[MattieG]

Hi All

Reading this:
http://www.allotment-garden.org/grow-your-own/fertiliser/garden-lime

And basically the back of my Westland lime seems to differ considerably.
Westland say 10g/m2 and the article says almost 1KG/m2.

I haven't taken the pH yet but that seems a vast amount of 100 times difference.

Anyone have a definitive answer?

Thanks
Mattie

[pdblake]

Personally I would follow the instructions on the tub, though I generally measure in handfuls As in walk along and scatter a handful every pace or so.

Though I must say, some of the old boys on our site leave their brassica beds looking like they've had a dusting of snow. Not sure what kind of lime they use but it's not the same colour as the stuff I get and they put an awful lot more on.

[DD.]

10g is only about 2 teaspoons. That's small enough to be insignificant.

The RHS agree with John's order of magnitudes!

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=144

[JayG]

10g is only about one third of an ounce, which seems an incredibly low rate per square metre - does the packet say what pH change that is supposed to bring about?

I've had a good Gurgle around and although there are a lot of different units used I believe the information in John's article is about right for the pH change in that particular example, although most sites suggest caution when liming (i.e. only apply half the recommended dose in any one year, and don't lime at all unless pH testing confirms it is necessary for the crops you want to grow.)

[aelf]

I use a highly technical approach. I walk over the brassica beds and give them 'a good dusting' 

[DD.]

I use the precision handful to the hole approach.

[allot2learn]

Some people use plasterers lime which is just about snow white. I've just used garden lime on mine and its turned a sort of greyish pink colour.

[Annen]

and there is refined lime and er.. unrefined lime, and I never know which I should use...

[devonbarmygardener]

I buy granular lime and throw several handfuls on and dig in well.

Not had clubroot yet

[AlaninCarlisle]

How much lime does it take to kill slugs?

[JayG]

Not at all sure that lime does kill slugs - only ever heard of it being used as a physical barrier, which only works by virtue of having a dry, rough texture which slugs don't like to cross (it probably doesn't work at all when it gets wet!)

[JayG]

Went to a garden centre this afternoon, and although they only had Vitax and Miracle Grow brands of lime they both suggested an application rate averaging somewhere around 100g/m², depending on soil type/required pH change etc.

According to its Safety Data Sheet the Westland product is also Dolomitic limestone, so the OP's packet was presumably either mis-printed or misread. 

(It's still around 10X less than the linked figures quoted - all-in-all I think I'd go for the Great British Handful approach, checking the pH again next year to make sure I was on the right track!)