Dolomite Lime and PH

[sawadee]

HEllo everyone,
JUst found some good Dolomite lime. My question is, would one need to adjust PH for your fertilizer applications anymore providing that you are using organic ferts? I am asking based upon the fact that it neutralizes the soil for approx. 1 year

Go organics!
Peas

 

[Laxpunker]

If the soil you are using isn't already balanced, then yes you'll want to use some Lime. If the soil already contains lime however you don't want to overdue it and make it to basic.

 

[BurnOne]

Humates (humus) will buffer the pH of your organic ferts so they can be taken up by the plants. Humates come from compost, worm castings and bottled humus. Powdered dolomite lime will raise the pH of acidic peat based mediums as well as provide much needed calcium and magnesium.
Use @ 2 tbs/gal of final mix.
Burn1

 

[sawadee]

I am using all-mix from Bio-Bizz. I brought this up becuase i remember a recent discussion with someone about "not having to PH your fertilizer solution anymore after applying Dolomite Lime", he also said, "it keeps everything balanced"
If this is true i can save tons of time!!

 

[BurnOne]

For the most part, the only pH adjustment dolomite does is in the medium. When you pour in stuff like guano teas that are around 8 to 9 pH, the humates let the plant take up nutes even at such an extreme pH. Same with PBP ay 4 pH.
Burn1

 

[vonforne]

If you have adjusted you medium like B1 says...2 tbls per gallon of soil, then you could adjust your nute water to about 6.0 and you will be good to go. I just adjust mine before I add the nutes and let the soil, like B! says, adjust itself. Its Organics....we have that on our side. Take care of the soil and it will take care of your plants.

 

[Suby]

Dolomite lime and a healthy microherd in a humate rich soil is as good to go and low maintenance as it gets.
2 TBS/gal of DL will do it.

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

Just to stir the shit- even though the humates and the AD.lime will buffer the high or low pH of your feeding solution- it is still better to pH the solution before feeding.

I say this because the buffering capacity of the soil/D.lime is not infinate and cannot sustain the pH indefinately.

My point is why overwork your soil buffering capacity.

minds_I

 

[sproutco]

I am asking based upon the fact that it neutralizes the soil for approx. 1 year

Maybe outdoors in the ground but in a container it only last in terms of a few months. Often calcium and magnesium levels start to run low even with dolomite lime in the soil. So, you have to add supplements. Using a low rate of dolomite lime + adjusting you fert water ph after mixing + occasional applications of calcium and magnesium = great plants

 

[vonforne]

And a couple of good ones to use is Epson salts from Lowes and K-Mag (premium). And they also supply sulfur.

 

[sawadee]

Hello,
I thought no one was interested. Thanks for the comments. Sproutco, you couldn't have made it more clear, Minds eye< I like what your sayin too.
The plants are lookin better, but one seems to have a bit of a lock out still. I think she could need more space..