On 15/08/08 18:33, Billy wrote:
In article ,
Ed ex@directory wrote:

Bill mate,

In my case, I am just altering the pH of the soil where I am going to
grow Brassicas (cabbages, calabrese etc). So I spread garden lime there
in the late autumn and, when I plant up in the following spring, I put a
big trowel-full of lime in each planting hole. Brassicas prefer a
limey soil and the lime is supposedly good for keeping club root at bay.
It works for me.

But I only do that in the Brassica bed as I practice crop rotation. So
then, the potato bed will NOT get any lime at all.

Hence, I do not use Dolomite which is long lasting and very very slow to
break down. I practice a 5 yr crop rotation on my ground and only use
garden lime on the Brassica bed.

Ed
Are you saying that the brassica bed is fixed in place but the
other crops are rotated in their beds? Since you grow potatoes
you must know that they require a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. the only other
plant that I've found that likes this pH range is blueberries.
How do you deal with this in your crop rotation or is your soil
already low pH?

I only ask because,"Brassicas, in general, grow best in soils with a pH
of 6.0 - 7.0 with the exception of collards and mustard that prefer a
slightly lower range and cabbage that tolerates a pH of up to 7.5."

http://eap.mcgill.ca/CSCC_3.htm

Bill,

I have a 5 year crop rotation which includes the brassicas i.e legumes,
brassicas, potatoes, root crops, onions.

My soil is about pH 7. I only add lime to the brassica bed , the main
reason being to protect against club root disease.

Ed

From the University of Rhode Island
http://www.urimga.org/fact_sheets/Cl...0Crucifers.pdf

€ Liming soil to pH 7.2 or above "may" (quotation marks are mine)
be helpful. Raising soil pH too high, however, may interfere
with the growth of succeeding crops other than crucifers.

This is the aspect that I was worried about. For example,
according to my "Vegetable Gardener's Bible", potatoes like a
pH from 5.0 to 6.5 and carrots, 5.5 to 6.5.

You are probably all over this but I found the following to be of
interest as well,
http://www.organicgardening.com/feat...3-1189,00.html

Oh Billy boy,

I like the sound of you... but this is getting too technical!! I don't
worry about all that pH stuff. I just grow what my soil is up for. So
that means most things except acid loving plants like blueberries.

Ed