Slaked and quicklime, what's the difference? Quicklime
Cement is made from it, without which it is unthinkable to build a house, and they fertilize the garden and the garden with it, ennobling the soil. A caustic and chemically active substrate that can cause even severe burns, and snow-white chalk for whitewashing buildings, rooms or tree trunks - and that's it, quicklime.
What is quicklime
This is a calcium-dolomite mixture, in which the main substances are calcium, magnesium, to a lesser extent - potassium, as well as bound water and carbon dioxide. It would be possible not to go into the chemical composition and related issues, but to understand the mechanism of action of lime in growing crops, we will be forced by a large army of farmers and just owners of household plots who intend to grow ECO-class products, that is, environmentally friendly.
And it is possible to grow it, according to their conviction (and not unreasonable), only without using mineral, factory-made substances. And the use of lime in the cultivation of the soil becomes for them a way of making organic fertilizers along with cow, horse or chicken manure.
And the thing is that they are so similar in chemical composition CaO, its hydrated derivative Ca(OH)2 and dolomite have different origin. If dolomite was formed several hundred million years ago as a result of compaction of sedimentary rocks of purely mineral origin, then limestones, from where calcium rock is extracted, from which quicklime is then obtained by annealing, were formed after the death and sinking to the bottom of the primitive ocean of mollusks and other inhabitants of the Cambrian and chalk. And all of them had a calcareous shell, based on the same calcium.
So if the lime that the gardener purchased is obtained from CaMg (CO3) 2 dolomite, then this is a mineral, a carbonate rock. As a fertilizer, dolomite lime is beyond praise, and no worse than calcium lime, the origin of which, as we have already found out, is organic.
The use of lime to deoxidize the soil
The owners of peasant farmsteads, orchards and garden plots are well aware of situations when all fertilizers have been applied to the soil, all conceivable and unimaginable agrotechnical procedures have been carried out, and the harvest, compared to previous years, has fallen. And this despite favorable weather conditions.
And only then does the farmer/gardener/gardener realize: have I measured the acidity of the soil for a long time? Because this is an indicator that only grows over time. And often largely due to the introduction of the same fertilizers year after year. And the easiest way to lower it is to add a certain amount of lime to the soil. Or, in other words, carry out liming. Or - deoxidize it with lime, which has an alkaline reaction.
But not everything is so simple. The acidity of the soil is not the presence of some kind of acid in it. Acidity is determined by the pH, that is, the number of hydrogen ions. If this index is below seven, the soil is acidic, with a decrease in the numerical value, acidity also increases. Above this numerical value, the soil is alkaline.
In an acidified area, many cultures, as a result of acid reactions, cannot fully grow, because substances are formed that plants “do not see”.
Earthworms and manure worms are excellent suppliers of valuable fertilizer - humus. They do not survive well and work unproductively in acidified soils, but if the soil is limed, the next year the population of worms increases sharply, and the indicators of the presence of humus increase up to 2 times! The only condition is to apply for liming slaked lime or drywall (lake lime). Quick CaO can not only burn worms, but also destroy them.
So the main reason for using lime on the plots is to bring the pH back to normal and bring the soil structure to the optimum. And one more of its remarkable properties - when whitewashing the trunks, completely block the path up to the crown, numerous pests that in early spring crawl out of the ground and strive closer to the delicate leafy and flower buds of fruit trees. Well, and those whom a paint brush with chalk or fluffy lime caught in cracks will remain there forever.
Lime solution for whitewashing tree trunks
The use of all the components listed below is strictly necessary - only such a composition will fully protect the bark of trees!
Compound
- Quicklime - 1 kg
- Water - up to 10 liters
- Dry mullein - 1 kg
- Copper sulfate - 200g
- Sifted clay - 300 g
Cooking steps
- pour lime cold water. Cold is important: warm or hot will cause an incorrect extinguishing reaction. After an hour and a half, the process of extinguishing with heating of the mass will be completed.
- Pour in, mix thoroughly
- Pour dry powder of copper sulphate
- Knead the sifted clay on a small amount of pre-cast mass of slaked lime, knead with a rake to the consistency of sour cream, pour into a common container
- Leave the mixture to swell for 2-3 hours
- After that you can use.
