Dolomite lime to raise ph of soil?

Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
First, thx to everyone for helping me in flushing my pots earlier, but now I know that my soil has a ph 5.0, at the end of my flush I was able to get my ph up to about 6.0, now I need to raise the ph of the soil for the rest of my plant buts dont want to flush them,I just started flowering last week and dont want to stress them.
Now looking around and reading for the last hour I have learned that Dolomite lime raises and buffers your ph to 7.0, but there are different applications and wanted to know if anyone has experience on what works best, I see that it comes in form to dissolve in water and water with, and also a form to top dress with.
What has worked for any of you guys, and what would have the longer lasting affects?
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Powdered dolomite lime does NOT dissolve in water.

It is ground up limestone rock, not really very water soluble.

Top dress 2tbl/gallon of mix and regular waterings will work it in.

Wet
 
cannabineer

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
Topdressing is better than a sharp stick in the eye, but to get the full benefits of dolomite it needs to be thoroughly mixed into the soil. When you re-pot, add the dolomite to the new soil and mix, mix, mix! cn
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
cannabineer said:
Topdressing is better than a sharp stick in the eye, but to get the full benefits of dolomite it needs to be thoroughly mixed into the soil. When you re-pot, add the dolomite to the new soil and mix, mix, mix! cn
Click to expand...
Well, they are in their final home, so Im not gonna be able to mix it all the way in, am I screwed? Do I have to add dolomite like crazy or do the flushing stuff?
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
Add the lime and save the flushing for when you shit.

Scratch it into the surface if you can. If you can't, then just a regular top dress.

Just get it added.

Wet
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
Wetdog said:
Add the lime and save the flushing for when you shit.

Scratch it into the surface if you can. If you can't, then just a regular top dress.



Wet
Click to expand...
Just get it added.
Thx Wet, will do, Ill go get the Lime tommorrow. Dolomite lime fine ground right?
 
B

BeefSteak

Member
From previous situations i can concur that the finer the dolomite lime the quicker it will work. I say work as it is instant but needs time to build up strength to where it will be effective hence the wait.

I personally grind mine down into a powder then add to water, anything that sinks (sediment) is discarded and only that which dissolves or holds in suspension, which would be the very fine particles, is watered directly onto the soil. The water takes on a milky look but i believe this is the quickest solution.

Incedentally the finer and quicker acting the lime the faster it will be used up, generally add fine grade for quicker action and larger grade for longer lasting and that way all bases are covered. This would be for a fix or cure although not instantanious but as fast as i can get my lime to act, personally i just add the fine grade to my soil before planting, if it takes a month to work generally this is fine for new soil in my eyes as it will take a month to mess the pH up if i tried hard. Good luck and hope this might be of some help.
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
BeefSteak said:
From previous situations i can concur that the finer the dolomite lime the quicker it will work. I say work as it is instant but needs time to build up strength to where it will be effective hence the wait.

I personally grind mine down into a powder then add to water, anything that sinks (sediment) is discarded and only that which dissolves or holds in suspension, which would be the very fine particles, is watered directly onto the soil. The water takes on a milky look but i believe this is the quickest solution.

Incedentally the finer and quicker acting the lime the faster it will be used up, generally add fine grade for quicker action and larger grade for longer lasting and that way all bases are covered. This would be for a fix or cure although not instantanious but as fast as i can get my lime to act, personally i just add the fine grade to my soil before planting, if it takes a month to work generally this is fine for new soil in my eyes as it will take a month to mess the pH up if i tried hard. Good luck and hope this might be of some help.
Click to expand...
I wondering about that, thx man. What if I top layered my soil with some thicker lime, and ground some up reaally good for the watering? Two in one?
 
B

BeefSteak

Member
Yer as far as i can say this would be the idea, smaller grade for quicker short action and larger grade for longer lasting action but slow to start. Arent lime pellets or pelletized lime the same as powdered lime i think?!
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
Alright, so i went all over town trying to find dolomite lime and finnaly I did, but all I could find was Whitney Farms prilled Dolomite Lime. So its pretty chunky and not fine at all. I figured I would find a way to crush some up to use. Would this be the same thing? How much would I use the box gives directions by the pounds.
 
cannabineer

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
I'm not sure, but have heard that if you soak the prilled form in water, the little chunkies dissolve, and you're left with wet powder. Puour off the dissolved binder and use the "milk". cn
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
cannabineer said:
I'm not sure, but have heard that if you soak the prilled form in water, the little chunkies dissolve, and you're left with wet powder. Puour off the dissolved binder and use the "milk". cn
Click to expand...
Alright, I l give it a go, this stuff is a pain in the ass to smash up evenly, and should I just top dress with the prilled dolomite? I was plan on flushing the plant after I top dress it and use the dolomite water with last half gallon or so that I flush with. Does this sound good? And 2tbs of dolomite per gallon of soil, is that correct even with the prilled I wonder?
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
Here, I am soaking 5 tbs of the prilled dolomite in a half gallon of hot water, it seems like it almost instantly disolving, does that seem like a good mix, I have no idea what the fuck Im doing, I just decided 1tbs of dolomite per gallon of soil for the water mix.
 
Jug Stomper

Jug Stomper

Well-Known Member
So I am paranoid now that I fucked up, I top dressed the soil with 2 tbl spoons of dolomite per gallon of soil, 10 tbl spoons each plant that would be, and poored the mixture through as well, seems like I gave them a hell of a lot. What are the possabilities of over doing the lime? What can happen from that. It just made my run off really nasty and murky and the ph didnt change yet, though I know it will take some time for that.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
That's fine. Quit trying to complicate something as simple as adding lime.

2tbl/gallon of mix >>>> water in>>>done.

Give it a couple weeks to start working.

Wet
 
B

BeefSteak

Member
Wetdog said:
That's fine. Quit trying to complicate something as simple as adding lime.

2tbl/gallon of mix >>>> water in>>>done.

Give it a couple weeks to start working.

Wet
Click to expand...
I second this advice, dont panic and dont overcomplicate, sounds like you will be fine.
 
G

Gimpy23

Active Member
I suggest "Not" to use pellitized..it takes way too long to get into the soil. I've been adding 1/2 cup of dolomite lime mixed well into my 3 gal containers and it takes care of the over fertilizing issue nice and easy. It seems that by the time the lime breaks down in the soil you will be be needing alittle of the lime (already in the soil) to buffer the salt build up. Works every time! If using 5 gal containers mix 2/3 cups in soil well preparing plant containers. ( By the way I use Pro-Mix as the base soil with some worm casting mixed in and then FoxFarm trio throughout!)
Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top