Soil liming

The excessive acidity of the soil depresses the plants and breaks their vegetation. There is a small group of plants that grow well on strongly acidic soils, for example cranberries. But mostly garden plants prefer medium and weakly acid soils. In addition, the acid soils dry poorly, and dry up, are covered with a hard crust. To neutralize the acid contained in the soil, liming of the soil is carried out. In addition, the liming of acidic soils improves the nutrition of garden crops, thanks to the growth of a more powerful root system developing in non-acidic land.

Calcareous substances

Lime materials of natural origin (limestone, dolomites, marl) and lime containing technological waste (shale ash, cement dust, white sludge) are used. All these substances have in their composition either chalk or calcium carbonate in different proportions. But what is better to impregnate the soil? Gardeners with many years of experience are advised to use industrially produced calcareous fertilizers, in which 10 parts of calcium accounts for 4 to 8 parts of magnesium. The introduction of a complex containing both elements promotes an increase in the yield of many crops to a greater extent than the use of calcareous fertilizers without magnesium.

Frequency of liming

Agrotechnics are recommended to perform liming of the soil at the dacha once every 6 to 8 years, because as a result of the processes occurring in the soil, the reaction of the environment gradually changes, returning several years to the original level.

How to determine how much the soil needs to liming?

The soil is deoxidized by lime, being guided by the external signs of the earth. First of all, strongly acidic soils with a whitish or gray-white hue and a podzolic horizon with a thickness of more than 10 cm are needed in liming. The necessity of liming is determined both by the state of the cultivated plants and by the growth of weed. Specific sensitivity to acidity is found in wheat, clover and beet, their poor growth signals that immediate liming of the land is required. Some weeds grow well on acid soils. The growth of heather, Ledum, creeping buttercup, pike, sorrel also indicates excessive soil acidification. On sale there are paper-indicators with which help it is possible to reveal the content of acid in the ground.

When should I make lime?

Initially, lime is applied when laying a garden during the preparation of the site. Then the process of applying limestone fertilizers is carried out in the spring (autumn) before the earth is grounded.

The rate at which lime is applied to the soil

Dosages for the application of hydrated lime for soil depend on:

With high acidity, lime is injected into the earth in large doses. With very strong acidity, 0.5 kg of limestone per 1 m2 is applied in clay and loamy soils, 0.3 kg with sandy soils. At an average acidity - respectively 0.3 kg and 0.2 kg. At a weak acidity - clay and loamy 0.2 kg is introduced, sandy soils are not limy.

How to make lime in the soil?

Often gardeners do not know how to properly lime the soil. Unexpected lime is ground into a powder and moistened with water to extinguish. Slaked powdered lime immediately mixed with the ground. Stirring of lime with soil is a prerequisite for effective liming.

Action on soil liming worms

Earthworms do not breed well in acid soils, so treating the soil with lime in the quantities indicated, has a beneficial effect on the population of these beneficial creatures.