer for crystals to start forming. Check the container hourly to see the progress of crystal formation.
  • The moment you realize the whole solution has turned into crystals, remove the container from the freezer.
  • Drain excess fluid from the crystals and let the crystals dry.
  • The fertilizer is ready for use.

Final thoughts

Potash is among the fertilizers required by plants to do well.

It is good that with simple supplies as hardwood, you can make potash through a simple procedure.

Other procedures are also available, although they are a bit costly because various products must be purchased.

Potash is beneficial to plants in terms of metabolism, disease resistance, and root development.

Don’t hesitate to DIY it if you are a gardener.

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