Before application lime composition on the trunks, if the treatment is done in the spring, walk along the bark with a hard propylene washcloth or a soft metal mesh for washing heavily soiled dishes. In this way, you will clean off old, dead or poorly adhered bark flakes, under which some kind of garden pest is sure to lurk, access to which lime would be difficult for this flake.
It is possible to carry out deoxidation of the earth with lime both quick and slaked. Only in the first case, due to the high chemical activity of CaO, its amount is reduced by 3-4 times. The tables will help determine the exact amount of lime application.
For slaked lime:
For quicklime, the application rate of which is less:
Quicklime is brought in immediately after purchase, because its storage is problematic: the slightest amount of moisture in the air starts a chemical reaction of its quenching on these pieces.
Before use, the area should be cleaned of weeds, it is better to use herbicides.
It is unacceptable to do simultaneous fertilization and liming of the soil! Mineral substances in this case interact with the active components of calcium (organic origin) and dolomite (mineral origin) limestone, with often unpredictable, but always harmful, consequences. And the manure introduced simultaneously with lime is generally completely neutralized by it!
An exception is the simultaneous use of hardwood ash with lime.
How to slake lime
The process of lime slaking and the process of transferring CaO to the slaked state of Ca(OH)2 occurs by pouring pieces of annealed lime with water in a ratio of approximately 1:2. Quenching is based on the reaction of quicklime and water with intense heat release. Quenching proceeds for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the freshness of quicklime, the absence of traces of reaction with moisture on its surface.
Lime properties and balance
Plants suffer from an excess of calcium. But its absence in the soil is even worse. Without it, hydrogen ions will not be retained in the soil, providing the correct pH for these plant species. The introduction of lime into the ground of the site can greatly, sometimes to critical values, reduce acidity. You can find out the pH of the earth in a garden or garden using a set of litmus papers, on the packaging of which you can find all the colors in which they are painted as the pH readings appear, or, which is the same thing, the measured acidity.
The table below shows the desired values for various plants.
| soil pH | Cultivated |
| 6,0 – 7,0 | Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes. Beets, carrots, pumpkin, nutmeg melon, cucumbers, leeks, shallots, chives, spinach, rhubarb, chicory, kale, cauliflower, kohlrabi, radish. |
| 5,0 – 6,0 | Potato, sorrel, watermelon, parsnip |
| 5,5 – 7,0 | White cabbage, corn, garlic, pepper, peas, beans |
| 7,0 – 7,8 | Asparagus, parsley, onion, lettuce, celery, artichoke, cauliflower |
| 4,0 – 5,0 | Erica, heather, hydrangea |
| 5,0 – 5,6 | Juniper |
| 5,0 – 6,0 | Pine |
| 6,0 – 7,0 | Annuals and perennials planted for site decoration, lawn grasses, ornamental trees (thuja, bonsai). Cherry, plum. |
| 5,5 – 7,0 | Pear, apple, wild strawberry, strawberry |
| 4,0 – 5,0 | Raspberry, currant, gooseberry, cranberry, blueberry |
| 7,0 – 7,8 | Clematis, peony, delphinium |
| 5,0 – 6,0 | Phlox, lily |
| 5,5 – 7,0 | Rose, iris, carnations |
For vegetables, the pH range ranges from slightly acidic to neutral. And we have to look for a compromise, which will be expressed in the desire to allow plants to fully assimilate nutrients, which is possible only on slightly acidic, up to a maximum of pH 5.5, soils. With such acidity, phosphorus is perfectly absorbed, without which the formation of a full-fledged root system, as well as iron, manganese, and boron, is unthinkable.
If you acidify the earth, bring the pH value to 4.0 - 3.5, instead of improving nutrition, plants will begin to refuse to absorb these microelements. But in a similar way, an alkaline environment with a pH value above 7.0 affects crops! What used to be actively assimilated and promoted growth becomes inaccessible. Or, as in some species, hyperassimilation of these elements begins, so much so that the plants become toxic.
