i have a question about lime?

[miron28]

OK i hope this goes here!!

i was told that i should put some lime down on the garden. so i went to Lowe's and got some of the powered garden lime. but should i put in on top of the plants or around the base of all the plants? or what would be the best way to put it down? thanks

 

[HiDelight]

I just work it into the soil around the plants

 

[miron28]

this is my sec attempt to gardening last year i did a garden and out of all the things i planted i got one ear of corn and some okra. everything else died before producing. i was told that i need to add some lime and that would help this year. but i did add any soil it is all clay i hope this doesn't matter or does it?

 

[HiDelight]

I dont know about clay soil ..but I always thought it was alkaline not acidiic so if that is the case you may be defeating the purpose by adding lime (please correct me if I am wrong)
we have acidic soil here and add lime in the spring and fall to adjust the pH for the plants..(it also helps to chelate any toxins in your soil if you raise your pH )

not sure about clay soil sounds to me like you need compost compost compost if it is all clay...

but someone who knows more than I do may tell you the real truth!

good luck I have..when I lived in the southwest had years like you discribed!

but my okra always grew there! it was one of the few things I could get to grow..that and peppers seem to love the harsh land

I know my fig tree loves lots of lime!

so do my chickens and dogs

 

[vfem]

Ok, clay is ok... but the big issue is usually drainage. So there is a great chance that many of your plants rotted out at the root from drainage issues. If you are in NC like me, the clay starts only about 3-4" deep under a sandy top soil. It has decent nutrients but not the best.

I've never added lime to my soil... I've never had too... my veggie garden is 100% compost materials because they are raised but my front gardens are all you basic clay.

I've worked in some compost, not much... I probably turned in a few handfuls right before I planted shortly after I weeded. Amending your soil with something high in nitrogen is really what you want to do. Going to TSC I picked up some 10-10-10 fertlizer to add to new garden beds of clay this year... it did wonders. Then the big kicker... my neighbor said the best thing to do other then compost,compost, compost to your clay is to turn in coffee grounds! Coffee grounds are acidic, and that is what the clay actually needs... not lime!!! So I just learned something new.

To take care of that, go to your nearest coffee house and ask for their bags of coffee grounds for your soil.... try starbucks are whatever... they give us theirs (or at least we have to split a few bags with our neighbor)!

Good luck.... oh.... and return the lime!!!!

 

[miron28]

well it looks like i will be returning the lime and going to the coffee places and getting the coffee grinds... hope they don't look at me like i am a fool haha

 

[vfem]

well it looks like i will be returning the lime and going to the coffee places and getting the coffee grinds... hope they don't look at me like i am a fool haha

Don't be afraid to call your local extention office or a local nursery... a lot of them will let you what you need to get your soil ready. Usually a good amendment and some cover crop in the fall will have to ready for spring planting here.

You did say you have 6+ acres to take care of to plant right?!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I fully agree with vfem that you should talk to your county extension agent, but my advise is to talk to them about a soils test. Your county extension agent should be listed in the phone book under county government.

In Arkansas, the soils test if free if I go through my county extension agent. I'm not sure what your state's policy is but I would not expect it to be very expensive. A soils test will give you the soils ph, whether you meed to add lime or sulphur, how much you need to add, and other information about nutrients in the soil. For example, I needed 70 pounds of lime for my garden.

 

[patandchickens]

I wouldn't lime without first checking your soil pH. If the pH is not too low for your corn/okra then that wasn't your problem and lime will do little good and might even do harm if you add the wrong am't.

So, get a cheap pH test kit first.

Also I've never added lime to a garden while plants were growing there, I would be verrry leery of it unless some people pop up saying they've done it a bunch with no problems. Typically you lime gardens and fields while they are fallow (or while pasture is not very actively growing) and till it in, except for pasture of course.

Clay usually *is* acidic, at least in the East, and lime *does* help its texture a little bit (tho mostly what lime does is increase the pH). But if your soil is real clay-ey, it is as likely that your problems were, as others have said, too wet at the roots or too dry at the roots or both by turns. The ultimate solution to that is to add as much organic matter as you can, over the years -- start with a good thick organic mulch this year (make sure the soil is thoroughly watered, tho not swampy, before you put the mulch on, and remember that small rain showers may not always penetrate thru the mulch) and over the winter try to till in as much organic stuff as you can lay your hands on. The garden will work MUCh better the next year, and you can keep working on it every yr thereafter too.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[vfem]

Clay usually *is* acidic, at least in the East, and lime *does* help its texture a little bit (tho mostly what lime does is increase the pH). But if your soil is real clay-ey, it is as likely that your problems were, as others have said, too wet at the roots or too dry at the roots or both by turns. The ultimate solution to that is to add as much organic matter as you can, over the years -- start with a good thick organic mulch this year (make sure the soil is thoroughly watered, tho not swampy, before you put the mulch on, and remember that small rain showers may not always penetrate thru the mulch) and over the winter try to till in as much organic stuff as you can lay your hands on. The garden will work MUCh better the next year, and you can keep working on it every yr thereafter too.

Pat

The idea clay is acidic is true but only near wooded areas... or places where pine trees have grown. A lot of open areas, fields.... grassy areas... not so much! My clay/soil is pretty neutral. My azealas don't do so good (they need acidic soil) they do really well under pine trees, or where its heavily wooded.

I talked to the NC State agricultural department while trying to find out why I've killed my apricot trees... and tried to find out the best grapes for our region.

NC State will do a soil sample for FREE btw Miron! Call the extention office, and if you ask... they'll give you the contact info for the university. They are located on Lake Wheeler Rd in Raleigh.