Garden Lime Question

 

I've recently purchased a 2.5KG bag of "Garden Lime" from Richgro. From
my experience so far, Lime is made of Calcium compounds and is a
flowing, white powder. With the stuff i have, not only is it not the
nice lime that i wanted, its not quite "powdered", is coarse, has some
strange black particles and what seems to be some sand in it. Shouldn't
have been a cheapskate and purchased the cheaper type...

Does anybody have any experience with this brand and this type of
"Lime"? Is it normal for it to be like this or should i go back to
Bunnings and get a refund?

 

Richgro is a totally reputable company supplying product throughout
Australia.  I haven't used their lime, but would be very surprised to learn
that it was sub-standard.  Lime comes in many forms--if Richgro reckon their
variety works, I would want to have a damn good reason to disbelieve them.

 

Wilson wrote:


I believe you got some "powdered limeSTONE".   This is very common but
it is almost totally ineffective.  It is simply ground up seashells and
they are very slow to disolve.   After all, statues and fascades for
buildings are made out of limestone.

You really want lime, CaO.   The anhydrous version is very caustic --
the kind of stuff the murderer gets rid of the body with!   Or, more
commonly, what was used in outhouses.   You can usually find hydrated
lime at tile supply stores.  It's about $5 for a 50 lb bag.

Buy a pH test kit and use it before and a month after to measure the
difference.

 

Relax, garden lime is ground up limestone or dolomite. And it takes
about a half year to show any difference in the soil.

You really don't want hydrated lime or quicklime as you will either
lose and eye, burn your skin or kill your established plants.

If you need something that acts a bit faster use some clean wood ashes.

 



I've used builder's lime (ie hydrated) in garden beds.  I wouldn't throw it
around established plants as it doesn't mix in readily, but if you are digging
over an empty vegie patch, it's not a problem.  I think you dig it in at one
cup per sq metre, depending on how much you want to raise the pH.  The Sydney
clay belt, where I garden, tends to be quite acidic (I measured it under my
Dad's lawn as 3 once!).

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.