Wood ash contains a number of beneficial nutrients for soil, such as significant amount of potassium and calcium as well as smaller amounts of phosphorous and magnesium. If your soil is deficient in those nutrients, then the addition of wood ash would be beneficial. It is also good to note that wood ash contains high amounts of carbonates that react with and neutralize acid in the soil, causing the pH of the soil to increase.
With that being said, you should not add wood ash to soil without first conducting a soil test to see if it is in fact deficient in those nutrients and what your soil pH is. Adding wood ash to a neutral soil can negatively impact plants that rely on a certain pH and especially acid-loving plants. Since this soil is in your greenhouse, it is assumed that you used purchased soil and not soil from the ground, which would have given you the proper pH. If you are curious, conduct a soil test and see where things stand, but you might just want to add an organic compost to give your soil what it needs.
As for adding worms, it is not likely necessary because (as reference above) soil that was brought in likely would not need the benefits that worms can provide, like aeration for compacted soil. There are a few factors that would go into their survival if you were to add them, like where you live, the temperatures inside the greenhouse (in both summer and winter), and how deep the raised beds are.
Hi Geri,
Wood ash contains a number of beneficial nutrients for soil, such as significant amount of potassium and calcium as well as smaller amounts of phosphorous and magnesium. If your soil is deficient in those nutrients, then the addition of wood ash would be beneficial. It is also good to note that wood ash contains high amounts of carbonates that react with and neutralize acid in the soil, causing the pH of the soil to increase.
With that being said, you should not add wood ash to soil without first conducting a soil test to see if it is in fact deficient in those nutrients and what your soil pH is. Adding wood ash to a neutral soil can negatively impact plants that rely on a certain pH and especially acid-loving plants. Since this soil is in your greenhouse, it is assumed that you used purchased soil and not soil from the ground, which would have given you the proper pH. If you are curious, conduct a soil test and see where things stand, but you might just want to add an organic compost to give your soil what it needs.
As for adding worms, it is not likely necessary because (as reference above) soil that was brought in likely would not need the benefits that worms can provide, like aeration for compacted soil. There are a few factors that would go into their survival if you were to add them, like where you live, the temperatures inside the greenhouse (in both summer and winter), and how deep the raised beds are.
Hope this helps!