gardener60
Active member
Hi guys did a search on organic calcium, and nothing came up. My next grow I am considering using several Espoma organic nutrients. I would really appreciate some feed back on this subject. What calcium can i use.
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Calcium
- Thread starter gardener60
- Start date
aragonite or shell flour are suitable as well
T
Teddybrae
The reason I use Dolomite is because it contains Magnesium as well as Lime. Cannabis likes Mg.
Y'need to be careful when you find some Dolomite. Some brands are more finely ground than others ... so you don't need to use as much.
And some brands are more active (stronger) than others due to the geographical area it comes from.
Remember Dolomite is ALKALINE. It will have a pH of 14 or so! If you use too much it is very hard to get your soil acid again. You can really fuck up!
So also buy a soil pH test kit from the hardware or plant nursery. They're about $16 here. You will find you can't do without one.
Y'need to be careful when you find some Dolomite. Some brands are more finely ground than others ... so you don't need to use as much.
And some brands are more active (stronger) than others due to the geographical area it comes from.
Remember Dolomite is ALKALINE. It will have a pH of 14 or so! If you use too much it is very hard to get your soil acid again. You can really fuck up!
So also buy a soil pH test kit from the hardware or plant nursery. They're about $16 here. You will find you can't do without one.
troutman
Seed Whore
Dolomite only has a pH in the 9 range and not anywhere near 14.
gardener60
Active member
Thank you all for the info
T
Teddybrae
T
Teddybrae
Here's a picture:
Thought I 'd pH test the Dolomite I have and found the number is on the bag along with analysis.
I did a test anyway and the colour I got indicates higher than 10.5 but that's arguable because different individuals see the same colour differently.
I would think though ... that if the bag is labelled with a pH number ... then all Dolomites are not that number. Some are more or less alkaline.
The percentages of Magnesium and Calcium are interesting. I 'd forgotten they were on the pack.
Thought I 'd pH test the Dolomite I have and found the number is on the bag along with analysis.
I did a test anyway and the colour I got indicates higher than 10.5 but that's arguable because different individuals see the same colour differently.
I would think though ... that if the bag is labelled with a pH number ... then all Dolomites are not that number. Some are more or less alkaline.
The percentages of Magnesium and Calcium are interesting. I 'd forgotten they were on the pack.
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
KNF has a great way to make water soluble calcium from egg shells. Super simple, super effective, totally organic. 
https://growingorganic.com/diy-guide/how-to-make-water-soluble-calcium-at-home/
Use it as a foliar spray.
The video I watched recommended 11:1 vinegar:egg-shells
https://growingorganic.com/diy-guide/how-to-make-water-soluble-calcium-at-home/Use it as a foliar spray.
The video I watched recommended 11:1 vinegar:egg-shells
St. Phatty
Active member
If you boil water and there is a white residue on the sides of the pot, a lot of times that's Calcium.
I scraped some off and now I got about a pint of some white gunk that I think is Calcium.
Not sure how to test it though.
IOW, it (calcium) is in the water sometimes.
So you may not need to add it to the soil.
I scraped some off and now I got about a pint of some white gunk that I think is Calcium.
Not sure how to test it though.
IOW, it (calcium) is in the water sometimes.
So you may not need to add it to the soil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_hydroxide
This is used to lower the pH in the commercial - soil that growers buy ...
edit: sorry Calcium-hydroide is used to protect the stalk of plant, CaCo3 ist used to up the ph in the all commercial soil ...
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Rico Swazi
Active member
good advice earlier in the thread to use limestone, gypsum or shell flour
Epsoma is expensive
You can get a 50# sack of any liming product for under 16 bucks at your local feed store.
I heard good things about wollastonite but have not tried it myself
has added benefits of silicon along with calcium, magnesium
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troutman
Seed Whore
The pH number on the bag is what I would go by and like I said above in the pH 9 range.
Those home soil test kits will never be as accurate as a real laboratory test that chemical companies have to use by law.
T
Teddybrae
I get what you mean about white residue being Calcium.
The thing is that you may have Calcium that is now in a non-soluble form. You may have Calcite, for example. I 'm not a chemist but your white residue needs to be tested to be sure.
The thing is that you may have Calcium that is now in a non-soluble form. You may have Calcite, for example. I 'm not a chemist but your white residue needs to be tested to be sure.
G
Guest
Solution grade gypsum.
Promix BX, and Promix HP, which IMHO are the industry standards for the type of soilless mixture they are. Millions have used it.
They use Both Calcitic Lime, and Dolomite.
It is mix it on a 2/3 Calcitic x 1/3 Dolomite ratio
Calcitic obviously supplies Calcium, and Dolomite supplies Mg, though both do supply both, its pretty much standard procedure to use this ratio. Dolomite is much much better source of Mg as Calcitic is a better source of Ca.
Most farmers also mix the 2 different limes.
Also Calcitic is best for quick changes in PH, and Dolomite, is Slower release, and stabilizes the soil more over time.
Sphagnum Moss being the main component in Promix BX-HP makes it super Acidic, so the Calcitic elicts a faster PH change. Promix initially tests 5.7ph, and will stabilize to 6.2-6.3 after a few waterings. Moss I believe has a PH of 3.5-5.0
They use Both Calcitic Lime, and Dolomite.
It is mix it on a 2/3 Calcitic x 1/3 Dolomite ratio
Calcitic obviously supplies Calcium, and Dolomite supplies Mg, though both do supply both, its pretty much standard procedure to use this ratio. Dolomite is much much better source of Mg as Calcitic is a better source of Ca.
Most farmers also mix the 2 different limes.
Also Calcitic is best for quick changes in PH, and Dolomite, is Slower release, and stabilizes the soil more over time.
Sphagnum Moss being the main component in Promix BX-HP makes it super Acidic, so the Calcitic elicts a faster PH change. Promix initially tests 5.7ph, and will stabilize to 6.2-6.3 after a few waterings. Moss I believe has a PH of 3.5-5.0
Calcium reacts with vinegar. Taste it. Make sure it isn’t salt.
If you have that much calcium in your water, it’s probably in you’re soil as well. You probably don’t need much.
