Wood Ash uses

[JMCKG]

I have been offered wood ash from house wood burning stove. Could I use it to earth up my potatoes for example. Any other uses ?

[Jimny14]

We have a multifuel burner and only burn wood, if the people you're getting ash from are burning any coal or smokeless fuel also I wouldn't use the ash in the garden.
I use ours mainly as a top dressing especially for fruit bushes and trees (v thin layer on soil then watered in), or mixed in to compost heap.
I have read it can be a bit harsh to use fresh (as in burned fairly recently) and should be left to rest for some time but I've never had any problems using it thinly after a week or two after burning (doesn't happen often though as I only use it as dressing during spring and summer n we do most of our burning in winter).
If I were offered a few sacks of pure wood Ash I'd take it and keep it in the dry use it to top dress fruit trees and bushes fairly thinly, then either mix it in to compost heap or keep it and use over time for anything that would benefit from potash.

[ameno]

I have read it can be a bit harsh to use fresh (as in burned fairly recently) and should be left to rest for some time.

Leaving it makes no difference. Assuming it is kept dry, its chemistry will not change with time.
It is always harsh, because it is mildy caustic. But as long as you only add a little at a time, it should do no harm to plants or soil. Frequent application may raise soil pH, though.

Wood ash from a wood-burning stove doesn't actually contain much potassium, though. Young growth, rather than old logs, contain more potassium, so ash from burning garden waste is where you will find potash. Log ash is more of a general fertilizer, and personally I would dig it into the veg patch, at around one generous handful per square metre, rather than give it to fruit.

[roitelet]

I use it spread thinly on the grass to discourage moss.