Garden Lime Question

[Wilson]

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?

[Loosecannon]

Hi,

You'd be thinking of builders lime which is to harsh for the garden. The
lime you have is perfectly alright for the garden. It is ground limestone
and will be longer lasting in the soil. And won't burn the crap out of your
plants and not change the pH as much.

Dick


"Wilson" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> 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?
>

[blank]

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.

[William W. Plummer]

Wilson wrote:

> 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?
>
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.

[David Bockman]

"Wilson" > wrote in
oups.com:

> 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?
>

Crushed or 'Pellitized' Lime is perfect for turf. It is a slower release
than powdered lime and is easier to control as well.

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
email:
http://beyondgardening.com/Albums

[Wilson]

Cool, Thanks for all the help and advice.
I'll have a try at using this lime and i'll see how it goes.

Thanks

[Wilson]

btw, what is the chemical that makes lime work?
Is it calcium hydroxide for hydrated lime? or was is something like
caclium carbonate? :S

[David Bockman]

"Wilson" > wrote in
oups.com:

> btw, what is the chemical that makes lime work?
> Is it calcium hydroxide for hydrated lime? or was is something like
> caclium carbonate? :S
>
>

I believe it's pure calcium carbonate.

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
email:
http://beyondgardening.com/Albums

[Marley1372@comcast.net]

calcium carbonate is limestone. You probably dont want to put actual
lime in your garden, it is highly caustic and will burn you and your
plants. Limestone will raise your pH. Do a soil test first.

Toad

[bamboo@localnet.com]

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.

[David Bockman]

" > wrote in
ups.com:

> calcium carbonate is limestone. You probably dont want to put actual
> lime in your garden, it is highly caustic and will burn you and your
> plants. Limestone will raise your pH. Do a soil test first.
>
> Toad
>

No, limestone is calcium carbonate.

It's advice like that noted above which annoys me to no end.

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
email:
http://beyondgardening.com/Albums

[William W. Plummer]

Wilson wrote:

> btw, what is the chemical that makes lime work?
> Is it calcium hydroxide for hydrated lime? or was is something like
> caclium carbonate? :S

Limestone, seashells are CaCO3, calcium carbonate (insoluable in water).
CaC03 will react with acids, but slowly. This is why we worry about
acid rain on our statues, etc.

Gypsum is CaSO4, calcium sulfate (insoluable in water). It is used to
break up clay and for wallboard.

Lime is CaO, calcium oxide. It reacts with water to form CaOH, calcium
hydroxide. CaOH is very caustic (basic) and will lower pH dramatically.
CaO will hydate by attracting water molecules, but not reacting with
them. Hydrated CaO is much safer to handle.

[I believe the info above is correct. However it has been close to a
half century since I have been in a chemistry class.]

[John Savage]

"Wilson" > writes:
>btw, what is the chemical that makes lime work?
>Is it calcium hydroxide for hydrated lime? or was is something like
>caclium carbonate? :S

Hydrated lime is calcium hydroxide. Egg shells, marble, true chalk, and I
think the white cliffs of Dover are all calcium carbonate.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

[Chookie]

In article >,
"Loosecannon" > wrote:

> You'd be thinking of builders lime which is to harsh for the garden.

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.

[China]

Thet did you a favour and sold you 'dolomite lime', because they thought you
wanted to put it on your garden.

p.s. Amateurs built the Ark.
It took professionals to build the Titanic!