Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

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?

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

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.

David

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

On 6/7/10 2:52 PM, 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?



You should not apply lime unless you know your soil is acidic.

The soils in my area are quite alkaline. I broadcast sulfur and various
sulfates every year and use acidic fertilizers. If I didn't, many of my
plants would have chlorosis. My compost is actually leaf mold, which is
more acidic than the usual compost.

Gypsum by itself is a good source of calcium, and it's quite
inexpensive. Buy it and forget about using plaster.

Alternatively, dig bone meal into the soil before planting tomatoes.
Dig it deeper than the existing tomato roots. Bone meal not only
provides calcium; it also provides phosphorus, which promotes flowering
and the subsequent formation of fruit. But to be effective, it must be
placed where roots will find it since phosphorus does not readily
dissolve and leach through the soil.

--
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

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

"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

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

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.


--
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

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

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

The pH of 6.2 is about right for veges so you don't want to be liming the
soil. As DER said buy some gypsum if you are concerned that your tomatoes
need calcium.

David

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

"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

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

In article ,
"David E. Ross" wrote:

On 6/7/10 2:52 PM, 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?



You should not apply lime unless you know your soil is acidic.

The soils in my area are quite alkaline. I broadcast sulfur and various
sulfates every year and use acidic fertilizers. If I didn't, many of my
plants would have chlorosis. My compost is actually leaf mold, which is
more acidic than the usual compost.

Gypsum by itself is a good source of calcium, and it's quite
inexpensive. Buy it and forget about using plaster.

Alternatively, dig bone meal into the soil before planting tomatoes.
Dig it deeper than the existing tomato roots. Bone meal not only
provides calcium; it also provides phosphorus, which promotes flowering
and the subsequent formation of fruit. But to be effective, it must be
placed where roots will find it since phosphorus does not readily
dissolve and leach through the soil.

Oh goody, you've met. Think I'll just sit back and enjoy the show;O)
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

Making a calcium/lime/gypsum brew
 

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