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A little lime in your potting soil can take your plants a long way
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Published: August 24, 2008
If your tomatoes or pepper plants have black sunken spots on the bottom of the fruit this season that persisted even after you discarded the bad ones and the plants had plenty of moisture, your soil may need lime. The soils in our area need to be limed about every three years. It may be needed more often if a high amount of nitrogen is used as for lawns or your soil is sandy, such as you will find in bottom land.
This product contains calcium and magnesium which are two of the essential elements needed in the soil for plants to grow. The time required for lime to do its job completely of correcting acid soil ranges from four to six months. Never feel that it is too late to apply lime. Small amounts will become available during the earlier months and could be just enough to maintain plant health.
Lime reduces the tension between soil particles and other basic elements such as phosphorus. Phosphorus is the key element in the growth and development of plant roots and flower production. Phosphorus is the more concentrated form of bone meal that will produce the same results and much cheaper. A salesperson should recognize the name Super and Triple Phosphate.
The first is 20 percent and the second is 46. It is possible to have more than the required amount of lime and phosphorus in the soil and still have a deficiency in plants. The reason is often due to late applications, placement and competition on soil particles. Nutrients will try to bind onto the soil before others will.
How much lime to add is best determined by a soil sample report of your soil from the N. C. Department of Agricultural (NCDA). It's free and containers can be picked up from the Extension office at 444 Bristol Drive.
For fall planting, lime and phosphate should be applied at the same time as fertilizer and thoroughly blended into the soil. Since it's very immobile, it should be placed as deeply as the soil is to be tilled. There is no advantage in using pelletized lime over powdered lime except the convenience and speed of applying the pellets.
There are many plants that don't generally need lime because they are acid loving. Some of the most common are azalea, blackberry, rhododendron, camellia and blueberry. Blueberry plants will often gradually die over a two to three year period if the soil is not acid enough.
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