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Farmville, Virginia (mfowler@hsc.edu)

This past March I added gypsum and calcium lime to my patch. A soil test in early May did not show significant improvement on calcium or pH levels. This patch sat all summer with nothing in it. Should I now see a noticeable difference in these levels? The amounts used were recommendations from the soil test.
Also, what is a desirable level of nitrogen ppm at the beginning of the growing season?

12/28/2008 1:19:20 AM

Sheridan . NY

Hi Mark how much cal lime did you put down---i put down 1400 # to the acre to bring up ph 1 full point on sandy soil --and cal up to mid range on a field we are getting ready to plant this spring --you should have seen a ph change with in 2 months ---ok if you put A LOT !! down of some type compost the was 6.0 you might have defeeted you purpose --think of your soil as a cake mix --to salty to much flour to little bakeing power will spoil the cake --there is 43,560 sq ft in acre divded that out with you sq ft to your # per sq ft----craig

12/29/2008 8:15:02 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Liming materials vary in their time to react. Very finely milled lime reacts quickly but costs more. Coarser grades are cheap to produce but may take years to react.

Generally speaking, Lime & Gypsum that is pelletized will offer the fastest results. Reason being that once lime is finely milled fine it will resemble talcum powder. Milled this fine makes it very hard to spread so the powder is then put through a pelletizing process.

Pricey but user friendly & most cost effective.

Solucal is high calcium lime that is reacted with TOG which is an organic chelating compound which also helps illicit a faster pH change.

12/29/2008 12:21:05 PM