Soil pH

Whilst trolling the Internet forums this morning I found this through another site,
we all have access to this vege,
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That was very interesting, Dave...thank you

Are you going to give it a go, I am just out of curiosity. It would be interesting to see if other members try it to see what their soils are.

For sometime I have had a cutting of Flemington Racecourse growing in a pot and wondered why it wasn't taking off. Yesterday I measured the PH with a meter and it registered at 4.5 which is extremely acidic. I have dosed the pot with the recommended dose of liquid dolomite. it will be interesting to see if there is any change in the growth of the cutting.

Doug, what is the medium made up of in the pot ?

I must be just me I started reading the article, and got lost after going out and buying red cabbage.

I am not sure however it could be compost, soil and potting mix. These days I use sand and potting mix plus additives and it generally comes in at PH 6. When I find this reading I use dolomite until I get between 6.5 and 7.

Doug, just out of curiosity, you mention "liquid dolomite" a couple of times. Can you enlighten me/us about it a bit please.

It is an OCP product that can be purchased at Bunnings. I have only just started to use it so I haven't anything to report at this stage.

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Extremely concentrated
Fast acting due to the very small particle sizes
Corrects acid soils caused by existing soil chemistry and artificial fertilisers
Adds calcium and magnesium to the soil for healthy plant growth and fruit production
Ratio of calcium to magnesium better reflects plant needs compared to powdered dolomite
Better uptake due to the presence of seaweed extract
Especially useful for magnesium loving plants eg roses, tomatoes, capsicums & potatoes
eco-flo dolomite is certified organic

Haven't seen that product in Bunnings...probably because this state is totally alkaline......

John it has been around for about 8 months in NSW.

Probably because there is a market over east for it , instead of here

Looks interesting Doug, what sort of rates and how much $

I have used this too in a particularly clayey garden bed. Too soon to tell yet how effective it is.

roseman - I apologize for taking so long to get back to you on the liquid dolomite. I plead the "old timers" amendment. The bottle holds 500ml and usage is 25ml/9L -> 100ml/9L depending on the soil type and whether it is for correction or maintenance purposes. The cost is $12 per bottle. As I have stated in another thread in recent times the cutting of Flemington Racecourse (originally pot pH 4.5) I treated with the liquid dolomite has come to life after being virtually dormant for 2yrs.

We used a bottle of Searles liquid potash on our plants and they appear to have reacted positively.

Similar deal. You use 4 cap in 2 litre hose spray and it is equivalent to a heap of the granular stuff (can't remember how much and I have tossed the bottle but we are going to get another bottle). It's a lot cheaper as well.

Think I paid $12 for a 25kg bag last time at the Farm Supply Co.
Bunnings are around $10 to $12 for 10kg

The Farm Supply powdered dolomite appears to be cheaper than the liquid.

If I was to use one or the other, liquid versus dry, I would go for the liquid as it will be available first. Then on the other hand the dry form "might" infiltrate the soil profile deeper as it leaches down through the soil profile. I have one small advantage if I was to use it we have a Dolomite mine 10kLms away.

Lime / Dolomite have the unfortunately problem of being extremely slow to travel through the soil profile. With surface application it only travels at about 1cm/yr .... (when used in a broadacre situation)
Because of that I'd be inclined to think the liquid dolomite might be a good way to go in the garden. However, I'm not going to worry about pH any more because Mr Balinbear has a similar soil pH (4.5 - 5) to me and his roses are awesome.

Watch your knees Wendy, they will get gravel rash

I am surprised at the statement 1cm/year. If this be the case it would be adviseable to dig in dolomite spread on the surface. From my recent experience with pH in a pot I would question roses thriving in a pH of 4.5 to 5.

Wendy, looks like I will use the 3 prong cultivater when weeding, at the same time sprinkle some Dolomite and work it in.

The soil here is around 4.5 so I tend to use it on a regular basis.
The liquid appears expensive due to the extra processes.

Bought 50kg Dolomite today in 25kg bags for $7.50 per bag. It's very fine without lumps so should go in quickly. Much better than the coarse lumpy product from Bunning's at $12 for a 10KG bag

It most probably came from here(Mudgee) Bruce

Yes! it's Mudgee Dolomite David so the price should be good for you.

Elders (Farm Supplier) carry the Mudgee one which also brings me into thinking possibly your soil up there would be neutral or a little alkaline. Our soil is acid around 4.5 to 5 so I use Dolomite every season after pruning.