Can You Use Mason's Lime as a Dolomite Lime for Gardening?
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I found a mason's lime at a local store that sells 50 pounds for $20. The problem is the website describes it as "Dolomite Lime" whereas the product packaging and description talk about a mason's mortar application. Reading through the ingredients label, is this something that could be used for a gardening application?
What are some cost-effective brands on the West Coast that provide bulk dolomite lime at a good price? Espoma comes in small bags and the price per pound is more than twice the product I listed. I also do not like the tight and small opening on top of the Espoma bag. It's hard to get a hand into the bag.
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Comments (13)
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agricultural lime vs dolomite
Comments (8)Magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) is 10 or 11% magnesium. Calcitic lime can be variable, but let's assume it is 70% Ca. If you mix epsom salts to lime 3:1 by weight, the resulting mixture will be roughly 2:1 Ca:Mg - about 17% Ca and 8% Mg, which is a lower analysis than typical dolomitic lime, but you'd just need to add more - about 2x as much, in fact. Now, having said that, unless you know the Ca and Mg content of your topsoil and compost, I wouldn't automatically add lime. If it were me, and I was building a raised bed, I'd pull a sample for a soil test. Otherwise, you're really just guessing. Now, if you really want to forego the test, I'd add a cup of your lime per cu. ft. of soil - assuming you're going to thoroughly incorporate the lime. If you are going to just mix it into the top 6" of soil, use half that amount. If you end up getting dolomitic lime (which is a higher analysis) cut those recommendations in half....See Morecalcitic vs. dolomitic lime
Comments (26)I wouldn't get all whacked out of shape about changing soil pH. If you make a point of getting your basic soil nutrients in order, the pH will adjust itself. Your test: Calculated CEC 13 %K: 2 %Ca 26 %H: 65 %Mg: 7 The best calcium percentage in soil is between 60-70%. The best magnesium percentage is 10-20%. Heavy clay soils should probably be about 70/10, sandy soils closer to 60/20. Your calcium is low, but if you look at your Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) figures, your Magnesium is only 7%. That is hardly excessive. I would use dolomite lime, as you need an increase in both calcium and magnesium. These two work together. You need to get them in approximately the right percentages before you even try to fix anything else. Take both your percentages and add them together, and they should total about 80%. Yours: 26%Ca + 7%Mg = 33%. That's not even close. If your magnesium WAS high, you wouldn't be able to get rid of it until your calcium level is at least 60%. Once your soil hits 60%, the soil gets loose enough for magnesium and sodium to move out with rainfall or irrigation. Your test recommendation suggests adding 220 lbs lime to every 1000 sqft of soil. That's equal to 9460 lbs of lime per acre, more than the 4-ton max advisable. And even at the maximum, it will still take three years for the lime to disintegrate and become part of the colloidal complex, at which time the plants will benefit, IF the lime was finely ground enough. If you have your soil tested every year, you'll know where you are and where you should be going. Because of that 3-year lime thing, always tell the lab when and how much you applied. Otherwise, they'll keep telling you to add more lime, and more lime, and by the time all the lime is broken down, your soil will be lime-toxic. In fact, keep good track of whatever nutrients you add to the soil, and inform them when you send a soil sample in. Sue...See MoreI want a source of coarse dolomite lime
Comments (14)It's not that it doesn't work longer, it just takes longer to break down. For example, say you need 50 lb. of calcium per year to satisfy the requirements of your crop. Finely ground lime may take 3 years to fully breakdown (1/3 each year) so you'd need to apply 150 lb. in year #1 to provide the 50 lbs./year required over 3 years. If a coarse grade required 5 years to break down (1/5 each year) you'd have to apply 250 lbs. These numbers are completely arbitrary, but you get the idea....See Moreusing dolomitic lime for PH up
Comments (2)It looks like the Dolomite Lime contains Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate, CaMg(CO3)2, thus could potentially through off the balance of mineral elements in your nutrient solution. I'm not a chemist so I don't know how the Carbonate part of the Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate part factors in, or what is processed in, or out (if any) of Dolomite Lime for the agricultural product. However I know that General Hydroponics makes a product called CaMg+, though GH doesn't list ingredient, or say how the product is manufactured, or what it's derived from etc.. Just that it's a Calcium and Magnesium supplement. Also it appears that Dolomite Lime is intended for use in soil. I'm not clear on how much of it is readily water soluble, and/or how much of it actually needs to break down first (like in soil). I haven't used it for anything myself, I just looked it up to see what it was. Here's something that I found that talks about using dolomite lime, as well as lime quality. Soil Acidity & Liming...See Morewestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years ago
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