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  • From: Robyn Francis <robyn@permaculture.com.au>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Long term soil sweetening
  • Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:32:28 +1100

Hi Betsy,

I had an original soil pH4.5 on my property.
An initial laboratory soil test showed adequate Magnesium present so I don't
use Dolomite except for the occasional very light application after an
excessively wet season as it can leach out. A previous property I owned had
acid soil and a major Magnesium deficiency so there I used dolomite instead
of Ag lime.

I used a little lime in my garden areas, and occasionally a very light
dusting of wood ash (which is very alkaline so use sparingly) in garden and
orchard areas. I add compost and mulch regularly, use compost teas, and for
the past 5 years have been adding some biochar to our compost and also direct
to garden beds. I've a heavy clay soil, so have also added some quarry dust
from a local quarry.

Humus, or fully composted compost should be pH neutral, so my main strategy
has been building up the levels of organic matter and humus in the soil to
moderate the pH.

Now most of our garden beds are pH 6.5 which is ideal.

Interestingly, my woodlot/native forest area has had absolutely no amendments
and the pH there has increased from 4.5 to 5.5 with just the leaf litter from
the trees building up the organic matter.

The biggest issue with acidity is the leaching of nutrients, especially
during wet weather, and acidity also increases the solubility and plant
uptake of Aluminium and any other heavy metals naturally occurring or
residual from previous farming practices (e.g. Super phosphate which
acidifies the soil and contains cadmium residues). An initial lime
application can help buffer against nutrient loss and heavy metal uptake
while you build up your humus.

Crushed shells are good longterm source of Calcium.

All the best with your property.

Robyn


On 21/01/2015, at 4:25 AM, Lawrence London wrote:

> You have to be very careful when applying amendments that raise soil pH
> because if you apply too much correcting that is difficult and time
> consuming, usually done withelemental sulphur.
> My advice is to raise pH only where you need it, i.e. where you plan to
> plant gardens, orchards and pasture, meadow or hay crops.
>
> Materials that can be used include
>
> dolomitic lime
> high calcium lime
> aragonite
> pulverized shell meal (oyster, clam, etc.)
> quarry rock dusts
>
> I recommend using a combination of very conservative amounts of each
> (except for the quarry dusts which can be applied by the ton) on plantings
> that need it, i.e. grass and clover like high pH while blueberries are
> calciphobes and like an acid soil (only apply quarry dust plus any needed
> nitrogen, potash in the form of greensand or azomite and rock or colloidal
> phosphate.
>
> Rule of thumb is to raise soil pH only as needed and with very sparing use
> of amendments.
>
> dolomitic lime has magnesium so if you apply too much too often you can
> render your soil unable to support plant growth and it takes a long time
> returning it to normal or neutral pH.
> The same is true with using wod ashes; great care needs to be exercised
> when applying it. Use it in small quantities with other amendments or
> spread it far and wide on fields or throughout orchards
>
> On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 7:49 AM, Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi folks, I am a newbie to the group and to permaculture.
>>
>> I just started a project (still at the thinking and planning stage) in the
>> mid-Atlantic US for a sloping parcel with a plan for pasture at the flat
>> top, fruit trees on the slope, and vegetables on the fertile bottom.
>>
>> My overriding issue is the inherent acidity of the soil. Can I spread
>> crushed oyster shell (sold for chicken feed) on the land for a long-lasting
>> solution. I am looking for longevity, because I do not want to be spreading
>> lime every 2-3 years.
>>
>> In colonial New England, they used crushed oyster shells to sweeten the
>> soil. The bigger fragments of shells are still there in old fields, slowly
>> leaching away, so I know this is potentially a long term solution.
>>
>> However, I do not know how to calculate the correct amount of crushed
>> shell to apply given pH, and area. Do I need other soil quality parameters?
>>
>> Any thoughts?
>>
>> Betsy Hilborn
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>
>
>
> --
> Lawrence F. London
> lfljvenaura@gmail.com
> http://www.avantgeared.com
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> http://www.ipermie.net
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> https://plus.google.com/+Avantgeared
> Permaculture: -- portal to an expanding global network of landtech pioneers
> practicing and teaching permaculture
> while designing ecological, biointensive land use systems with integrated
> elements for synergy, sustainability, regeneration and enhanced
> nature-compatible
> human habitat --





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