Trust the science? Any farmers confirm this?
(www.newscientist.com)
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I had 4 soil samples taken from a pasture and they gave me recommended amounts of fertilizer to add. There were 2 sets of values. The 1st one showed how much fertilizer to apply with the soil "as is" with the ph. The amount needed would cost ~$1,000/ acre. The 2nd set of numbers indicated that if I apply 2 tons of lime/ acre, it would adjust the ph within around 6 months to a level that only cost about $250/acre, including the lime. Plants just don't absorb the nutrients if the soil is too acidic.
Exactly. We had the same issue. Lime is much cheaper to add than fertilizer.
Try Dolomite, that has magnesium as well as calcium.
And don't forget the phosphates - also known as guano, or chicken-shit, or for organic kitchen farmers: cocoa (after having drunk it some, the solids are full of phosphates).
I’ve been using dried and crushed eggshells in garden for the calcium content. Hadn’t tried Dolomite though.
Truth. Nothing grows under my 200 yr old white oaks. I've limed and limed over the years, but they overwhelm any grasses or other "wanted" plants. I just let it go now and enjoy what does grow.
It's the shade, and the acidity of the leaves that drop every year.
Indeed. Soil's pH is embarrassingly low. The amount of leaves and acorns dropped cannot be measured.
Plus, all of the tannins in the leaves/acorns stain everything left beneath the trees for even a few days.
I'll take the trade-off in the natural cooliing of the house every summer!