Im not organic but from what Ive read all rock minerals, including lime are approved for organic gardening. The question you need to ask is what form of lime, high calcium, high potasium, etc. Then using it in a potting mix do you want pelletized, or powder.
josh

there are some limes that are not allowed, such as hydrated lime. there may be others. I think the general agricultural lime you would get from a farm store in bulk is allowed. note that 'organic' lime takes a while before it is available to your plants...like a few months. that's why most liming is done in the fall.

hummer girl

We have started thousands of veggie starts without lime. Seed starting mix is peat and perlite. We don't add lime, compost and or fertilizers until potting up to one gallon size.

Eric

I don't use lime at all. I may not be doing it right, but it's worked so far.

We are certified organic by GOA. I have linked to their website below - click on the materials list to download it - it will tell you what is and is not approved.

Here is a link that might be useful: GOA list

The lime is in your mix as a base. Wood ash does exqctly the same thing and I believe is still acceptable to the USDA organics program.

Of course, whenever you are in doubt contact your certifying agent for the last word rather than risk losing your certification because of advice here. if you are not certified organic but are going through transition again contact your agent.

Thank you all so much for your help. I am still a little confused yet.
I have bought

peat
vermiculite
perlite
dolimitic (not dolomite) lime

Sorry for my ignorance but, Has any of you a recipe for a seed starting mix that is certified? I used to think I knew a good deal on this but this lime thing has been miffing me for a entire week, a week of searching and a week of confusion.

Eric and Myfamilyfarm,
So you both don't add lime to your mixes and they do fine?
Do you have a recipe you could share that's soiless??

I feel frankly, pretty exausted and dumb. It seems each website I visit is either very hard to understand(NOP) or not trustworthy. I certainly want to do it right. I hope to become certified organic.

thanks again!

Hummer girl you really need to hook up with a certifying agent in order to answer your questions and to get you off on the right foot now.

You do realize if you are in transition you need to do everything as if you are certified organic including filing paper work and getting your farm inspected. And in order to do this you need to talk to a certifyer ASAP so you don't find 3 years from now you have done things incorrectly and will have to go another 3 years before they will certify you.

And yeah it is amazing how much one does not know about organic farming until they go through certification for several years. I remember back in the early 1990's I thought my farm was organic. Than I went through the process of organic certification and found I knew very little about organic growing and farm management and my farm was not organic at all. I really believed it was a simple as avoiding certain pesticides (which is what most people believe and yet this is a very small part of organic management and really one of the easiest to do).

hummergirl,

We are not certified, but we try to follow organic practices. Some of the organic farmers on the island dropped their certification because of the hassles. They say it hasn't changed their bottom line.

This is the seed starting mix we use. We also use liquid fish and kelp from Peaceful Valley.

Eric

Boulderbelt,
You are apsoulutely right about not knowing what organic gardening is until you begin to get certified. It's crazy! Nonetheless I truly would love to get certified but overall from hearing from others I feel I may be better off at least for now somehow obtaining all the information I can into the nop standards and just going strictly with that. For one I am just starting out, and another from what it sounds is that it is a long period of being certified and also it requires having $$$$ availiable to sustain the long process. But I can say my ultimate goal would be to offer a product that isn't just near organic. But truly 'Organic' by the strict standards without being certified. At least until I can reasonably decide the extra money and increased business would justify it. I am somewhat discouraged by what seems an unattainable goal. (certification) At least for now. But I think I can let others in that it is 'Natural' With no chemicals, or synthetic ingredients.

eric wa,
I so appreiciate you sharing the photo! I think that really sealed things that I can try it without the lime added in. Every mix I have ever seen has some amount of lime added in. So I just hope that I can get the plants to thrive even though the ph may be higher due to the acidity. I think it's worth a shot.!
If you have any other suggestions let me on them!

Thank's everyone!!! Great valid advice!

Hummer,

I would strongly suggest you continue into transition. You will not have to pay any fees during this time and you can sell your produce, just not as organic and you will learn how to farm organically correctly. As you admit you thought you knew all about this and now you realize you don't.

I would also suggest finding a mentor to lead your through this. Get someone you can meet with face to face, as opposed to on line, and expect to pay at least $50/hr for the knowledge and support you will get from this person. How you find such a person can be hard but the first place to check is the organic certifying agency closest to you, they may have a list of possible mentors.

Yes all of this costs money but in the not so long run will put you ahead of the game. It's like going back to school, only a bit more informal and with higher stakes.

hummer girl,

It's been about a month. Have you started any seedlings? What seed mix did you decide to use? Can you post pictures.

I potted up 72 broccoli plants yesterday and looks like I will pot up about 100 swiss chard today. It's a start and it will jump from here.

Eric

Just some quick pix. Starting flats and potted up.

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