David (in Normandy) wrote:
snip slaked lime preserves, quick lime destroys

Thanks Nick and Sacha.

I'll apply the quicklime as soon as I've managed to chisel the potatoes out,
then leave it for a month or two for the pH to stabilize and hopefully the
quicklime will have aged into slaked lime / calcium carbonate by then. I
guess it may be sensible to add the manure after rather than before the
liming as this should stimulate microbial life back into the soil after
"nuking" it with the quicklime.

I think you reallly ought to read the English language MSDS safety
datasheet for quicklime first and get the right personal protective
equipment before you do anything.

http://www.cockburncement.com.au/pro...24-11-2003.pdf

for instance

Quicklime is used for annihilating dead animals with nasty contageous
diseases. You really do need good eye protection and a dust mask at
the very minimum and you don't want to get the dust on your skin
either. It makes any water boil on contact.

Slaked lime is relatively benign - quick lime is vicious stuff.

One thing you should be aware of in France and Belgium is that it is
possible to buy some very dangerous chemicals off the shelf. Scariest I
ever came across was 40% hydrofluoric acid sold as a greenhouse glass
cleaner for grape growers. The packaging made it look like pink
paraffin at first glance. I put it down again very carefully.

Regards,
Martin Brown