The Benefits of Calcium at Normal Acid Levels
- It activates nodule bacteria in legumes planted earlier on the site, releasing the nitrogenous compounds contained in them and enriching the soil with them.
- ensures the delivery of carbohydrates to the ripening parts of plants. Thus ensuring their taste, sugar content at the pot, carrots, beets, corn, etc.
- Strengthens, cements the walls of capillaries, through which nutrients enter all the vital organs of the plant
- When entered into compost heap promotes the binding of nitrogen and minerals into digestible organic compounds
The use of lime powder, fluff lime (a product of quicklime slaking), chalk or drywall (lake lime) can reduce the acidity by the desired number of steps. Doses of liming are determined when it is used on test plots of land with indicator (litmus) paper, soil probes and pH meters. These tools help determine acidity very accurately.
But there are error-free ways of non-hardware recognition of this parameter. One of the methods is by weeds living on and around the site.
The relationship of weed species with soil acidity
A weed that chooses soils with strong and medium acidification:
- Plantain
- Mint and peppermint
- horse sorrel
- sedge, heather
- Mosses of all kinds
- Ivan da Marya
- Lupine blue
- Highlander
- buttercup creeping
- wild mustard
- field mustard
- Poppy wild scarlet and yellow
- Fluffy Chistets
- Beans
- wheatgrass
- Quinoa
- Nettle
- Coltsfoot
- Wild field radish
- field bindweed
- Red clover and mountain clover
- China meadow
- Bodiak garden
- Soapweed officinalis
- Smolyovka drooping
- Chamomile
Focusing on weed species is useful when a gardener or farmer is just choosing a piece of virgin land or an abandoned farmstead, which allows you to estimate in your mind the possible costs and methods of reclamation.
And to make the definition “by eye” more accurate, remember this table-“cheat sheet”:
Lime, or calcium oxide, is a chemical obtained from the processing of limestone. It has found its application in construction, and many other areas. This is due to its property of bonding fine sand particles, disinfection, high speed absorption of moisture and the rapid flow of a chemical reaction with water, as a result of which heat is released.
How lime is made
The process of obtaining lime begins with the collection of limestone. This rock is mined open way in quarries by means of explosions. Limestone is delivered to the production, where it is fired. First, the blocks of stone are broken down by a crusher into smaller pieces. The ground rock is calibrated by size, since the firing requires the use of raw materials of the same section. When the rock is heated to a temperature of +800 degrees, an active release of carbon dioxide begins from it. Thermal decomposition of limestone ends at a temperature of +1200 degrees. As a result, quicklime, also known as calcium oxide, is formed.
Initially finished material is a heap white color, which is already usable, but still does not have sufficient facilities for use. In this regard, it is ground into powder. It is he who is the finished product of production.
Types of lime
Initially, during the processing of limestone, the production of quicklime is carried out. In this form, it has increased alkaline properties, which makes it difficult to use in many areas. In this regard, it is processed into other aggregate types:
- Hasted.
- Chloric.
- sodium.
slaked
First of all, calcium oxide is processed to obtain slaked lime. To do this, quicklime raw materials are poured plain water. As a result, an active chemical reaction begins, from which a strong release of heat is carried out. After its completion, 2 products can be obtained - milk of lime or dough. Milk is a liquid in which a large volume of water is present. It got its name from its white color. As for lime dough, it is obtained if less water has been added, so its concentration is not enough to achieve a liquid state.
When selling slaked lime, the state of aggregation of the dough is usually used, which is also referred to as lime paste. The material is sold in sealed sealed plastic bags weighing 2 kg or more.
Chloric
This type of lime is obtained as a result of a mixture of hydrochloride or chloride with calcium hydroxide, the so-called slaked lime. This substance is a powerful bleaching agent, invented back in 1799. Its alternative names are whitewash or simply bleach. This is an active substance belonging to the second hazard class. As a result, extreme care is required when using it.
sodium
This type of lime is obtained by mixing calcium hydroxide and sodium. This is usually done in a laboratory. For production, it is also possible to use calcium oxide in the amount of 2 parts to 1 part of pure caustic sodium with the addition of water. The mass is mixed, after which the water is evaporated in an iron container. The resulting stone is broken and sifted through a sieve. This substance is stored only in well-closed containers with minimal air contact. This is due to the property of absorption of carbon dioxide by soda lime. Quality this material evaluated as a result of heating after mixing with sugar. As a result of heat treatment, the mixture should not emit the smell of ammonia. In its presence, this indicates the presence of nitrate salts, which are an undesirable impurity.
