Does it matter which? Need to lime my cabbage and have a bag of builders lime in the garage... will this do or is there a difference (apart from the price) ???
Builders lime needs to be mixed with water and is frowned upon in the organic circles. Garden lime is straight from the ground, not slaked like builders.
But if you have manured the ground you will not only waste the lime but also create a chemical reaction.( think pee and toilet cleaner)
sorry for being thick... what does slaked mean?...
they both do the same job though, yeh?
??? ??? ???
You add water to slake its thirst. I'm not sure that's correct though. The lime you slake is quicklime, calcium oxide. If you add water you then get calcium hydroxide, and apparently that's what builders' lime is. It's too alkaline for garden use. Garden lime is calcium carbonate, made by ginding limestone. It's a lot less alkaline, so it's more controllable, and won't burn plants or damage soil.
This info might help; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Soil-Liming/Soil-Liming.htm (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Soil-Liming/Soil-Liming.htm)
Personally I prefer hydrated lime.