30 days cooking my Supersoil and my pH is high. What should I do?

[kayaN0W]

The fun of "Organics" is quickly slipping out the window here lol...Just GROW!!!!

 

[311]

No one answered my one question. Should I have been adding water this whole time I was composting? I added the first time I mixed, and then again last night, after 1 month. The soil never got dry tho. It always stayed moist, like right out the bag

 

[trichrider]

imho water it more often, like whenever it rains.

 

[jaykush]

first off there is no need to tumble the soil and turn daily. your wasting energy and disturbing the soil biology. mix the soil, get it moist, mix again and let it sit. cover with something so it doesn't dry out super fast.

No one answered my one question. Should I have been adding water this whole time I was composting? I added the first time I mixed, and then again last night, after 1 month. The soil never got dry tho. It always stayed moist, like right out the bag

if it stayed moist, your good to go. only wet when it dries out. mulching helps prevent this.

 

[madliberated]

if you want to actually get relevant information through testing pH, you need to test it by mixing your soil with distilled water, testing it, then mixing it with something reactive and looking at the difference. Whether it's 9 or 7 is irrelevant if you don't know how solid that 9 or 7 is.

like I said tho, you are good to go, don't waste your time.

and listen to Jay.

 

[UnknownProphet]

Well I was going to post link that says your wrong. But since your experience is limited to what you do, I just let you believe what ya want.

Post the link; not just an arrogant statement. If you use correct ratios lime will raise or lower the pH of the soil to 7.0 depending on your starting pH. How are you figuring otherwise, please inform me.

I've always liked your input db, but this rubbed me the wrong way. I have grown enough to know what works for my set up and I'm trying to pass on information I've learned through actual experience...but of course a link from the internet is more factual. Pffft.

In all honesty there's no right or wrong way to grow, just what works for you and your plants in your environment.

 

[madliberated]

I have grown enough to know what works for my set up

yah but here, you are trying to pass on something useful. your success or failure as a grower doesn't confirm or refute your opinion on how lime interacts with soil pH.

 

[UnknownProphet]

From that link above....

Best plan is to mix fine dolomite lime into your mix before planting. Fine Dolomite will help stabilize your pH; however, if the ph becomes unstable or changes, you can then use Hydrated Dolomite Lime. Add some of the hydrated lime to luke warm water and give it a good stir then water your plants with it. Give the plants a good watering with this hydrated lime added and your PH should fall or rise back to 7


But I'm still wrong right?? Didn't I even suggest hydrated dolomite lime on the last page?

Sheesh people acting like I called their granny a cumhound.

 

[madliberated]

warning from a very pro lime wsu site

Do NOT over-lime! Lime adjusts soil chemistry, it is not a fertilizer. A little too much can raise pH to undesirable levels and keep it there, causing serious management problems. Make certain you know how much lime is needed, then apply it over a number of seasons until your soil is back in balance.

this is from http://www.landscape-america.com/lawns/lawncare/lime.html

It should be noted that an excessively high (alkaline) soil pH (greater than 8.01 is just as undesirable as a low pH. When the pH exceeds 8.0, such nutrients as nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, manganese, boron, copper, and zinc become less available for use by the turfgrass plants in the lawn. The result may be a less vigorous, unhealthy lawn. Over-application of liming products may cause the development of alkaline soil conditions.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

UP, maybe you're less sensitive on your delivery than the receiving end.

So you're willing to scrutinize google now? How about university studies? More info about lime than you probably ever want to read:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/cabarrus/staff/dgoforth/limefaq.html#L26

Can you overlime?

Yes. On sandy soils it is easy to overlime. On clay soils it is so hard to overlime that many professionals consider it impossible. Rates higher than 12 tons per acre has been applied on heavy clay soils without causing problems. What are the symptoms of overliming?
Deficiencies of iron, zinc or manganese will create interveinal yellowing. Deficiencies of boron will kill the terminal bud and cause heart rot or hollow heart in vegetable stems. Copper deficiency varies but sometimes includes wilting of terminal leaves.

What is hydrated lime?
When water is added to burnt lime, the lime forms hydroxides. Gardeners calls this hydrated because we don't know if hydroxidated is a real word. This material is bulkier than agriculture lime. It can be used when plants are not present but can burn plant roots. It is more caustic than burnt lime. Most gardeners will use agricultural lime instead.

Might not be a great idea to even offer hydrated to anyone that hasn't experienced how difficult it is to accurately apply. It can still burn roots depending on the medium profile. IMO, peat is more forgiving.

Here's another link. Hydrated lime specific:
http://www.calcinedlime.com/use.htm

Hydrated lime, quicklime or dolomite lime is mixed with water to give an alkaline slurry which neutralises the low pH of acids.

Here's an add suggesting peat to lower alkaline soil:
http://homeharvest.com/soilconditionerspH.htm

Premier® Pro-Moss
Compressed Sphagnum
Peat Moss
Ideal for soil conditioning; general planting of flower beds, hedges, and gardens; establishing new lawn areas; trees and shrubs; compost bins; container gardening. Well suited for indoor and outdoor horticultural applications.

