What kind of Lime for tomato plant soil?

[hardland]

Not sure what kind of lime to use in my Tomato plant soil. I have read where you add a little lime to boost the calcium in the soil. I have found two kinds of Lime, Dolomitic and Calcitic. I believe the difference is the ratio between lime and Manganese. The Dol is 3-1 Calc to Mang, the Calcitic is 9-1 Calc to Mang. Do tomatoes want the extra manganese? Thanks

[The Helpful Gardener]

It's actually magnesium, not manganese. Manganese is only necessary in very small quantities.

What is your soil chemistry? Can't really answer that question without knowing where you are now. I'd be guessing... where are current pH, calcium, and magnesium? Alkalinity would be good to know too...

HG

[hardland]

It's actually magnesium, not manganese. Manganese is only necessary in very small quantities.

What is your soil chemistry? Can't really answer that question without knowing where you are now. I'd be guessing... where are current pH, calcium, and magnesium? Alkalinity would be good to know too...

HG

I'm in Ft Lauderdale FL, 1 mile from ocean, soil is very sandy. Most of my toms go in containers. I use Fafard 3B, 45% sphagnum, pine park, perlite and vermiculite, I believe it has no fertlizer, organic or chemical. I add 1/2 cup of blood meal, 1/2 cup of bone meal per 20 gallons. I was told to add 1/2 cup of lime, not sure which one to use.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Not knowing your soil pH, or chemistry, but knowing you are using a mostly soiless mix, I'd still go with calcitic lime (calcium is a big deal to tomatoes; it helps stave off blossom end rot, among other things).

HG

[TZ -OH6]

Florida's bedrock is limestone, and so is the mineral base of the soil so lime (limestone/dolomite) is the last thing you need to add to your native soil.

[The Helpful Gardener]

TZ, note we are talking a soiless mix in a container, so soil conditions are pretty much meaningless here...

Again, my preference is to use soil instead of containers where ever that is available. The benefits of natural mineralization and biology are almost always better than we can accomplish with chemistry and man-made soils. While you can grow that way, without professional training and tools, (measuring electrical conductivity, pH, porosity, etc), you will not likely get the good effects that a naturally occuring soil will give you...

HG

[TZ -OH6]

Sorry, I missed that, I should have read slower.

[Gary350]

I get my lime at the farm supply store because it is so cheap there a bag much cheaper than the garden center, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. They have a good selection too, calcitic lime, dolomitic lime, burned lime, hydrated lime, pelletized lime and more.

Farm supply has several different types of lime. Pellet lime is easy to sprinkle on the soil. It looks a lot like a 5 gallon bag of beet seeds. I think this is actually ground up lime stone.

Hydrated lime is what I like best because I can mix it with water then water just the plants not the whole garden.

Hydrated lime + Copper Sulfate mixed with water and spray on plants is good for blight.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Slaked lime, or hydrated lime is not recognized for organic gardening (by OMRI or NOFA) due to the chemical processes. Calcium hydroxide eventually forms calcium carbonate in contact with carbon sourcing but but is unstable early in application, releasing a free radical, like hydrogen peroxide does, so it is sterilizing biology at first application. I don't use it for that reason.

On the other hand, Gary's spray would certainly work as a pesticide...

Pelleted lime is usually gypsum based, which means it is calcium sulphate. Fine if you need the sulfur (which will acidify soils), but only if...

Lime is not just lime. We are looking for calcium first, but we should pay attention to what is attached, and how.

HG