Areas of use of lime
The direction of application of each type of lime is different, due to different chemical properties each of them. First of all, they have a difference in alkaline reaction.
The use of quicklime
Calcium oxide is commercially available as a white crystalline powder. It is poorly soluble in water, leaving a residue. This substance is the basis of silicate brick and mortars For brickwork. Often this material is used to produce slaked lime, the scope of which is wider. For this, the finished product is mixed with water. The resulting solution is immediately ready for use. Most often, calcium oxide is used to produce lime cement, but with the advent of more modern materials the need for it has diminished.
The substance found its response in laboratory practice. It is used as a cheap agent capable of quickly absorbing excess liquid solutions. Quicklime is used to make chemical packages for heating canned food in soldier's and tourist dry rations. Calcium oxide is placed in plastic bag next to the canned food to be reheated. Water is added to the bag, after which a violent chemical reaction takes place with the release of heat. As a result, lunch is warmed up.
Calcium oxide is also used in Food Industry. It is better known to consumers as additive E529. Of course, it is not added to products for direct consumption, but is used in chemical reactions, for example, at the stage of processing beets into granulated sugar.
The use of slaked lime
Calcium hydroxide is more common. It can be purchased as a wet dough placed in airtight bags. The main purpose of this material is to whitewash the premises. It is with these substances that the borders and tree trunks are painted white. By mixing a part of calcium hydroxide with water and four parts of sand, a mortar is obtained for laying bricks and stone. Now this material has already been practically abandoned, since it is inferior in strength to good cement. In addition, the solidified solution constantly absorbs and releases moisture. This leads to its destruction at negative temperatures.
Slaked lime, as well as quicklime, can be used in the production of silicate bricks. It is also used in tanning leather to increase its softness. Calcium hydroxide is also used in the food industry, where it is better known as additive E526.
When carrying out whitewashing, it is necessary to mix slaked lime with water to obtain milk. The suspension can be applied or with the help of. If you let it settle, then the lime suspension present will settle to the bottom. As a result, the substance is stratified into clear water top and sediment. The liquid purified in this way is called lime water. This solution is an indicator of carbon dioxide. Water becomes cloudy, turning whitish upon contact with it.
The use of slaked lime is also typical for dentistry. In particular, it is used to disinfect the root canals of the teeth. Many chemicals are made from calcium hydroxide, such as Bordeaux mixture and other fungicides.
Appointment of chloride of lime
Chlorine is used as a bleach and disinfectant. With its help, fabrics are washed in order to give them a white color. When water is added, the resulting solution is used to treat areas with a high concentration of bacteria. Almost all chemical substances for cleaning toilets contains bleach.
Chlorine is also added to tap water. This process is more commonly known as chlorination. It is used to disinfect communication pipes. Most often, this method is used in the hot season during a surge in the development of bacteria. Water saturated with lime has a characteristic smell of bleach. Despite this, this method of disinfection is used most often, since it is one of the cheapest and most effective. When such water is found outdoors active chlorine particles are neutralized as a result of contact with it. After that, the water returns to normal properties.
Application of soda lime
The scope of lime in this form is the most modest. This substance has a high absorption of carbon dioxide, due to which it is used as a trap in closed systems. It is found in gas masks and diving equipment. Such lime, only in the amount of 5 kg, is able to absorb all the carbon dioxide that a person releases as a result of breathing per day. Previously, it was used in spaceships, but this technology has become a thing of the past.
Features of working with lime
All varieties of lime are dangerous substances with strong alkaline properties. In this regard, when working with them, it is required to take care of the availability of personal protective equipment. It is important to prevent contact of the substance with open areas skin. Rubber gloves must be worn on hands. Using slaked and quicklime ideally enjoy by individual means respiratory protection.
