Gypsum revisited

From: "monashee" <monashee@junction.net>

In spare moments I have been checking the gypsum - soil pH 
question out and my results are as follows:

Gov't. Horticulturist - Gypsum will not increase soil acidity.

Soils specialist - gypsum will not increase acidity.

My chemist guru who is on a post doctoral fellowship at Scripps 
Institute - Gypsum being a salt will not change soil acidity, it will 
buffer the pH.

Then I went to my kitchen counter lab and prepared a concentrated 
solution of Gypsum in our irrigation water. A litmus paper test 
showed no discernible difference between the gypsum solution and 
plain irrigation water.

The only caveat which I was able to find was a note in Rodale's 
Organic Gardening to not apply gypsum when the pH is below 5.8. 
No reason was given but since they also recognized that it was a 
buffer, I assume it might be something to do with Calcium in acidic 
soils.

I think it is safe to conclude that you can use gypsum with no fear 
of acidifying your soil. 


Cheers,  John

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