adding lime to change soil ph
- Thread starter xxbxrxextxtxx
- Start date
kingofqueen
Well-Known Member
Then how do you suggest he stabilize's the soil Ph? Its not a matter of the "lime" being the primary fix thats secondary .Primary is rinsing the soil with low ph water , get it "low" the lime will raise it back to 6.8 and hold it there . If you have a a different fix go ahead and post it but don't tell this guy not to take good advice .Enlighten us with your fix .
xxbxrxextxtxx
Well-Known Member
lol yeah im usealy a bit buzzed if im goinon the computer. but im texting it with soil meter add the drops n u tell by what color comesout what the ph is. its almopst 8 and one of my plants is going into lockout. seeing that im groeing in soil. what wold u recoment to keep my soil ph at?
Biological Graffity
Active Member
...ok dolomite lime indeed will bring ur Ph to 6.9-7 no matter if the soil is assidic or not, its more like a stabalizer, at least as far as my experience goes...I usually spread a few handfulls for 5 gallon pot of soil before feeding or watering, you could mix a few tabelspoons with that soil ur gonna add...however, make sure ur Ph meter probe is long enough to penetrate bellow, to the old soil's levepl....good luck
Total Head
Well-Known Member
this is the absolute perfect application for liquid lime. yes, liquid lime. it exists and it works. like wet said lime is a buffer and if the soil really is too alkaline it will still bring it closer to a neutral range. i suspect the reading may be off but who knows? no more than a tablespoon per gallon and water your plants with it. i didn't see the age of your plants. basically the younger/weaker the plant is the weaker solution you would want to use so you don't shock it.
Those meters with the prongs are worse than useless because they are so inaccurate. The drops are almost as bad.
Get the lime, add the lime. Life will get simpler, I promise.
Then, at the least, get a cheap $20 pH pen off ebay. Milwaukee 600 comes to mind. www.eseasongear.com is the place.
Wet
medicalmaryjane
Well-Known Member
I have used this in my garden with good results:
http://www.amazon.com/Espoma-Organic-Traditions-Garden-Lime/dp/B000BWZAQQ
the problem is that you're supposed to do it long before planting. You dolomite in the fall and plant in the spring. It's harsh on plant roots. Defintiely use powder not the pebbly type beause the pebbles take a long time to breakdown. The stuff I posted is a pebble consistency. You would have to grind it up before using it. I usually rough up the soil on top and put the lime on top and then water but I do it in the fall with the pebbles.
http://www.amazon.com/Espoma-Organic-Traditions-Garden-Lime/dp/B000BWZAQQ
the problem is that you're supposed to do it long before planting. You dolomite in the fall and plant in the spring. It's harsh on plant roots. Defintiely use powder not the pebbly type beause the pebbles take a long time to breakdown. The stuff I posted is a pebble consistency. You would have to grind it up before using it. I usually rough up the soil on top and put the lime on top and then water but I do it in the fall with the pebbles.
xxbxrxextxtxx
Well-Known Member
gimme acouple hours and il post a pic.
kingofqueen
Well-Known Member
??????????????????Dare I ask for a pic? lol What is the tds of your feed water?Your nutes should be acidic so try feeding more, a lot more.
LokoLoki
Member
Muffy, I really want to top dress with Lime, can you talk me out of it?
Muffy
Active Member
I can't find the same information I first found when I bothered to inform myself on this subject a long time ago. It seems the google is now returning page after page of these same kinds of threads from all the different canna forums. So, I did a power search and then I gave up. 
kingofqueen
Well-Known Member
What you probaly read was that the calcium and magnesium in dolomite lime isnt readily availible however its PH buffering properties are availible and thats what it's used for in MJ cultivation .
indcolts77
Active Member
So top dress with 1 tsps/g and done? My ph slowly rose and I don't care if its at or around 7 but now it's climbing more.
Could be a bad meter but if it stabilizes/buffers long term you don't technically need a Ph meter, just dress and done right?
Could be a bad meter but if it stabilizes/buffers long term you don't technically need a Ph meter, just dress and done right?
melungeonman
Active Member
View attachment 2185402
First off. Alot of misguided individualls in regards to "sweetening soil". Most strains love ph neutral soil. If your soil is to0 acidic not alkaline, you can bring it back to a neutral state by adding "Hydrated lime" (alkaline calcium oxide), if your soil is to alkaline, bring it back organicly by adding,cottonseed meal, lemon peels or coffee grounds let the grounds start to mold before you add. Try a teaspoon in two gallons Wait a day and test your soil. If it continues, get some lithumus paper test strios and test your nute solution this is probably your issue. Remember just because it is some advanced typ of super nute does not mean its apropriat for your "SPECIFIC" strain. Also I've found over too many years of this, If you take the instructions on the nute label, mix the solution, then cut it to 1/4 by dilluting, You will never burn your plants! also this keeps your salt build-up to a min. If your plants need more increase frequency of water/feedings. mor peralite might be in order to acheive this. I like my plants to be drying out the day after a watering. Also I can't stress this enough get with organic crowd! I buy NO fertalizer other than guano,sea kelp, worm castings and bloodmeal. I'm able to reuse my grow soil for clones and seedlings. A simple re-constitution of my soil with those formentioned admendments, and I'm ready to roll. For clones and seeds I simply plant the previouse plant more than likely left the soil perfect. peace,. need more help drop me a line in my in box.
