Excuse My Ignorance but I Have a Question on Lime

[GuerillaGrower420]

What exactly is its purpose on usage of lime on soil? Balance out the pH, raise it lower it or what? I'm kinda confused I've heard its usage worded in many confusing ways. Someone care to clear this up for me?

 

[Kindbud]

lime is use to like you said balance the ph of the soil

 

[noneedforalarm]

lime raises the pH in the soil.

 

[Kindbud]

it really depends on what kind of lime your talking about

 

[Lemmongrass]

be careful saying balance. that leads one to believe that it will both raise and lower it to a certain area.

 

[noneedforalarm]

it really depends on what kind of lime your talking about

yeah,limestone is what i posted about.

 

[Kindbud]

dolomite lime is used on acidic soils to reduse the acid in the soil

 

[Hick]

"lime" is used as a buffer.. it strives to keep your medium neutral.. 7.0...
if your medium is acidic, it will 'buffer' it toward alkalinity.. if your medium is alkaline, it will 'buffer' it toward acidity
it also provides magnesium...

 

[Kindbud]

buffer was the word i couldnt think of

 

[GuerillaGrower420]

"lime" is used as a buffer.. it strives to keep your medium neutral.. 7.0...
if your medium is acidic, it will 'buffer' it toward alkalinity.. if your medium is alkaline, it will 'buffer' it toward acidity
it also provides magnesium...

THANK YOU! Any specific kinds required or preferred?

 

[Hick]

..dolomite or argricultural lime.. for slower, but longer lasting effects

 

[Lemmongrass]

"lime" is used as a buffer.. it strives to keep your medium neutral.. 7.0...
if your medium is acidic, it will 'buffer' it toward alkalinity.. if your medium is alkaline, it will 'buffer' it toward acidity
it also provides magnesium...

I've asked this in 3 different threads, because thats what i learned a buffer was in biology. every time it resulted in the thread expert saying it just brings it up. Thee seems to be widespread confusion on this within all knowledge levels. Every time i get at it im told to use only pH down for lowering it to 7.

In bio we always added a buffer to the solution before adding dna/organic matter regardless of the ph because it brought it to an EXACT pH to support or at least preserve the organic matter.

Do you know which chemical set is responsible for it's ability to do both?

 

[Hick]

..no idea lotek. Sorry, I'm a farmer not a biologist.. :confused2:

 

[ozzydiodude]

Always test soils before useing anything!

 

[leafminer]

Well, I'm a pretty good chemist and what I say is this:
Lime - CaOH - calcium hydroxide - is a BASE and it can only UP the pH. Unless it is a prepared mixture of lime and something else.

 

[Lemmongrass]

But what about dolomite lime? calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg(CO3)2 found in crystals.

As so often happens, seems the scientists and the rest of the world use terms wrong.

 

[leafminer]

If I need to adjust the pH of my media - not likely unless I am experimenting - I use hydrated ('slaked') lime which is just CaOH. No Mg in there.

"dolomitic lime is very slow to break down and is intended for outdoor flowerbeds and lawns where it has all season to work."

I don't think the lime is what does buffering. From "The Geography of Soils":

"Buffering action is due mainly to clay and very fine organic matter. Highly weathered tropical clays are less active buffers than most less-weathered silicate clays. Thus with the same amount of acidity, or pH, more lime is required to neutralize ...."

However some support for the idea comes from:

"Buffer compounds, soil: the clay, organic matter, and compounds such as carbonates and phosphates that enable the soil to resist appreciable changes in pH."

It's very difficult to find much information, the above took me over an hour to track down.