----- Original Message -----
From: RiverValley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: Nutrient blockers
> Lloyd and all,
>
> Is there a way to raise ph and calcium without using lime? Or is lime the
> answer?
>
> Daniel
Hi Daniel
The low pH is not really the problem - its a symptom of
something else being wrong - however the conventional 'scientific' approach
(as in human medicine) is to treat the symptom and neglect the cause. This
is a valid first step with highly acid soils that have Aluminium at toxic
levels, we need to get some lime on these, enough to get pH back into the
range where the Al is no longer soluble in the soil solution and therefore
toxic to plant (and microbe) growth. Once we get that far then active
organic matter and microbial activity can do a lot to retrieve the
situation, the soil critters have a huge capacity to buffer pH, sequester
(tie up) nutrients that are in oversupply, and to release those that are
lacking. This takes time and my opinion is that in an intensive growing
situation - vegetables - fruit trees - cut flowers - any high return crop -
the money spent on lime, rock phosphate, rock dust, trace elements should be
quickly recovered in increased production and higher quality.
Once a soil is up and running we can use energetics to sustain it but its
too much to expect of Biodynamics, Radionics, Homeopathics, or any other
subtle energy system - if we think that these methods can bring back sick
soils without some physical application of whats lacking. My opinion anyway!
Cheers
Lloyd Charles
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lloyd Charles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 7:04 AM
> Subject: Re: Nutrient blockers
>
>
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Roger Pye <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 5:54 PM
> > Subject: Nutrient blockers
> >
> >
> > > Does anyone know whether aluminium locks calcium up in soils?
> > >
> > > roger
> > > --
> > > Hi Roger
> >
> > Other way round!!- calcium locks up aluminium - Its a
> > chain of events - calcium depletion - then low pH - then the acidity
makes
> > aluminium available - Al is a +++ so its some of the last to come
unstuck.
> > So you are not going to have available aluminium at toxic levels unless
> you
> > have the extreme low pH that comes with a serious lack of calcium (or
> > magnesium in a real sandy soil). This will be at pH less than 4.5
calcium
> > chloride - in our red soils we can go as low as 4.2 before serious
> trouble -
> > in your country probably 4.4 would be the cutoff point. . Aluminium
levels
> > rocket upwards as the pH drops that last half point or so. So the
> aluminium
> > is a result of a lack of available calcium not the cause of it.
> > Cheers
> > Lloyd Charles
> >
> >
> >
>
>
