Dan L. wrote:
In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:
Dan L. wrote:
Hmmm ... how much dolomite should I add to a 22 inch pot with 2
cubic feet of soil? Or does it matter? I mean the plant will
take it up as needed. Can you overdose?
Paul
You can overdose because dolomite will raise the pH, so it would be
good to know the pH before you start. For tomatoes you are looking
for pH about 6 to 6.5 IIRC. I would try about half a cup. It
isn't very soluble so it will take a while to work.
David
Warning!!! - Dolomite can be very nasty stuff to handle. Use a
respirator mask! Not some simple dust mask! Dolomite can burn your
soil (and your lungs) if too much is applied. I suggest a non
burning form of agricultural lime. There are some forms of lime
that are pelletized and much much safer (mask may OR may not be
needed) and easier to use.
I had always considered dolomite to be one iof the fairly benign
agricultural minerals and the possibility of it doing personal harm
is new to me.
Dolomite is calcium magnesium carbonate. It is slightly soluble and
mildly alkaline in water, very much like agricultural lime. It is
often used in place of lime to raise pH and/or to add magnesium if
the soil is deficient. It can contain impurities of heavy metals but
so can gypsum and other agricultural minerals, the risk with these
is cumulative build-up rather than immediate damage.
What do you mean by "it can burn your lungs"? What damage would it
do?
What do you mean by "burn your soil"? What would happen? How is it
different to "non burning agricultural lime" (which is calcium
carbonate) other than the presence of magnesium as well as calcium?
How does the magnesium make it dangerous?
If you are not in a position to supply details yourself please give a
reference to this information.
David
First, I will state DOLOMITE is a very good product for gardening and
farm use! I am saying, use personal protection like the labels on the
bags state. I use and will continue to use dolomite.
I dropped a bag once and the dust flew. I was coughing so hard my
lungs was so sore and had a burning feeling for a week before I could
breath right. I had chest xrays and medicine to help the irritant
clear up. I did have safety googles on that protected my eyes.
However, I had no respirator, I used a cheap dust mask, that mistake
will not happen again. It may not kill or do permanent damage.
However, I would not take that warning label on the bag too lightly.
Those bags of dolomite that I have purchased, all have a warning
label that states "USE A RESPIRATOR WHEN USING THIS PRODUCT".
There are a great many substances in this world (including lime) that are
harmless in most circumstances that will do you harm if finely divided and
breathed in.
David, have ever used Dolomite?
Yes, I see no difference to lime, which was my point. I don't wear a mask
when using either. Nor do I throw it about and inhale the cloud.
David, have you ever not read the warning labels on those bags?
Yes, everything has warnings on the bag. This shows that we live in a
litigious age not that everything is seriously harmful. I am amazed that it
doesn't warn "may contain peanuts".
Burn your soil - like in have you not ever put too much fertilizer on
your grass? It turned the grass brown like it was BURNED and it took
weeks for the grass to grow back again.
I have seen this happen though not been personally responsible. Applying
lime or dolomite does not have the risk of causing this problem because they
are so chemically different to the soluble salts that make up synthetic
fertiliser or the compounds found in (say) fresh chicken manure. This is
not to say you cannot overdose lime or dolomite but the consequences and the
speed of onset of the problem would be quite different.
Agricultural Lime is mostly pure calcium carbonate. Depending on the
soil test that extra magnesium may not be needed or wanted. I stand
corrected about the statement I made - "non burning agricultural
lime" that statement may not be completely true.
There are some forms of pelleted limes that may not burn.
Example "NUTRALIME" a commercial product name.
http://www.mineralprocess.com/Lawn-Turf/nutralime.html
Unknown if it is better that other forms of limes, however I never
need a mask with it and I could use a cheap spreader.
Pelletised products may be less irritating if thrown about. In some
circumstances finely ground lime is preferred because it spreads better and
dissolves (and so acts) faster. For example the local limestone quarry has
a course grade for industrial use and a fine grade for agricultural.
Do I need to repeat the web sites the Bill and Billy has posted? Ok.
http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923883
Read section 8, on personal safety for dolomite.
States to use safety goggles and a respirator.
No need to repeat it, it looks to me about the same as lime, that is
'slightly hazardous'. I wasn't saying that it is harmless but that you were
exaggerating the likelihood of injury from occasional use. If I was
spreading tons of either lime or dolomite behind the tractor I would be
wearing the full protective gear but that is not adding a spoon of it to a
pot plant.
David