What Lime Do You Use?

[Kygiacomo!!!]

damn you were right about the shipping. Thats ridiculous. In all honesty I listed it just off a quick search to see what the prices were like. To answer your question shakiraloba, go to your closest Agri-store or garden center. They all carry different types of lime, hydrated, fast acting, dolomite etc. in 50lb bags powderized for usually under $10. I used dolomite last year it was like $5 bucks a bag. No problems really, but I've heard numerous comments stating that dolomite isnt always the way to go. Too much magnesium, Ive heard gypsum and fast acting are better. Also depends on your soil type.
Had a great great book recommended to me - The Intelligent Gardener, talked alot about testing your soil when choosing type of lime to add. Ill have to go refresh my memory on the specifics. Cheers

its still a good buy though even with the 44$ shipping..it would be even better if i had a local store they could deliver it to then i could pick it up free,but me being out in the sticks so to speak i knew the shipping would be off the chain..i thought i was gonna have to have ocean forest and happy frog shipped in bc i didnt want to use miracle grow this year since that shit comes with bugs ever year..i had to drive 1hr 30 min 1 way to a hydro shop to get some for a cheaper price then what i could get from amazon..this is what i found out the magnesium on dolomite..which only reason i needed the dolomite was for the ph buffer not the mag..my nutes has the proper mag in it,but it appears i may switch to gypsum or oyser shell flour after reading that though,but this year i dont think i will have to use either dolomite or oyster shell since im using fox farm ocean forest and happy frog in al my holes and it already comes with it..i hope that i can contiune to use these places if they dont get compramised then i can just build on it..it was costly as hell to get enuff soil for 18 plants but i invested some my earnings on a good starting soil..im gonna be composting my own this year though..already working on getting a bunch of horse shit and gonna stick it in the backyard along with all the leaves and grass i cut thurout the summer..so by next april it should be some black gold

"Many Gardeners are using Dolomite lime thinking that it will add calcium and magnesium. Problem being that it is way to high in magnesium and also virtually unavailable to the plants for a number of years. The ONLY reason nurseries and farms use Dolomite Lime is to adjust the PH up typically when using Peat Moss.

A quote from "The Ideal Soil: A Handbook for The New Agriculture"

It's still a little-known fact that the Calcium to Magnesium ratio determines how tight or loose a soil is. The more Calcium a soil has, the looser it is; the more Magnesium, the tighter it is, up to a point. Other things being equal, a high Calcium soil will have more Oxygen, drain more freely, and support more aerobic breakdown of organic matter, while a high Magnesium soil will have less Oxygen, tend to drain slowly, and organic matter will break down poorly if at all. In a soil with Magnesium higher than Calcium, organic matter may ferment and produce alcohol and even formaldehyde, both of which are preservatives. If you till up last years corn stalks and they are still shiny and green, you may have a soil with an inverted Calcium/Magnesium ratio. On the other hand, if you get the Calcium level too high, the soil will lose all its beneficial granulation and structure and the excessive Calcium will interfere with the availability of other nutrients. If you get them just right for your particular soil, you can drive over the garden and not have a problem with soil compaction. "

 

[walkingstick]

@kygiacoma- Very interesting, regarding the oxygen, aeration, decomposition. So based on your research from that book, if one were using peat moss as a soil base do you think it would be beneficial to add both dolomite and gypsum to your mix? The former to balance pH and the latter for added calcium, since the dolomite isnt readily available.

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

@kygiacoma- Very interesting, regarding the oxygen, aeration, decomposition. So based on your research from that book, if one were using peat moss as a soil base do you think it would be beneficial to add both dolomite and gypsum to your mix? The former to balance pH and the latter for added calcium, since the dolomite isnt readily available.

i think so brother..the dolomite has potential for the next couple of years as well since it takes a while to break down..that is if we use the same spots and just throw some amendments down in it,but oyster shell might be the better option imo..i have never used OSF so i dont know for sure but i am using it this year since its already in the fox farm soils im using

 

[walkingstick]

Hey y'all,
Found a great article from University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension.
http://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/pubs/A3671.pdf
http://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/pubs/A2986.pdf

Turns out dolomite lime might not be a bad choice overall. They questioned the Cal:Mg ratio problem, in their research they found magnesium overdose to be virtually non-existent. Furthermore, adding extra lime that doesnt contain significant Mg such as calcitic lime and gypsum may actually widening the Ca:Mg ratio so much that Mg deficiency can become a problem. This is in regards to Wisconsin, so it may differ from state to state.
As for us soil builders, we might be fine with the dolomite depending on your base. Food for thought. Cheers!

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

good find bro thanks for sharing

 

[DuskrayTroubador]

I am certain (to the degree that one can be) that I will not be using these locations again next year.

I'm not concerned with the long term with these plots, I just need the fastest acting thing possible, whether that be pulverized lime or oyster shell flour. I can always test ph as the seasons goes on and add some more and water it in to adjust if needed.

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

I am certain (to the degree that one can be) that I will not be using these locations again next year.

I'm not concerned with the long term with these plots, I just need the fastest acting thing possible, whether that be pulverized lime or oyster shell flour. I can always test ph as the seasons goes on and add some more and water it in to adjust if needed.

.i understand i have a few new spots myself but there is a couple that i have been growing in now for 5+ years in it and i want to build the soil up on it..i found a grow from a guy on another fourm and he was using half organic nutes with half syntehic and his grow just exploded..i was always under the impression that if u used one the other was a waste but now im rethinking that bc i seen what his did using both..u would think the plant was a auto at the growth rates he was getting..how much will u need bro?

 

[DuskrayTroubador]

.i understand i have a few new spots myself but there is a couple that i have been growing in now for 5+ years in it and i want to build the soil up on it..i found a grow from a guy on another fourm and he was using half organic nutes with half syntehic and his grow just exploded..i was always under the impression that if u used one the other was a waste but now im rethinking that bc i seen what his did using both..u would think the plant was a auto at the growth rates he was getting..how much will u need bro?

Depends on the answer to my earlier question. I used to think a handful or two per hole was enough, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[DuskrayTroubador]

You can use hydrated lime for the quickest results. But use it sparingly, like say 2/3 dolomite lime, to 1/3 hydrated. I prefer pulverized dolomite limestone the best, and being pulverized allows it to break down quicker than pelletized.

How soon would you say pulverized lime affects the soil? I need something that gets the ph squared away asap.

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

Depends on the answer to my earlier question. I used to think a handful or two per hole was enough, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

yep thats what i do still lol im starting my germination saturday got 2 more holes to dig and i will do that tomorrow..i gotta trim a few trees as well before they bloom as well