Stablizing soil with lime, best way
- Thread starter Punk
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slomoking13
Well-Known Member
are you referring to dolomite lime? if so, i believe it is a buffer and with either alkalinic or acidic soil it will buffer to around 7.0 or neutral
KingInDaCloset
Active Member
You'll want to add Gypsum with it in about equal amounts for the area you're treating. It too raises the pH a bit and in concert w/Dolomite lime can soften the soil a tad by binding microscopic particles into larger ones, and as the theory goes, increase drainage and air content near the roots.
Punk
Well-Known Member
There was a micronutrient lockout (not sure which one) that was prone to happen using JUST lime to even out acidity, so another soil additive is used and I can't figure out what folks were using to counter the lockout cause by the lime. (not a ph lockout), but I remember reading it and was getting ready to prep some dirt for next grow.
slomoking13
Well-Known Member
was it sulfur? the only other thing i have added was epsom salts. some people add either epsom or gypsum salts to their mix. but both epsom and gypsum salts contain calcium and sulfer, and i believe they are both a ph between 5.5-6.5. That's the only thing i can think of.... just comes to mind because dolomite lime is calcium and magnesium while calcium, magnesium, and sulfur are all considered the main 3 secondary nutrients after npk.
Punk
Well-Known Member
Well, I am going to do a foliar feeding of epson salts on one plant as a control, just to see what impact that has.
DaveCoulier
Well-Known Member
Dolomite, or dolomitic lime will not reduce PH. Any type of lime always raises PH. It never lowers it, and yes you can over-do dolomite/dolomitic lime contary to popular belief.
Someone told you wrong. I dont know what this "stabilization" you are referring to, but you dont have to add another ingredient because you used dolomitic lime to raise the ph.
Gypsum has a negligible affect on ph. Its thought it lowers ph, but it barely does.You'll want to add Gypsum with it in about equal amounts for the area you're treating. It too raises the pH a bit and in concert w/Dolomite lime can soften the soil a tad by binding microscopic particles into larger ones, and as the theory goes, increase drainage and air content near the roots.
http://www.agvise.com/tech_art/highsoilph.php
AquafinaOrbit
Well-Known Member
Not sure about lime, but dolomite lime is safe to use by itself from what I've always read (And done). Never have any lockout problems, but it does buffer around 7.0 so you want to add something that is also slightly acidic to bring the overall PH down a notch.
buggin69
Active Member
lower acidity equals higher PH
kingofqueen
Well-Known Member
The ONLY good info here came from Dave . Everything else is a load of bull .You got dolomite lime and sweet lime. Dolomite is what you want to use . Ground not pelletized . IT "stabilizes " your ph level. Nothing is needed to counteract it . Now if you had a high ph soil you would add garden "sulfer" to buffer it down .
whats wrong with pellitized ?
DaveCoulier
Well-Known Member
The finer the lime the faster it will react in the soil. The pellitized, or prilled lime is used in field conditions not for container gardening.
i use pellitized in container.
maybe my thinking is long term effect.
no worth to something that only buffers one-time.
YarndiYarns
Active Member
You sure? Lemon Juice is low Ph, you think it is alkaline or acidic? I disagree with your statement here. I'm of the opinion that a low Ph is indicative of an acidic medium. See this quote which I pulled from a University web site:
Pure (neutral) water has a pH around 7 at 25 °C (77 °F); this value varies with temperature. When an acid is dissolved in water the pH will be less than 7 (if at 25 °C (77 °F)) and when a base, or alkali is dissolved in water the pH will be greater than 7 (if at 25 °C (77 °F)). A solution of a strong acid, such as hydrochloric acid, at concentration 1 mol dm−3 has a pH of 0. A solution of a strong alkali, such as sodium hydroxide, at concentration 1 mol dm−3 has a pH of 14.
Micromaster
Active Member
hes saying a reduced acidity means a higher ph.
Do people not know what a ph table looks like?
YarndiYarns
Active Member
My Bad, clouded thinking.
So do I, mainly for the recycle. I still use powdered in the mix since the pellets take 2+ months to start to breakdown and about the time the powdered runs out.
Wet
Hudsonvalley82
Well-Known Member
I work for a company that produces pellet, pulverized, granular, and gypsum.
Pelletized lime is just pulverized lime binded together with tree sap extracts. It is that way so you can put it in a fertilizer spreader to distribute across your lawn. It needs water to break down and is far less concentrated than pulverized.
Granular takes anywhere from 4 to 5 months to have an effect on that soil. It is usually put down in fall around the midwest/NE US to neutralize the soils from the spring rains/thaw.
Gypsum is a calcium rich additive that is designed not to effect your soils pH drastically in either direction. It is used for aeration of clay rich soils as well as reducing the nitrate concentration in certain areas (patches of dog piss that has burned the grass)
Pulverized limestone is not to be mistaken with hydrated lime, which used to be popular until idiot customers started to get chemical burns. Hydrated lime of the past is only used in masonry applications for making mortar mixes have more of a buttery texture. If you really want that, it is in the concrete sections of big box hardware stores.
Pulverized limestone comes in two varieties: Calcitic and Dolomitic.
Calcitic is calcium rich and contains trace amount of magnesium.
Dolomitic is Magnesium rich and contains around 25-33% Calcium.
Both will acts as buffers in the right environments, however adding neutralizing ingredients will run the risk of a salt build up. It is best just to add the right amount of Dolo limestone in the first place.
Figuring out the correct amount is difficult due to the wide variations between set ups. I just add a touch below what the bag specifies and if I run into problems I can add more as a dressing and allow water to draw it in the soil.
Pelletized lime is just pulverized lime binded together with tree sap extracts. It is that way so you can put it in a fertilizer spreader to distribute across your lawn. It needs water to break down and is far less concentrated than pulverized.
Granular takes anywhere from 4 to 5 months to have an effect on that soil. It is usually put down in fall around the midwest/NE US to neutralize the soils from the spring rains/thaw.
Gypsum is a calcium rich additive that is designed not to effect your soils pH drastically in either direction. It is used for aeration of clay rich soils as well as reducing the nitrate concentration in certain areas (patches of dog piss that has burned the grass)
Pulverized limestone is not to be mistaken with hydrated lime, which used to be popular until idiot customers started to get chemical burns. Hydrated lime of the past is only used in masonry applications for making mortar mixes have more of a buttery texture. If you really want that, it is in the concrete sections of big box hardware stores.
Pulverized limestone comes in two varieties: Calcitic and Dolomitic.
Calcitic is calcium rich and contains trace amount of magnesium.
Dolomitic is Magnesium rich and contains around 25-33% Calcium.
Both will acts as buffers in the right environments, however adding neutralizing ingredients will run the risk of a salt build up. It is best just to add the right amount of Dolo limestone in the first place.
Figuring out the correct amount is difficult due to the wide variations between set ups. I just add a touch below what the bag specifies and if I run into problems I can add more as a dressing and allow water to draw it in the soil.