eggshells
 

On Sat, 02 Jun 2007 00:31:02 -0700, Persephone wrote:

A much more effective way to provide Ca to soil is in the form of
powderd milk. It's very fast.

How much and should we till it in?

Any downside?

TIA

I usually mix it with water the way the directions tell me to do on
the label. Any no frills powdered milk will do. I think mine is a
third cup to a quart of water, but it really can be dilute since you
aren't drinking it. If you want, just sprinkle it around the root
zone and water it in, no tilling necessary.

Another use is in a hand pump sprayer. The lactic acid in the milk
will help the foliage keep fungi or mold from forming on the
nightshade family, which includes tomato, potato, eggplant, and many
ornamental plants.

I don't know of a downside.

eggshells
 

On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 18:10:32 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:

"jangchub" wrote in message

A much more effective way to provide Ca to soil is in the form of
powderd milk. It's very fast.

Why bother? Powdered milk would be more expensive weight for weight than
just using dolomite or lime. And if you have a wood burning fire then the
ash from the fire also provides calcium.


Dolomite or lime are not readily available the way the milk is and
needs to be broken down by microbiota first. It also changes the pH
in the soil. Wood ash is entirely too alkaline for tomatoes and I
would never use it in soil where I grew food.

eggshells
 

In article ,
FragileWarrior wrote:

Persephone wrote in :

On Fri, 01 Jun 2007 20:38:43 -0500, jangchub
wrote:

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 16:16:47 -0500, "Dwayne" wrote:

Egg shells placed under the surface of the soil around your tomatoes,
and other plants bothered by nematodes, will draw an insect (I don't
know which one) to eat the membrane in the egg shells. Once they get
there they find that they like nematode eggs better and will clean
them out. I read that in one of my tomato books, but don't remember
which one.

Dwayne

What is your source for this statement?

The best way to provide calcium to plants via eggshells is to let them
dry completely in the sun and if you have a morar and pestal grind
them into powder. You can also put them in a plastic bag and roll
them with a rolling pin till they are powder.

A much more effective way to provide Ca to soil is in the form of
powderd milk. It's very fast.

How much and should we till it in?

Any downside?

TIA


Yeah. Have you priced powdered milk lately??

I'd take Kay's advice, unless you don't eat eggs.

June 1
Kay Lancaster

(Egg shells) Fair source of calcium. Easy way outdoors, imho, is to
make a shallow trench between rows and toss in your eggshells, vegetable
scraps from the kitchen, etc, and cover with a little soil.
Continue until the trench is filled back in, then dig another.

Rinse the eggshells if you've got raccoons g

Kay

- y(lliB)
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (mostly)

eggshells
 

"jangchub" wrote in message
On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 18:10:32 +1000, "FarmI" ask@itshall be given
wrote:

"jangchub" wrote in message

A much more effective way to provide Ca to soil is in the form of
powderd milk. It's very fast.

Why bother? Powdered milk would be more expensive weight for weight than
just using dolomite or lime. And if you have a wood burning fire then the
ash from the fire also provides calcium.

Dolomite or lime are not readily available the way the milk is and
needs to be broken down by microbiota first.

I don't see that as being a problem. All soil amendment takes time and if a
garden is in such an urgent and immediate need of a calcium hit then there
is something wrong with how that gardener is going about the business of
gardening.

However if they did need such an urgent hit of calcium and didn't mind about
the increase in pH, then they would probably be better off using wood ash as
its impact is immediate.

But if they prefer to use the less cost effective way of doing things, they
would be better off using tofu rather than powdered milk as tofu contains 4
times as much calcium as milk.

It also changes the pH
in the soil.

True. However as the application of nitrogen in various forms tends to
lower pH then that might also be a good thing. Most keen gardeners have a
pH testing kit or can identify from weeds whether they need to lower the pH.

Wood ash is entirely too alkaline for tomatoes and I
would never use it in soil where I grew food.

So your soil is already very alkaline?

eggshells
 

"jangchub" wrote in message
On Sat, 02 Jun 2007 00:31:02 -0700, Persephone wrote:

A much more effective way to provide Ca to soil is in the form of
powderd milk. It's very fast.

How much and should we till it in?

Any downside?

TIA

I usually mix it with water the way the directions tell me to do on
the label. Any no frills powdered milk will do. I think mine is a
third cup to a quart of water, but it really can be dilute since you
aren't drinking it. If you want, just sprinkle it around the root
zone and water it in, no tilling necessary.

Gypsum is fast acting, pH neutral and a lot cheaper than milk powder.

Another use is in a hand pump sprayer. The lactic acid in the milk
will help the foliage keep fungi or mold from forming on the
nightshade family, which includes tomato, potato, eggplant, and many
ornamental plants.

Try adding some bicarb soda to that mix (1 Cup milk, 3 teaspoon bicarb) and
it helps to allevite Black Spot in roses.

I don't know of a downside.

Cost would be one if you needed to use more than a small amount.