Lime acts to neutralize soil acidity and supply nutrients such as calcium and magnesium to the soil. If needed, the addition of lime can help avoid blossom end rot in tomatoes. It is generally suggested that it be spread evenly throughout the garden two to three months before planting.
According to Rural Living Today, several plant species react poorly to lime, such as sweet and regular potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes. Certain types of berries, like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, prefer acidic soil, so lime would only take away the elements they need to thrive.
If you need to put out lime, applying it in the fall and winter gives it enough time to break down in the soil and raise the pH before the spring growing season.
Lime is needed because tomatoes need the extra calcium that lime gives. Unlike garden lime/lawn grass lime/agricultural lime which strictly offers calcium, dolomitic lime (or dolomite) offers both calcium and magnesium making tomato plants happy campers!
Cucumbers are sensitive to acid soil conditions. The soil should be tested each year and limed to a pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
At the Fifth Annual Virginia Sustainable Agriculture conference, several noted producers and writers told how hydrated lime applied to the foliage of vegetable crops repelled a wide variety of insects including aphids, flea beetles, Colorado potato beetles, squash bugs and cucumber beetles.
Too much lime will raise the pH of your soil so much that many plants won't grow well and will start to show signs of nutrient deficiencies. Too much lime will also lead to high levels of calcium in your soil, which will prevent plants from absorbing magnesium (an essential part of chlorophyll).
Tomatoes thrive in loamy soils with good drainage and high organic matter content. Adding composted coffee grounds to planting beds is a great way to build healthy soil for tomato planting but won't provide all the required nutrients.
Peppers grow best in a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6 to 6.8. A pH of 7 is neutral. Native soils in Greater Columbus tend to more alkaline than acidic, so only add lime to adjust the pH of your soil if a soil test confirms the need to do so.
Garden lime has been used safely in agriculture for over a thousand years to change the soil pH, making it easier for plants to take up minerals and nutrients from the soil. Lime also promotes the spread of new, good bacteria in your garden by supplying critical nutrients like phosphorus and zinc in your soil.
To save you time (and likely money), it's okay to apply agricultural lime and fertilizer at the same time. The fertilizer with lime will provide an immediate supply of plant nutrients to the soil, and the lime will release slowly over time and maintain the appropriate pH balance.
Carrots love potassium, among other nutrients, so if your garden is lacking, work in some wood ash. Other common amendments include lime, manure or other organic matter and fertilizer. Stick to the amounts shown by your test; too much can do more harm than good.
Often it is necessary to talk with a consultant or advisor to determine the proper liming program for garden soil, but in general, a reaction below pH 5.5 indicates a need for lime, and 2–3 pounds of dolomitic lime per 100 square feet is an effective application to start a remedial program.
Lime will react completely with the soil in two to three years after it has been applied; although, benefits from lime may occur within the first few months after application.
The eggshells will naturally decompose, and they will add calcium and nitrogen to your soil; necessary nutrients for your plants. Calcium is very good for tomatoes because it prevents blossom end rot.
Acidic-loving plants such as azaleas, blueberries, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and roses will benefit from a sprinkling of coffee grounds around the base of plants. Vegetable crops that may benefit from coffee grounds include carrots, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, and radishes.
Second when tomatos begin to appear and are about 1 inch in diameter lightly sprinkle baking soda around each plant to make them sweeter. Repeat this process again when tomatoes are about half grown.
Therefore, I suggest that as the fruit first appears you add a handful of ground limestone to a 5-gallon pail of water, swish it around to cause the lime to be in suspension and water the soil with the lime-water twice a week for three weeks.
Nonetheless, lime treatment has a number of inherent disadvantages, such as carbonation, sulfate attack and environment impact. Magnesium oxide/hydroxide are thus proposed as a suitable alternative stabilizer to overcome at least some of the disadvantages of using lime in soil stabilization.
Lime: Create a mixture of snake-repellent lime and hot pepper or peppermint and pour it around the perimeter of your home or property. Snakes don't like the smell of the mixture, and the fumes are also itchy on their skin.
Once you see discolored leaves usually towards the bottom — beginning 2-3 weeks after planting — apply a light coating every week to 10 days right up to harvesting tomatoes. As new leaves and stems grow, they need a protective coating of sulfur dust.
Experts generally agree that while lime can help deter mosquitoes, it's not a comprehensive solution. According to the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, lime has some mosquito-deterring properties, but its effectiveness is limited and short-lived.