Sphagnum peat moss improves all soils by improving aeration, water drainage, as well as nutrient and water retention. Use to lower pH in alkaline soils. pH value averages 5.5. Available in 1 cubic foot and 2.2 cubic foot bags.

I'm not the arbiter but here's a little personal experience. When I started growing indoors, I read the recommended rate for my medium. But I didn't know how the ~25% inert ingredient (perlite) would affect my runoff test. One grow was limed pre-perlite and the next was limed at the same rate after perlite was added. I ended up with ~6.8 and ~7.5 respectively. No sand.

In close, it's harder to over lime clay than sand. But I'd bet clay isn't part of your mix. I wouldn't bet that you don't have sand.

Your 9.0pH medium/hydrated lime example is a bit extreme and the grandma comment is disgusting.

 

[311]

first off there is no need to tumble the soil and turn daily. your wasting energy and disturbing the soil biology. mix the soil, get it moist, mix again and let it sit. cover with something so it doesn't dry out super fast.



if it stayed moist, your good to go. only wet when it dries out. mulching helps prevent this.

Jay wat are ur opinions about my pH in my SS being high? Should I correct this problem or leave alone, and just keep composting till I'm ready to use?

 

[311]

This is Lime description from a local organic store.

Hi-Cal Lime- pulverized
SKU: 7210
This product raises soil pH and increases the release of phosphorus and potassium from their insoluble compounds, making them available for plants. Use with gypsum on soils where magnesium is high. Hi-Cal lime also loosens clay soil (a necessity in the XXXXXXXXXXX area) but also binds the loose particles of sandy soil together. For immediate use and a gradual breakdown, use the product in pulverized form. Comtains less than 5% magnesium oxide. Due to shipping costs, this product is available for IN STORE purchase only.

 

[drymouth]

Why didn't you follow the origanal recipe as stated? I dont think Sub used some of the additives and ratios you used. I followed his recipe to the "T" and had no problems what so ever! I've tried fox farm OF as my base with great results! and I've tried roots organics as my base. The roots is a little strong and needs a longer cook then 30 days, never needs to be PH'ed if followed how he did it! As for fixing the PH.... looks like theres alot of good advice from great growers on this here thraed.

Good Luck & Good Vibes!

 

[Scrogerman]

Elemental Sulpher is a standard way to lower soil PH in Horticulture, like disco says Peat would be a good option also. i wouldnt want to use it at PH9 myself.

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/lowerpH.html

 

[TACOE]

Should have just stuck with IDK, because as you understand it, you're wrong. It does raise AND lower the pH depending on where you're at. It buffers to a neutral 7.0 so if the soil read 9.0 it would be lowered.

Hydrated lime maybe what you want to use as it's faster acting and can be watering in as it's water soluable.

Once again best of luck, and Tacoe sorry not trying to be an arse, but just informing you that you may want to re read your sources, or better yet experience these experiments. Points are so much more valid when people have self evidence, not just google, to back it up.

UP
That was an arse move - no need for appology. I was just trying to help the man out, by doing a little research and sharing what I THOUGHT (while drunk, but still). There is a reason half my posts state that I don't know much, so my info should be taken with a grain of salt.
sorry I don't have experience with having to lower my pH from 9... I just never let it get to that point homie.

Anyway,
I do believe you are still wrong. It will buffer ACIDIC soil - not keep it at 7.0 - if that was the case, then we could add unlimited amounts of lime without problem (I dont think that would fly). You may have experienced correlation, not necessarily causation with your mix.


Hydrated Lime for the LOSS - keep it for the outhouse?

 

[TACOE]

311,
Like jay said, no need to turn the soil as if it were compost. I like to wet the surface as it gets dry, but i'm just trying to keep the whole batch evenly moist.

My thinking remains that your pH is just fine. So i wouldn't really add anything to adjust it. If you wanted you could send away for a soil test. of you could test the soil out. purchase some seedlings (tomato or something) from the nursery, and put em in the mix. You should be able to tell pretty quickly.

Stick to dolomite, most of us on the boards use that, and we would be able to better assist you if you stick to what's tried and true

 

[madliberated]

for future reference, anyone who suggests hydrated lime to lower pH from 9 is getting neg rep from me.

 

[jaykush]

Jay wat are ur opinions about my pH in my SS being high? Should I correct this problem or leave alone, and just keep composting till I'm ready to use?

if your really paranoid, top dress some good castings and water in lightly. i personally wouldnt have even checked the PH.

 

[guest2012y]

if your really paranoid, top dress some good castings and water in lightly. i personally wouldnt have even checked the PH.

Probably my exact words if I'd had enough care about another PH argument.

 

[mostnonymouse]

Water with a good compost tea or EWC slurry a week or so before you transplant and leave it at that. Don't worry about it until you actually have issues. The soil microbes have a wide range of ph tolerance and will adjust the ph of the rhizosphere as necessary. I'm not checking the ph of my supersoil. The resounding success growers have been claiming leaves me quite confident, regardless of the resulting ph.