On 6/7/10 8:28 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in message
et...
On 6/7/10 6:51 PM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Paul M. Cook wrote:
I have a box of Fix-All wall patching compound. It is gypsum, lime,
starch and some other inert ingredients. What would be a good
formula for tomatoes? My tomatoes are growing very fast and setting
fruit. I know they need calcium. Would this be good for other
plants like peppers and cukes?

Not unless you know what sort of lime it is (the name represents several
compounds) and what the 'inert' ingredients are and the various
proportions. At a guess it is mostly gypsum (calcium sulphate) which is
the core ingredient in most plaster products. This is pH neutral and
supplies calcium, it is often used as a clay breaker. Other ingredients
might not be so benign.


It says limestone. The soil pH is 6.2 according to my 7 dollar meter.

Paul

Your soil is almost neutral, being slightly acidic. I don't know about
tomatoes, but it should be great for roses.


Isn't 7.0 neutral? What's a good source of gypsum? The small garden center
I assume? I'm not trying to be flip but I can't even find bone meal at my
local Lowes.

Paul



I noticed that, when I tried to buy gypsum at Home Depot, they wanted to
sell me ornamental gypsum rock (little white stones). Soil gypsum is
available in 50 lbb sacks for less than $10 at many larger garden
nurseries. Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) also carries it.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary