What the topic says A local homeopathic pharmacy sells it. I've included epsom in the soil mix but can't find any dolomite or garden lime where i live.
Will pharmacy grade Calcium Carbonate do? It will be more pure than other sources hence the pharmaceutical grade description. Adding Dolomite Lime would be redundant if you're going to use calcium carbonate and epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) HTH CC
Haven't decided to add calcium carbonate yet.... Im interested in using it as a substitute to dolomite. So it'll do in a pinch? Any suggestion on the application rate pf cubic ft of soil?
Dolomite Lime - elemental calcium (Ca++) and magnesium carbonate (Mg(CO[SUB]3[/SUB])<sup>2</sup> <sup>Epsom Salts - elemental magnesium (Mg+) and sulfur oxide (SO[SUB]4[/SUB])</sup> <sup>Calcium Carbonate (CaCO[SUB]3[/SUB]) - calcium, carbon and ogygen</sup>
Yes, it will work. A bit pricey in comparison to Ag lime, but since you can't locate Ag lime ................ Wet
*I* use 1cup/cf of bagged lime. That stuff may be more concentrated, IDK, but I don't think the 1cup amount would hurt anything. Not from the extra Ca standpoint anyway. Wet
I gotta give it to ya wet. I know you've been doing what ya do for quite a while now. You've always been an advocate of the '1cup/cf bagged lime' and it always seems to work just fine for you. IIRC anyway. I know I started using it myself some time back. It works.
I use powedered food grade calcium carbonate.... it pairs very well with soft rock phosphate and gypsum. I have been using a 6-5-3 ratio of CaCo3, SRP and Gypsum and getting very good results. (adding a mineral dust like azomite is key too )
I grow for High Brix readings in my plants, so this is the recommended ratio I found from a few different sources. I honestly don't know chemically what the ratios, but I believe a lot of it has to do with the way the ions react.
Calcium Carbonate ~ 40% calcium by weight SRP (source dependent) ~ 3% phosphorous, 20% calcium Gypsum ~ 16% sulfur, 22% calcium
I view dolomite lime as the devil since our last conversation about it. I always recommend gypsum for calcium and epsom salt/molasses for magnesium! But now im seeing people claim they use dolomite with that screwed up ratio in their organic soils. Should i hate/fear dolomite lime coot?? :lol:
I recommend considering composted chicken maure as a source of calcium. "Studies prove that about 2% of calcium carbonate is absorbed (not assimilated) by the body! Where does the other 98% go? Significant amount of unabsorbed calcium left in the body will interact with other inorganic compounds to form stones. Calcium cannot be properly absorbed and assimilated unless other trace minerals are present along with it. Calcium requires boron, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, silicon, strontium, and zinc to be absorbed to it s full potential. " (http://www.uswellnessmeats.com/Calcium_Myth_and_Facts.pdf) I know this article is specifically talking human/animal absorption of calcium, but the same chemistry and cell biology come into play. It has lots of goodies and it is easy to find.