lime

[hedgerow pete]

as someone how does not use lime on his allotment, due to the ground content, can someone explain whats the difference, between expensive garden lime and hairy builder hydrated lime, please

 

[IBeeHere]

garden lime - active ingredient is calcium carbonate usally ground limestone but can be ground chalk or a calcified seaweed.
Hydrated lime is calcium hydroxide which is quick acting and quite an irritant to eyes/ skin.
Both I believe can be used to raise ph of soil, the hydrated lime has a higher neutralising value so requires less than regular garden lime but requires more care in its use.

 

[theeggman]

Tim

 

[Luminos]

With garden lime, the builders bum is optional, not compulsory lol

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the difference, between expensive garden lime

Sold in garden centres for the 'amateur so has to be 'safer'
More expensive because they're daft enough to pay for it.
relatively 'slow release'
Calcified seaweed not used any more as the tree huggers tied themselves in knots over it - 'natural' 'organic' no processing involved so the sandal wearers are over the moon but.......
They considered the harvesting of the stuff to be harmful to aquatic habitat so they had it banned.

hairy builder hydrated lime, please

The stuff that has been used on the land for centuries, assimilates into the soil quicker not subject to rip-off garden centre prices (unless you buy it in places like B&Q)

When we had the farm we used to buy 'basic slag' (no, not a lose moraled early computer programmer) a by product of the steel industry - readily available then we being only 30 miles from Port Tablet and cheap as chips, had the same effect on the land as lime.

 

[hedgerow pete]

right so a cheap bag of lime it is then

 

[SixFooter]

right so a cheap bag of lime it is then

I use it . I also use builders' sharp sand in compost.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That's what I use - even used left over thistlebond rather than sent it to landfill - strange having a pink onion bed though!!

 

[hedgerow pete]

i also found today that british gypsum also do aggricultural gypsum, which i had never heard of. no idea what it does, any idea peeps

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

same as lime (see my last post!)

 

[hedgerow pete]

i had not realised that gypsum was the same effect as lime, cheers people

 

[pargyle]

right so a cheap bag of lime it is then

It's fine - you don't need too much of it though - think sprinkling rather than spade fulls ! Oh... and obvious precautions - keep it off your skin.

If you are thinking of growing cabbages and other brassicas a nice handful per seedling mixed into the soil where they are going to be transplanted works wonders for them - and (oddly) I seem to get less problem with clubroot when I remember to do this - may be just a coincidence there's no scientific reason for it !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And don't lime just before putting your spuds in - they don't like it!