Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, which was the primary means of manufacturing the product before the Industrial Era.

What does the English word potash mean?

1 : potassium carbonate especially from wood ashes. 2 : potassium or a potassium compound especially as used in agriculture or industry.

What is potash used for?

Potash is primarily used in fertilizers (approximately 95%) to support plant growth, increase crop yield and disease resistance, and enhance water preservation. Small quantities are used in manufacturing potassium-bearing chemicals such as: detergents.