Hello So I am tweaking my soil, experimenting, and trying other things.... one of the methods is using Coast of maine potting soil with a cup of 4 meals each added to each cubic ft. Now, I spoke with Coast of Maines customer service today and they said that they add lime and consistently get their soil mixes to a 5.5-6.0 pH range. Im looking to bump that up a bit while also avoiding any ph issues as the peat breaks down after 4-6 weeks. What is the best lime to add that would either A) adjust ph of soil fairly quickly to a more suitable level (~6.3) or B)at the least a form of lime that would avoid the pH issues that can arise from the break down of peat 4-6 weeks down the grow? Wood ash out of the question? THANKS! Veener
If we're just talking the best? No other variables like cost, availability, etc.? Coral. By far! Gocoral.com I dont get it from there but just to give you an idea of the product that site is a good place. 70 trace minerals 30 something precent calcium. By far the best. The most practical? Maybe not...
Practicality and quality are main tenants in organic gardening in my book, I should have been more specific- what is the most practical (for my situation I posted and economically) and most effective. Will dolomite lime work after 4-6 weeks of being in the container? Would calcitic lime be faster acting as a ph buffer? Any other methods? Thanks again!
[quote name='"veener"']Practicality and quality are main tenants in organic gardening in my book, I should have been more specific- what is the most practical (for my situation I posted and economically) and most effective. Will dolomite lime work after 4-6 weeks of being in the container? Would calcitic lime be faster acting as a ph buffer? Any other methods? Thanks again![/quote] If it were me and i had a whole range of choices it would go like this 1 coral 2 oyster shell powder 3 ag lime (calcitic lime) 4 dolomite lime So yeah, in this particular scenario i would go with the calcitic lime. As long as you stick to a purely organic grow, your initial soil mix will be pH balanced for a lot longer than 4 months. I have pH buffered soil that i havent "corrected" for 2 years now. And im not expecting to have to do anything additionally to it for years to come. SD
Awesome SD, that confirms my initial thoughts and intuition. Can I start following some of you and Jerrys advice over the next 4 months as I continue to perfect my transition from a coco purist to a 100% organic soil purist?! lol! Seriously though, thanks, and Im sure Ill use more of your info as a reference in the months to come.
[quote name='"veener"']Awesome SD, that confirms my initial thoughts and intuition. Can I start following some of you and Jerrys advice over the next 4 months as I continue to perfect my transition from a coco purist to a 100% organic soil purist?! lol! Seriously though, thanks, and Im sure Ill use more of your info as a reference in the months to come.[/quote] Hey no problem! Also its a good idea to get some key lime pie! It make the transition more "pleasurable" lol. Im glad i was able to help even if just a little. SD
Mmmmm......sorry for the thread jack [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbgv8PkO9eo"]Harry Nilsson - Coconut (1971) - YouTube[/ame]
I grew key lime trees in pure crushed oolitic limestone (ancient coral sea bed). Pretty much what all of SoFl sits on. The keys are just chunks of it above sea level. OP, get whatever lime is available locally and the cheapest. They all work, but none work so much better than to even come close to justifying the cost of shipping it. Really. You get what's handy and it will do you right, never mind the pontificating about the *best*. Wet EDIT: Nellie and Joes Key lime juice is what you want for pies. BIG hint, only use about 1/2 the lime juice called for. You can actually enjoy it without your mouth puckering shut. Chunk ... My favorite 'Harry' song!
There's a lot of it in the panhandle as well. I could take you to some limestone formations that are literally mind boggling by Florida standards.Hey, couldn't I just crush some of that up and put it in my dirt? LOL!
now!! anyone know a supplier or manufacturer of calcitic lime that would be acceptable in organics???
Sure! Easiest is to find a concrete co that uses limestone for aggregate and get some *screenings*. That is what's from the first screen when they sort out the aggregate size and ranges from dust to a coarse sand. Wet