GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Clay soil

Chris Hogg · 01-08-2006, 07:41 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 1 Aug 2006 17:41:00 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

In article ,
"David \(in Normandy\)" writes:
|
| Can I use quicklime to help break up clay soil?
| I meant to buy slaked lime but accidentally bought quicklime instead (I live
| in Normandy and haven't mastered all the French gardening words yet :-).

Well, yes, but watch out for that stuff! You REALLY don't want to breathe
any of it or get any near your eyes, and it will get very hot when any
dampness gets near it. You need it to get rained on or water it before
it blows around. I wouldn't handle it myself.

| Since nothing will be planted there again until next Spring can I apply lime
| now?

Yup.

| I also plan to ask a neighbouring farmer to see if he can supply a trailer
| or two of "merde" for the plot! Does anyone know if manure should be applied
| before or after liming or doesn't it matter?

It doesn't matter.

'In Theory' and what is recommended for farmers etc. they should be
applied with a reasonable time interval between, probably a few months
(e.g. lime now, merde in spring or vice versa), because the alkalinity
of the lime will displace ammonia from the merde and decrease it's
fertiliser value. In practice, it's probably as NM says.

But also as NM says, quicklime is really nasty stuff and can cause
serious burns to eyes, lungs and skin. You should take extreme
precautions when handling it. In the laboratories where I used to
work, on the rare occasion that quicklime was handled in significant
quantities, they used to put on full chemical protection suits. That
may be OTT, but it is nasty stuff.

--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net