liquid calcium
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
I started a thread a couple years ago about raising ph with liquid calcium. I was pretty much crucified by some haters. Well, I haven't got a soil tests for 3 years. Just sprayed 2 1/2 gallons of LC a year on each of 5 of my fields. Just got my soil tests back today. My worst field, basically a rock garden, was 6.1. Others were 7.2, 7.1, 6.5 and 7.0. I can't get a lime truck to any of the fields. I'll never lift another bag of pel lime in my lifetime.
From: Screwball
11-Jan-20
Where can one by liquid cal. We are now able to spread lime with our equipment but some would be easier.
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
I've gotten it @ my seed guy and tractor supply
From: drycreek
11-Jan-20
Killbuck, how do you know how much to use, or are you just winging it ? I have some plots that are too small to get a lime truck in and have to lime them with bag lime and a cyclone spreader. Spraying would definitely be easier.
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
Mostly just winging it. Read somewhere years ago I jug was about one ton of lime. Don't know for sure but it sure works for me.
From: BullBuster
11-Jan-20
I sprayed it last summer on one plot. I will be submitting soil test next week.
From: drycreek
11-Jan-20
I think you better do a tutorial here, on the cuff naturally:-) Seems like some interest.....
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
I put 2 1/2 gallons of 18% cal in my 25 gallon sprayer & cover about an acre. Spray til it's gone.
From: Catscratch
11-Jan-20
Put it on living vegetation, dead vegetation, or dirt?
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
all of the above
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
Usually after I kill and before I till. Before a rain on established plots.
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
Usually after I kill and before I till. Before a rain on established plots.
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
oops
From: Catscratch
11-Jan-20
Thanks, and where did they start at (pH)?
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
5.5-6
From: skookumjt
11-Jan-20
Does that jug weigh 2000#?
From: Candor
11-Jan-20
What is liquid calcium? What I am trying to understand is how it would work with such a low mass addition to the soil.
When you are raising your pH, you are trying to "get rid of" your free hydrogens. Lime does it by reacting the oxygens with the hydrogen. So you need one oxygen per two hydrogens. I believe that is what you are accomplishing applying lime (CaCO3)?
So you need a fair amount of something to pick up a bunch of your hydrogens in your soil.
I am not understanding how liquid calcium works to raise pH.
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
jug is 2.5 gallons. Don't understand anything candor said and don't care! What I'm doing works. Spread ag lime if you want to! I'll never do it again. I've only been plotting for 22+ years so maybe you have more experience.
From: Candor
11-Jan-20
KB...I was not trying to have a contest to see who has planted longer or trying to diminish what you were saying. Nor was I saying liquid lime does not work. I was simply saying it is not logically obvious to me how it works and asking for someone to 'splain it.
From what I have learned over the years is that when adding lime to soil, it is not the calcium that changes the pH, but the oxygen that is part of the lime. I'll do some googling and see if I can understand it.
From: Killbuck
11-Jan-20
I don't understand it and don't understand the chemistry involved. I just think it could help a lot of off the grid plotters.
From: Medicinemann
11-Jan-20
Candor, PM sent.
From: drycreek
11-Jan-20
Killbuck, my half-assed memory is trying to tell me that I’ve seen this mentioned before. I can’t remember if it was Nutritionist on here or someone on some other forum, but I’ve read it before. Nevertheless, I’m looking into it. Thanks !
From: drycreek
11-Jan-20
And this is what I found.....
From: Killbuck
12-Jan-20
Thanks
From: gdaddy
12-Jan-20
Tractor Supply sells liquid Calcuim Chloride. Is that what you are using?
From: Killbuck
12-Jan-20
it was 18% cal. I think I still have a jug in the barn. I'll check
From: Tradmike
12-Jan-20
I own a certified organic farm. I purchase liquid calcium in 55 gallon drums. It was raise your ph in 30 days. Higher PH also surpresses weed growth.
From: Deerplotter
12-Jan-20
What is the cost of the 2.5 gal jug of liquid cal?
From: sagittarius
13-Jan-20
Calcium Chloride is a strong salt used for liquid filling tractor tires for added weight. DO NOT spray that on your fields!
From: BullBuster
13-Jan-20
Check out Agritec International
From: Candor
13-Jan-20
I did a search to try to understand the reactions involved and how it works out from a mass basis. This was one of the top hits. I am not saying it does not work, I just would think it could be explained comparatively to the mass of materials used to react with the hydrogens from classic lime application.
https://www.no-tillfarmer.com/articles/9286-liquid-calcium-study-shows-little-ph-effect?v=preview
From: BullBuster
04-Feb-20
Got my soil tests back. I used recommended amount plus. Soil went from 6.0 to 6.1. Worthless.
From: Candor
05-Feb-20
Thank you for reporting back. Everything I have read that is an objective scientific review says it does not work as touted.
From: brettpsu
06-Feb-20
I've been using Liquid Cal for 4 or 5 years on a few plots I can't get large lime spreaders into. Liquid does make calcium readily available to the plant but it does little to nothing for the soils PH. Liquid form is great for short term, if you want to spray it a few times per year, but I've had zero PH gain in the years I've used it.
