19-07-2003, 08:02 PM
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Feeding Calcium to plants??
in article , Frankhartx at
wrote on 7/19/03 2:41 AM:
From: Colin Malsingh colin-cred@rhubarb-rhubarb-rhub
I've seen a number of posts about how valuable calcium supplements can
be to plants (eg. Tomatoes etc). Many people talk about adding mineral
supplement tablets straight into the soil.
I recently bought some Dolomite tables (it's a naturally occurring mix
of Calcium and Magnesium minerals) and tried crumbling them up to mix
into the soil around my plants. When I watered them, the white crumbs
just stayed on the surface.
I'm beginning to wonder quite how water-soluble this stuff is, and
hence how are we supposed to get it into a form where it can actually
reach the plants & be taken up through their roots.
Can anyone out there who's seen a difference from using these
supplements please advise?
Before playing around blindly with oddball chemicals and pills get a soil
test
and see just where you stand insofar as as what is contained within your soil,
THEN you can consider if any amendmenbts are needed. You mention
dolomite--that's a SLOW acting mineral supplement that breaks down over a
period of time. Dolomite limestone is often added to soils that are too acid
in
the off season. Your soil may already contain enough calcium and magnesium so
adding more is a waste--but you don't know that since you don't know the
composition of your soil--so get a test and stop messing around and don't
listen to quacks with theri magic miracle cure alls
Dolomite is a combination of calcium and magnesium carbonates. While
tomatoes need calcium and magnesium, they also like acidity. Dolomite will
make soil more alkaline. I use dolomite in my hydroponic nutrient solution
to increase pH on the rare occasions when the nutrient is too acid. t is
true that dolomite, like limestone, is not very soluble.
The supplier of my nutrient suggests adding Calcium and magnesium to the
nutrient during heavy bearing times. They recommend, and I use, calcium
nitrate and Epsom salt. The calcium nitrate I use has a significant amount
of water of crystallization as well as a bit of ammonium nitrate mixed in.
Because of the small amount of ammonium nitrate and water of
crystallization, I do not think that it can become explosive. Epsom salt
also has water of crystallization and is relatively cheap. Both salts,
because they are made up from a strong acid and a relatively weak base will
help acidify.
By the way, buying these inexpensive materials at a boutique nursery or
garden supply store can easily jack up their priced by a factor of five or
ten.
Bill
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