The vast majority of materials containing lime are best avoided. One of the few exceptions is sand-lime brick, which loses the alkaline properties of its component as a result of firing treatment.
When using milk of lime for the purpose of whitewashing, it must be taken into account that when it is applied to the surface, it becomes slightly grayish. Whiteness appears gradually only when it dries.
Lime-based plasters cannot be used in wet rooms such as bathroom, basement and so on. They have a rather high porosity, so they are not suitable for delicate finishing such as painting or wallpapering.
Lime is a word Greek origin and means "inextinguishable". Belongs to those materials that have accompanied mankind since time immemorial. Its properties were discovered, probably by accident, and it found application in different areas through trial and error, so to speak, blindly. Consider the difference between hydrated and quicklime.
People still did not know anything about calcium and its compounds with coal and oxygen, but they already realized that mountain limestone is good. building material, and that by burning some rocks: limestone, chalk, dolomites and others, a substance with binding properties can be obtained. With lime cement, the ancient Chinese stabilized the soil and fastened the masonry of their Great Wall a length of 2500 km, subsequently, on the basis of lime, they began to make fertilizers used in agriculture.
Currently, quicklime obtained as a result of roasting is not used as cement, due to its ability to absorb moisture and cause fungal mold on the walls, but in the construction industry it is in demand for the production of cinder concrete, paints, silicate bricks and plaster materials. Quicklime(or calcium oxide mixed with other oxides, and primarily magnesium oxide) is used to neutralize Wastewater And flue gases, for painting buildings. It is included in many food products in the form of an emulsifier, binding substances that by their nature resist dissolution in each other, such as water and oil.
Hydrated (or hydrated) lime is formed as a result of interaction with water. Calcium oxide, of which quicklime is composed, is converted into calcium hydroxide, releasing heat abundantly in the form of steam. Depending on the quenching method, we can get:
- lime water;
- suspension (milk of lime);
- dry calcium hydroxide (fluff).
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Quicklime may differ in its qualities, so you should not rush into the process, but perhaps increase the slaking time so that poorly slaked lime does not smoke in freshly laid plaster that has been exposed to water. Slow-extinguishing lime is best poured in several stages. A substance with a fast or medium extinguishing term is poured before the steam stops to avoid burnout. You should be careful not to let the boiling lime get on your hands and face. To avoid burns, protect yourself with long gloves, a respirator and special goggles. In general, the features of the dosage of water in the process directly depend on the purpose of the future substance. The general meaning of domestic use of lime is to prevent unwanted activity of microorganisms.
Application
- Since ancient times, they have been used in agriculture to increase soil fertility and for liming, that is, to reduce acidity. Solid calcareous fertilizers, such as chalk, limestone, dolomite, are ground or burned before being applied to the soil. Soft lime fertilizers work more efficiently and are applied to the soil without pre-treatment– natural dolomite flour, lacustrine lime (garbage), calcareous tuff, marl. Lime fertilizers include rock processing products: quick burnt lime (ground or lump) and fluff (slaked lime), as well as industrial waste, such as cement dust, belite flour, blast furnace slag, shale and peat ash, defecation mud, etc.
- Tree painting. Dilute 1 kg of lime in 4 liters of water. After a couple of days, the solution is ready for use.
- Spraying plants. Add to lime water blue vitriol and two hours after preparation, they begin to spray.
- Whitewashing of ceilings and walls. Here the proportion will be different: 1 kg of lime per 2 liters of water. Then add water until you get the desired consistency. Let the solution stand for a couple of days and strain it.
- Pushonka(or dry calcium hydroxide) perfectly copes with the functions of protecting against moisture, disinfecting and improving the binding qualities of cement and concrete mortars.
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How to extinguish lime. Quicklime. Slaked lime
Enough already long time lime is used by many people in the field of construction and repair work. As a result of firing and special processing, this material is obtained.
To begin with, it is worth saying that there is slaked "fluff" and quicklime "boiling" lime. The first type is formed as a result of interaction with water.
It is worth noting that slaked lime has excellent astringent properties. Such material can be purchased at the store, or you can easily cook it yourself.
Slaked lime
To create the material, the same quicklime is used, or, as it is often called, calcium oxide. During contact with water, heat is released in the form of steam.
