Topic: Technical Question.

[telboy]

Hi All,
I'm finding it very difficult to buy a decent quantity of 'garden lime'. I'm clearing an old (20yrs.) asparagus bed which takes up a sizeable part of one of my two plots.
I have purchased a 25kg. bag of 'hydrated lime' which will last me some years. My question is 'how much HL' do I spread compared with'GL'? The ph appears to be 6.5 so the ground needs sweetening.
I know it's 'hotter' than GL, and I've sealed it in a double plastic sack to prevent it going solid.
Cheers.

[goodlife]

If you do just little dusting on surface..and let it work it's way over winter then next year you will see if it had enough effect..you can always repeat it again..better safe than sorry.
What are you planning to grow on that bed? Don't take that lime anywhere near where you are going to grow potatoes next year of you'll end up will scabby crop...honestly..

[goodlife]

just to add..the application rate is more and less same with both sort of lime..but the burning effect of the lime will depend how much water is available for the hydrated lime for it to complete is chemical reaction..so ideally you would apply when soil is properly wet...even on top of snow would be good...the burning effect is not only for the plant life but for all little life forms that live in soil..good and bad..

[Plot69]

What they said...

Also I wouldn't worry about hydrated lime going hard, it's not cement. Even when used as a lime mortar to lay bricks, it can be recycled years later simply by crushing it up and adding water again.

I have a PH tester, the type with a prod that you stick in wet soil. I'd maybe mark off a square yard, sprinkle an ounce of lime at a time taking a reading after each ounce until it reached the desired level. Then spread however many ounces it takes per yard over the rest of the area.

[lincsyokel2]

What they said...

Also I wouldn't worry about hydrated lime going hard, it's not cement. Even when used as a lime mortar to lay bricks, it can be recycled years later simply by crushing it up and adding water again.

I have a PH tester, the type with a prod that you stick in wet soil. I'd maybe mark off a square yard, sprinkle an ounce of lime at a time taking a reading after each ounce until it reached the desired level. Then spread however many ounces it takes per yard over the rest of the area.

id start at 150g a square metre.

[Tee Gee]

have a look at liming soil on my website for more detail.

I always use hydrated lime rather than the other forms of lime.

I usually apply it when planting out my brassicas as seen in the slide show under planting brassicas.

I would give you links but I am on my iPad at the moment and I haven't figured out how to place links on it.

 

[telboy]

Thankyou for all your replies!
I'll try 1/2 lb. of hydrated lime to 1sq. yd. initially & retest early next spring.
If ph is 7ish, a good mucking/rotovate & in with brassicas in April!
Glad I bought the HL Tee Gee, cheap solution.
 ;D

[pigeonseed]

iPad, eh? ... we need that green emoticon again...  ;D

[Plot69]

I would give you links but I am on my iPad at the moment and I haven't figured out how to place links on it.

 

Highlight your link... Hold your finger on it until you get the option to copy... Then paste it into your post...

Same as on an iPhone.