lime or not to lime

[sid]

hi all could u tell me is it ok to put lime on my new dug allotment dug it all over today but has a lot  of twitch in it i am going to pick as mutch as i can tomorow
but i have been told to put lime on it but sumone else said not to so wat do i do
this is my first allotment it has never been an allotment bfor just a horse field
could u pleazzzzzzzzzzzz help

[sid]

[supersprout]

Wow lucky you Sid, bet there's plenty of compost in them thar turves ...
Usually lottie neighbours are good at advising if a soil needs liming, but if it's virgin soil, it's worth making a test as in my experience it's always better to lime less than more.
Suggest you take a moment to test your soil with a soil testing kit if the field has never been used.

Different veg like different alkali/acid balance in the soil. If you're planning to rotate your crops, the traditional time to lime is before the brassicas crop. BUT my cabbages and broccoli are growing in a very acid horse manure this year (I got first dibs at the heap cos lottie neighbours rejected it) and they have never looked healthier! ??? It would be worth checking to see what acid/alkali balance will suit the veg you are planning to grow on your new plot.
If you want to plant potatoes, best to avoid liming. They don't like it at all  :P
This should be an interesting thread, looking forward to other comments ;D

[telboy]

Agree with you Supersprout!
Lime won't do any harm this season - but miss the planned spud area.

[sandersj89]

If at all unsure I would suggest you test the pH of the soil. You can get very simple kits from any garden centres for a few quid or get an electronic probe tester for about a tenner.

Sample across the whole plot as pH will vary over the area. You can then apply lime only where you need it and save some money.

Also various veg prefer differing pH values.

Have a look here:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1104/limingsoils.asp

Jerry

[sid]

thanks for the tips i will do the test all i know is the soil is very sandy
when i dig deep thanks all

[grawrc]

I'd agree with the previous advice. In my experience more plants like slightly acid soil than alkaline so plan your beds and your crop rotation then test, test, test!