It should be noted that for quenching, different methods. Depending on the method chosen, completely different compositions can be obtained.
It must be said that quicklime may differ in some qualities. For example, if the composition is slow-extinguishing, then it is best to fill it several times.
If the substance is distinguished by a rapid quenching term, then the liquid is introduced until the vapor stops.
The resulting slaked composition is used in various fields. Most often, lime is used for the following purposes:
- creation of lime fertilizers (material is used in the form of chalk);
- spraying plants;
- disinfection of building materials.
Quite often slaked lime is used for painting trees. Diluted material is used for whitewashing ceilings and walls in the room.
Differences
Asking the question of how slaked lime differs from quicklime, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points:
- material properties;
- compound;
- application area.
It should be understood that the procedure for quenching the material completely changes the characteristics of lime. From the quicklime species, substances of different composition can be obtained.
In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the scope of the material. Hydrated lime is widely used in construction and repair work, unlike the original version.
The material is used for the preparation of plaster mortar and silicate concrete. It should be noted that with the use of slaked lime, construction compounds gain higher performance.
Quite often, quicklime is used in the food industry - it helps to mix substances that by their nature do not mix.
Quicklime in its pure form works well in the fight against annoying weeds, and it is also successfully used as a seasonal fertilizer. Weed grass can cause irreparable harm to cultivated fruit-bearing plants. They get rid of it at the moment when it has multiplied too much, and it is simply impossible to pull it out entirely.
Quicklime is produced in the form of white pieces at the time of heat treatment of limestone. During active interaction with moisture, it is extinguished, in this form it is not very convenient to interact with it, because it contains large impurities of pebbles or raw limestone.
Control pesky weeds with quicklime
So that the weed does not reappear after the last full treatment, it must first be removed again. Usually the grass is removed in beds and intermediate furrows. Weeds begin to crawl out and actively spread, so it is necessary to start fighting them back in the spring, that is, they must be sprinkled with quicklime. Such a remedy in this case is distinguished by its effectiveness and strength, because it is able to completely prevent reappearance herbs. It must be remembered that lime is not good for all plants. For example, the horse sorrel plant does not tolerate it at all.
Soil liming works well for earthworms. These beneficial creatures do not reproduce well in acidic soils, so tillage in the indicated proportions has positive influence on the population of these important creatures.
Rules for the use of lime for the complete removal of unpleasant weeds
For this purpose, lime is applied to the soil every 2 years. The next processing is carried out in compliance with the following important rules:
- Lime can be used to treat the site during the period when there was no manure treatment so that nitrogen does not evaporate;
- Quicklime lime has a powerful effect, so it is not suitable for all types of soils, it is often used on heavy soils;
- Powdered lime is not advised to be stored indoors, because when a small amount of moisture gets on it, the composition begins to actively heat up, releasing vapors that are harmful to fragile human health, so the purchased product should be used immediately for its intended purpose. Lime is suitable for combination with other types of fertilizers, such as ash.
Powdered lime is used to treat the soil before the direct application of various types of fertilizers. If 200 g per 1 sq. m., horsetail and unwanted leek are fully removed. Processing is carried out in autumn period, with seasonal digging of the soil. There is also another, no less effective method elimination of weeds: after harvesting, clover is evenly sown throughout the plot. This grass is able to quickly crowd out other weeds. In early spring, clover will serve as an excellent fertilizer. Chalk is successfully combined with quicklime or dolomite flour. When mowing weeds, it is important to prevent seeds from falling back into the area. After burning the dried weeds, they are sprinkled with quicklime.
Dry lime in the form of fertilizer
Lime in dry form is recognized effective fertilizer for plants, because it raises the fertility of the soil, helps to regulate its internal acidity. If lime is added to the soil in excess of the norm, then it will become quite alkaline, and the crops growing on it will no longer receive so many various microelements.
The most common mistake many gardeners - this is the seasonal application of manure along with quicklime, such complex fertilizer does not bring any tangible benefit to the plant. When these components begin to actively interact, heavy insoluble elements are formed in the soil that prevent the formation of useful substances, because of this, the crop on such soil becomes more scarce.
