[infowarrior]

My soil in plot is very much clay and very acidic, about ph 2.5.  I know fine dolomite lime is good for neutralising the soil ph but where could I buy it cheap enough in large quantities, can you use builders lime???  Also if I use the lime for the ph will it help break down the clay as well or will it just sort out the ph??  If not what good soil additives are there that helps break down the clay in the soil??

                           Cheers.

[Little Miss Muffet]

We used to have clay where we lived use mushroom compost it breaks it a treat

[mushroom]

My soil in plot is very much clay and very acidic, about ph 2.5.  

:shock:

What are you using to measure the pH? Never heard of a pH that low in soil, unless someone spilled battery acid at the point you measured. 2.5 is on a par with lemon juice! I'd question that reading, seriously.

[infowarrior]

It's one of those metres with 2 long prong things sticking out, ive used it for a while, it seems quite accurate with potting plant compost, getting average readings like 6.5-7.0. It was only one part of the plot that read 2.5 but the rest was still very acidic 3.0-4.0. Very clayey.

[WG.]

Gypsum is supposed to be a better clay breaker than lime.  Don't use builder's lime.

[shaun]

 Don't use builder's lime.

and why is this david is there an alternative ?

[WG.]

 Don't use builder's lime.

and why is this david is there an alternative ?

Yes.  Agricultural / horticultural lime is gentler and longer lasting.  Builder's lime is slaked lime.

See http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles/Garden_Lime.php

[shaun]

theres me thinking lime was lime  :roll:
so what is slaked lime then ?

[WG.]

theres me thinking lime was lime  :roll:
so what is slaked lime then ?

Tells you on http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles/Garden_Lime.php

Slaked lime is calcium hydroxide
Garden lime is calcium carbonate

[shaun]

our lotty shop sells bags of lime and the local builders merchant sells exactly the same stuff  :?
some jobs we do at work mostly in parks and sometimes on allotments they state that no limestone based products must be used as it upsets the local soil balance

[WG.]

our lotty shop sells bags of lime and the local builders merchant sells exactly the same stuff  

What can I say ...

[Trillium]

My guess is that someone at the lotty store didn't read/know the differences and thought they'd offer a bargain by dividing up large sacks of builder's lime. Wretched stuff on skin and plants is builder's lime as I've found out. You're much better off using year old firewood ashes if available.

[Annie]

OH is rebuilding a wall using lime mortar,he has to protect his hand and the lime has gone through 2 pairs of heavy duty gloves so far,I wouldn`t put builders lime anywere near the veg.

[shaun]

all cements will burn annie and you should know that being a nurse   tell him to get some rubber gloves not leather/cloth  :roll:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis26.pdf

[Annie]

These are rubber gloves,the point is that this lime is highly corrosive.When did I let slip that I was a nurse?

ps lime mortar is made of slaked lime ,sand and water.