Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: gavinjconway on October 16, 2012, 22:36
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I casually tested soils at my lottie yesterday with a pH tester I inherited from my FIL..
Eeeeeeeeeeeks... most of the plot is 4-5 on the acid scale.. I guess I need to add some lime!! I've got another tester in the loft somewhere so i'll find it and double check with both meters just in case... although I tested at home today and its all around neutral 7.. so it looks like I do have an acidic plot! I believe the plots were once a peat bog so that may be the cause. (although its a wet bog these days)
I have found a previous thread about buying lime and found the link to InterHort in Crewe which seems to have great prices.. Just down the road for me so can do a biz trip there.. They have:
ground limestone @ 4.58 per 25 kg
hydrated lime @ 6.70
dolomite magnezium lime @ 5.82
Which would be best to use? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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I was sceptical when I saw pH 4.5 as I have had bad experiences with the accuracy of dip in testers as opposed to chemical testing kits.
Then I saw that your home garden was giving readings of pH7 and you had peat soil. Peat soil can be very acid so your 4.5 may well be accurate. It will need a lot of lime to bring it up. Do not try to do it all a once. Apply some lime now and work it in. Test again in the Spring.
Peaty soils often have a compacted peat layer just below cultivation depth. This will not let water drain away and roots cannot penetrate it. Could be the reason for your bog.
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The RHS page explains the differences between the different limes available ;)
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=144
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Thanks peeps... looks like I need about to add loads - about 1.5 kg per sq mt... but not all at once tho!!
I'll lime now and dig in ... can I add manure with it or on top afterwards?
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If you put manure and lime on at the same time the acidity in the manure will counteract some of the lime.
Before you embark on a campaign of heavy lime be totally sure that your pH test is accurate. Overliming a soil can screw it up for years.
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I will test again and compare with 3 different meters first...
I realise now the action of lime and fert so If I lime now and fertilise when planting - is that ok??
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do you have long standing neighbours that might share their experiences with this situation??
R
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RA - I have not spoken to any of them yet.. Just did a quick test the other day. I will see some of them over the weekend and get some insight if I can.
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(Assuming you have weeds) What perennial weeds would you say grow best on your plot?
Have you really struggled to grow brassicas?
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Hi Yorkie - its my first year on the plot and it has Loads of mares tail, doc and a tallish fluffy podded fine seed-head weed - tinged red and green plant (dont know what it is) .. also loads of nettles and Creeping Buttercup, willow herb.. all acid loving..
My cabbages are not too bad but eaten by worms
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I would tend to agree .... :)
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If your cabbages are doing OK, would it not be best to only lime next years brassica area.
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I tested with 2 separate meters today and got much the same results between the 2.... not as bad as I thought. :) :) Generally my soil is just acidic 6 to about 5 ish in places.. the 4 I got the other day is where someone had a chicken cage before I took over the plot so the acidity comes from them chooks..
So overall not as bad as I first thought.. I'll still get a bit of liming this month..