How to determine exactly when the soil needs lime fertilizer?
The soil needs such liming only once every 7-8 years, as a result of constantly occurring processes in the soil, the overall reaction of the soil changes slowly, after a few years the soil composition returns to its former level.
Seasonal soil fertilizer with lime is produced based on external signs, which may indicate the need for such fertilizer. Liming is required for strongly acidic soils with a whitish or gray-white tint and a pronounced podzolic horizon with a thickness of more than 10 cm. The need for liming is also determined by current state growing there cultivated plants, according to the degree of growth of weeds. Wheat, ordinary clover, and beets are considered especially sensitive to acidity. Their slow growth may indicate the need to add quicklime. acidic soils some weeds are preferred, among which it is worth noting heather, wild rosemary, creeping buttercup, sorrel. The active growth of these weeds indicates an increased acidity of the soil. There are also special paper indicators on free sale, with which you can easily determine the degree of acidification of the soil.
When should quicklime be applied?
For the first time, powdered lime is spread over the site when laying orchard during site preparation. Then the introduction of limestone is carried out in early spring or autumn before the direct digging of the earth. High-quality mixing of lime with soil is the main condition for the effective introduction of this mixture.
The dosage of lime applied to the soil depends on the following conditions:
- The degree of acidity of the soil, from its general composition, with increased rates, the dosage is increased;
- What fertilizers are used in combination with lime application;
- Depths of the laying of the composition;
- The duration of the break between the last application of fertilizer and the current procedure.
Areas of application of lime
As a fertilizer, lime is usually used in ground form. But it should be noted that this is not the only place where lime is used. Almost every dacha has a special cellar for storing the harvested crop and the necessary garden tool. Lime here acts as an excellent agent for combating mold. She just whitens the cellar.
Lime in slaked form can be used as effective remedy to fight larvae and bugs, for the next whitewashing of trees and the processing of various wooden objects that actively interact with the soil (these can be fences, bench legs, plant supports, etc.).
Ground limestone has also found its application in agriculture, it serves as an excellent raw material in the production of feed for livestock, feeding poultry. It is also known that quicklime has the ability to neutralize flue gases and wastewater in ditches, which is also important in the private sector.
Quicklime is a popular product in the food industry. It is found in the complex composition of many food products in the form of E-529 emulsifier. This component is used to mix substances that are considered to be immiscible in nature, such as oil and water.
Healthy milk of lime
In addition to quicklime, there is the concept of milk of lime. Instead of traditional whitewashing, summer residents actively use it, they spray entire trees and shrubs with the composition. With the help of this composition, natural protection is created for crops from possible sunburn and severe overheating, the bark is dressed in such a “warm shirt” for the winter, spring bloom trees delayed for a week. In this way, gardeners save their fruit trees from spring frosts.
Lime milk is prepared very simply: you need to take 1-2 kg of quicklime, dilute it in 10 liters of water. If all the larvae of pests on tree trunks are poured with such a prepared solution, then their further development will stop, the caterpillars simply will not be able to move normally.
Some interesting points about lime
- If there is no lime to apply as a fertilizer, then ordinary lime can replace it. wood ash. It is also able to lower the level of soil acidity, and it is also rich in potassium. This type of fertilizer is applied to large quantities than traditional limestone or dolomite.
- Many inexperienced gardeners make the mistake of replacing quicklime with ordinary gypsum. It is not worth adding this element to the soil, since it does not have any effect on acidity. Its introduction is required only in highly saline soils in order to crystallize the excess salt mass.
- The frequency of use of this type of limestone directly depends on what other varieties are introduced into it. With the introduction of mineral elements, the addition of lime is required more often than with the introduction of organics. Organic is a strong fertilizer in itself, after which additional application of limestone is not required.
- Not all popular horticultural crops lime is well perceived, this fact must also be taken into account. Potatoes, tomatoes, sorrel, peas, parsley, carrots, zucchini and pumpkin categorically do not tolerate lime. In horticulture, there are also plants that react extremely negatively to the addition of lime to the soil, among them it is worth noting black chokeberry, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries.
All these nuances need to be known before you decide to liming your site.
