Liming My Organic Soil

1 cup lime should be a-ok. Some folks use less, some use more. Just use good humus, and you should be ok.

 

I agree, I use one cup per, but that's because it's the largest stainless steel measuring cup in the kitchen =)

 

What *most* people? I've noticed a few mis-informed souls using 1/4 cup/cf, but they are both under buffering their mix and more importantly, depriving their plants of a very important Calcium source.
 
Stick with the 1cup/cf (or more), and add more calcium from other sources if you can. Gypsum works well for this.
 
Wet

 

"I've noticed a few misinformed souls using 1/4 cup/cf"

Really? Lol. Just because some people do things differently doesn't mean they are misinformed

 

I believe it's perfectly fine to use 1/4 cup per c.f. if you have a supply of homemade vermi ( I run oyster shell flour through my bin) and use crab shell meal in the soil. If I don't have my vermicompost on hand I'll use 1/2 - 1 cup of a liming agent per c.f., depending on if I use crab shell or not. 
 
That's what most of my mixes are at right now though I also use water higher in calcium....high enough to leave serious deposits from just evaporation. 

 

 
GIMIK is doing it differently. The misinformed would be the ones only reading part of GIMIK's reply. namely, the first part.
 

 
I agree with that, but you are still ending up close to that 1 cup from the oyster shell in the vermi, and more from the crab shell. I run calcitic lime in my worm beds. Different directions to the same destination.
 
What I was thinking of AFA the 'misinformed' comment were those using 1/4 cup with no additional, different, Ca sources.
 
Make sense?
 
Wet

 

Just givin' ya shit, wet man, this Ca convo can go and go!

 

 
I know, no worries there.
 
CHUNK, excellent link!
 
I don't remember if it was Wak or Gimik who made the statement, but I'm quickly coming around to the Ca is as important as N-P-K in the soil.
 
Wet

 

Then we could start the debate over whether NPK "IS" important in the soil...

It is my opinion that we (people) have so very much to learn about growing plants successfully. While "NPK" is one method that does work, especially for the chemical fertilizer farmers/gardeners, I honestly don't believe that this method is anywhere near as important in a living soil garden. I can grow wonderful plants - healthy, vibrant plants in my mostly-plant-based compost that has little in the way of NPK in it. Of course there are many different elements released into the medium as it all breaks down but as I experiment with different items in my compost I am becoming more and more convinced that NPK gardening, while it is effective for some is not absolutely necessary by any means for all gardening methods.

"Microbe stimulation.

Different methods for many different people/gardeners/farmers. Fwiw, while I do have different calcium sources in my "mix", I haven't used actual lime in a few years now.

Carry on.

J

 

Yah I betcha yer N's P's n K's are thru the roof there, jer!

Didn't we learn from Justus Von Liebig that it is not just NPK that are important.. they are all equally important. Some elements are just needed in greater quantities. One is not any more important than any other, they are all just needed in different amounts. Luckily, we have microbes to help us figure all that stuff out.

Chunk! Man, that is a really good article!

Something I learned.... it is the Carbonate (CO3) part of CaCO3 that is important for raising pH, not so much the actual Ca. The CO3 must first be converted to CO2 and O, and then that lone Oxygen atom strips two Hydrogen ions from cation exchange sites to form a water molecule (H2O). Only then will the Ca come in to occupy those now empty exchange sites. It is not as simple as Ca ions "trading spots" with H ions.

That is why Gypsum does not affect pH on its own! It all makes sense now! It doesn't have a Carbonate!

 

What I mean is that it is not just those 3 elements that are needed in large amounts, nor is it necessary to specifically add these items to your soil (or compost) such as a typical "NPK" fertilizer contains whether it be organic or chemical. Balance means everything.

I am working on just this experimentally in my veggie garden with my (super extra thick) mulch. From now on I will be relying on the elements and compounds released from an assortment of plant matters layered on top of my soil. Plant crops will be rotated and I'm done. While this is a bit different than my indoor potting soils I'm trying to get away from even any organic fertilizers such as kelp or neem. I'm trying to just add a balance of organic matter and the elements contained in this assortment will be much more than sufficient to maintain a healthy garden.

The killer is specific "N hungry" items such as my corn. I'm not sure if this will be enough but I'll let you know! I didn't add much of anything this year so it'll be interesting to see how things turn out and even more so next year. I'll also be planting plants like buckwheat at the end of the summer to draw up nutrients and act as green manures.

I don't want to buy fertilizer of any kind any more, at least for my outdoor garden. If I find I can get that right I might be able to just bring some of that indoors for the winter with some compost. And vermicompost. It totally appears that the adage "feed the soil and not the plant" (mulching) is very correct and works very well for plant growth.

So much to learn. I'm trying to do this (learn) more these days by watching my plants and how they respond to different methods instead of taking different books words for it.

J

 

 
 
If a gro-bro-mofo don't save that document then, well... IDK. But he sure should save that document. A stunning amount of much needed information compacted into a nice few paragraphs of easily understood and digested layman terms.
 
It's all about those pluses and minuses. Just can't get away from it. I also particularly like the highlighting of N, K, and Ca as the three highest rate nutrients for production output. Sweet!

 

 
The lightbulb comes on! Well, in my case it is more like Beavis and Butthead where the lightbulb just flickers.
 
Now, a lot of things make sense and why many Ca sources aren't indicated for pH buffering. No carbonate, no buffering.
 
So simple an explanation ...... FINALLY!!!!  That issue has been around the block more than my ex wife.
 
Wet

 

Hey guys similar question here.
I've got crab shell meal and gypsum available at the moment. Will this work for liming or do in need to go get some dolomite etc?

 

I need some dolomite in the mix. Gonna get some shortly.