Garden Lime for Calcium

[MotherOfPearl]

I bought some organic garden lime granules as I heard that when added to soil, it makes the plants grow with a higher calcium content. Just wanted to double check on here that this is safe and true. Has anyone else done this or something similar?
**This is for an outdoor garden totally separate from my indoor Hermann's hatchling, so she wouldn't be around it directly.

 

[Madkins007]

Yes, adding lime, bonemeal, or other elements will safely raise the level of calcium in the plants. Other additives, like kelp, can add iron and other nutrients. High-nutrient soil is a good reason for a compost pit.

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Garden lime is just calcium carbonate. Dolomite lime is calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.

When added to the soil, plants do benefit by way of healthier, stronger plant cells. Do not add manure at the same time however, some kind of chemical reaction happens where more nitrogen is broken down and in the process your plants can be affected. Lime will raise the soil pH level to be more alkaline, if needed. Lime is used to turn hydrangeas pink in color. Adding lime to your soil is very task specific in my opinion. Again, to change the color on hydrangeas, to not have blossom end rot in tomatoes (egg shells work too) ...

The bummer is that the specific task, based on what your soil has already, or needs, can throw things off. And the teeter can totter and then your plants will not use all the nutrients in your soil as it should. That can affect the way your plant assimilates other vital nutrients, macro and micro, in the soil. It can cause an imbalance. Also, dolomite takes about a year or more to break down in order to be used by roots for the plant. And again, depending on your soil, the uptake and assimilate will be difficult to analyze, as well as if more calcium is in the mix for use by your tortoise. It will not just happen.

I believe the best thing is to add holistically to the soil, for the wholeness of what you are growing. A compost serves that need, as do things like chicken manure or worm poop. You want your soil to be a community working together. I find that when we add one thing over others, it throws things off balance and nothing gets used as it should. Does that make sense?

So to answer the question: Hard to say because every soil is different and every soil will react differently chemically to the one additive being added. If you do a soil test, it will tell you if you need calcium but in my experience most soils very rarely do. For your tortoise getting more calcium, no do not depend on this alone doing it. A variety of foods with all the aforementioned macro and micro nutrients is your best bet. For the garden, compost, mulch, worm poop and chicken manures. Let all the critters (good> bacteria, mold, fungi) in these things get to work. Hope this helps. : )

 

[lynnedit]

A good idea is to contact your local Master Gardeners' organization. Try to find out more about the kind of soil you have in North Carolina.
Is it acidic? Alkaline? What supplements to they advise you add yearly?

Our soil in the PNW is acidic, like the UK. So we are encouraged to add lime (calcium carbonate) to our soil yearly.
Even if we add a compost top layer. And it is perfectly safe around the tortoises.

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This is what we add:
http://www.fertilome.com/product.aspx?pid=bbdaac90-20dc-4221-97e9-5dc514b71198

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

A good idea is to contact your local Master Gardeners' organization. Try to find out more about the kind of soil you have in North Carolina.
Is it acidic? Alkaline? What supplements to they advise you add yearly?

Our soil in the PNW is acidic, like the UK. So we are encouraged to add lime (calcium carbonate) to our soil yearly.
Even if we add a compost top layer. And it is perfectly safe around the tortoises.

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This is what we add:
http://www.fertilome.com/product.aspx?pid=bbdaac90-20dc-4221-97e9-5dc514b71198

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Excellent. Yes, of course. North Carolina soil will be different than Orange County than PNW. MG is a great local resource for you and they work with the universities in each locale. Thanks lynnedit!

 

[lynnedit]

Sure! I guess whatever makes our plants and weeds happy, must be good for our tortoises and turtles!

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

I'm a biodynamic farmer and an MG but NC and the PNW are so different from my piece of, what is in essence, the desert.
Yes indeed, (farm)gardens and tortoises and turtles = BFF! : )