Re: Dolomite Lime, Help is here
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Dolomite Lime, Help is here
- From: J* I* J* <j*@ix.netcom.com>
- Date: Sun, 28 Sep 1997 14:15:38 -0600 (MDT)
Steven & Sharlyn Rocha wrote:
>
> Hello Iris Lovers,
> I have some important questions about Dolomite Lime. I have gotten my
> daughter's sixth grade class interested in planting a bed of iris on the
> school grounds. I am donating a different color iris for each member of
> the class. They are planting them tomorrow as a class project. I prepared
> the soil with compost and super phosphate and 15-15-15. My problem is that
> the soil still doesn't look right to me. I have never seen a soil so
> claylike. I used to make pottery, and this soil feels like potter's clay.
> It also had some red dirt at one layer. Even though I put in plenty of
> compost, it looks clumpy. Steve said he had heard that adding Dolomite
> Lime to the soil will help breakdown clay.
I think gypsum is what you want, not lime (unless you have acid soil).
It helps separate the clay particles. Another advantage is that
agricultural gypsum has 16% sulphur in it which acts as an antibacterial
agent. Apply at the rate of 10 # per 100 sq ft. 2 C gypsum weighs 1 1/8
pounds. Fill a two pound coffee can to within 1 1/2 inches from the top
and you have about 10 #.
Add as much organic material as you can lay hands on. I have clay here
and it is amazing how fast the organic matter disappears.
John | "There be dragons here"
| Annotation used by ancient cartographers
| to indicate the edge of the known world.
John Jones, jijones@ix.netcom.com
Fremont CA, USDA zone 8/9 (coastal, bay)
Max high 95F/35C, Min Low 28F/-2C average 10 days each
Heavy clay base for my raised beds.