First off. Alot of misguided individualls in regards to "sweetening soil". Most strains love ph neutral soil. If your soil is to0 acidic not alkaline, you can bring it back to a neutral state by adding "Hydrated lime" (alkaline calcium oxide), if your soil is to alkaline, bring it back organicly by adding,cottonseed meal, lemon peels or coffee grounds let the grounds start to mold before you add. Try a teaspoon in two gallons Wait a day and test your soil. If it continues, get some lithumus paper test strios and test your nute solution this is probably your issue. Remember just because it is some advanced typ of super nute does not mean its apropriat for your "SPECIFIC" strain. Also I've found over too many years of this, If you take the instructions on the nute label, mix the solution, then cut it to 1/4 by dilluting, You will never burn your plants! also this keeps your salt build-up to a min. If your plants need more increase frequency of water/feedings. mor peralite might be in order to acheive this. I like my plants to be drying out the day after a watering. Also I can't stress this enough get with organic crowd! I buy NO fertalizer other than guano,sea kelp, worm castings and bloodmeal. I'm able to reuse my grow soil for clones and seedlings. A simple re-constitution of my soil with those formentioned admendments, and I'm ready to roll. For clones and seeds I simply plant the previouse plant more than likely left the soil perfect. peace,. need more help drop me a line in my in box.
bird mcbride
Well-Known Member
It is very difficult to amend soil without causing harm to the plant. Balance some soil and transplant.
Nullis
Moderator
You should never use hydrated lime. People use dolomite lime to raise soil pH.
Dolomite lime (calcium magnesium carbonate) will NEVER lower pH. Oyster shell\egg shell flour which is simply calcium carbonate, will NEVER lower pH. Muffy is correct.
A lot of people seem to thing lime will "buffer" pH to neutral always and they are misunderstanding and abusing the terminology. Lime is very sparingly soluble in water, but if you mix some in water and do a pH test you're going to get a result upwards of 8.
Lime really works so well at appropriate rates between 1-2 tbsp per gallon of mix by neutralizing acidity over time. The CEC of the soil is the buffer and soils with a low CEC will require less lime more frequently. Soils with high CEC (high organic matter) require more lime less frequently. Over time the liming agent, such as calcium carbonate, reacts with H+ ions which cause acidity.
Many potting mixes are sphagnum peat based, and sphagnum typically has a pH of about 4. The pH of these potting mixes can decline at a surprising rate (I prefer some coir in my mixes). However, some people who live in certain areas such as on the west coast where there are large natural deposits of lime near aquifers, will have very high levels of carbonates in their tap water. If you're using such tap water unfiltered, keep this in consideration when determining if you need to lime.
Dolomite lime (calcium magnesium carbonate) will NEVER lower pH. Oyster shell\egg shell flour which is simply calcium carbonate, will NEVER lower pH. Muffy is correct.
A lot of people seem to thing lime will "buffer" pH to neutral always and they are misunderstanding and abusing the terminology. Lime is very sparingly soluble in water, but if you mix some in water and do a pH test you're going to get a result upwards of 8.
Lime really works so well at appropriate rates between 1-2 tbsp per gallon of mix by neutralizing acidity over time. The CEC of the soil is the buffer and soils with a low CEC will require less lime more frequently. Soils with high CEC (high organic matter) require more lime less frequently. Over time the liming agent, such as calcium carbonate, reacts with H+ ions which cause acidity.
Many potting mixes are sphagnum peat based, and sphagnum typically has a pH of about 4. The pH of these potting mixes can decline at a surprising rate (I prefer some coir in my mixes). However, some people who live in certain areas such as on the west coast where there are large natural deposits of lime near aquifers, will have very high levels of carbonates in their tap water. If you're using such tap water unfiltered, keep this in consideration when determining if you need to lime.
melungeonman
Active Member
I don't know why you would say you shouln't use hydrated lime. I, As well as many coutless gardeners and farmers have been useing it for years for this very thing. "Horticulture Hydrated lime", comes from many suppliers such as Hi yield. It can be purchased In ANY nursury or grow shop. I stock it an my shop, What it does,..It, Counteracts or neutralizes soil acidity, reducing the solubility of substances wich may be toxic to plants. Also it increases availability of phosphorous, molybdenum, and a few other elements found generally in sour (Acidic)soil. Also, you can look this up as well on your computer. It, also Increases microbial activity in productive soils, as well as Increases nitrogen fixation by legumes! The later two are things that your dolomite lime will NOT do. peace
melungeonman
Active Member
Also I add amendments to the soil prior to transplanting, re nutrifieing the soil prior to growing in it. When my girls need more nutrients than what they can access I build a tea useing worm castings kelp and guano cold tea method with unsulfered molassass.