Limestone chips???????

I've come across this term alot lately. I assume that they're chips of limestone. Anybody know where to get them or how fast they work? Good for Brugs and Dianthus?

With my acid soil (way too many Oak trees) I could use a quick fix.

Not familiar with "chips", never heard of them. You could easily go to a farm/garden store and buy dolomitic lime tho and it would work just as well, if not better than chips. (Some lime comes in pelleted form now but I prefer the ground powder.)

It normally takes 3 to 6 months for lime to help change the pH of soil. However, for your "quick fix", why not dig your holes for your brugs and dianthus big enough so you can add good soil in there when you set your plants out (in this case 'good' meaning proper pH). That will certainly get them going good. I'd mix the "good" soil in with a bit of the local soil to help even out any nutrition you might add tho. (Often-times when the planting hole is amended with too much nutrition the roots will readily grow in it, then reach the outer edges only to be face to face with the poor soil. What will happen next is the roots will turn around to continue feeding on the good stuff, and thereby cramp the root system in the amended soil. (Picture a pot-bound plant.)
Hope this helps, and wasn't confusing!

The finer the granual of the lime, the faster it works.
Why not mix a small bit of the lime with the soil that you firm around the plant. Say the last three inches of soil.

A gardening friend, Maxine

Lavender also loves limestone.

Here, we are blessed/cursed wioth lotsa limestone in the soil. In nature, limestone comes apart in layers, like shale does..... and crumbles very easily, so I bet the "chips" are just regular limestone broken up.

Thanks all but I'm still a bit confused about how much lime to add to a pot or hole and how long it would take to work.

Anyone know if any potting soil company ever lists the PH on the bag?

What if I just got sand to plant my dianthus in, or sand with composted manure (store bought)?

Violabird

Do you know what pH your soil is? Dianthus tolerate quite a wide range of soils and prefer a neutral pH of 6.5-7.0, they won't tolerate very acid soils rather than require a very alkaline soil. Don't know anything about Brugs.

Viola, not sure about any company listing the soil pH on the bag for a lot of reasons.

National name-brand companies rely on local manufacturers to produce the soil for them, but since the material is all local, there is no way to guarantee exact soil components. It just depends on what the local conditions are. The top-of-the-line companies aim for optimum general-purpose potting soil, meaning a pH of 6.5 is what they hope. But in reality, it could be anywhere from 6.0 to 7.0, and still be very high quality.

There is special soil for a variety of specialty plants like African Violets, orchids, cactus, etc, but in general, most plants adapt to a wide variety of growing conditions.

If you are unsure what your soil is, or might need, I urge you to have it tested. There are lots of companies that do it by mail-order; a kit with instructions is mailed to you; after they receive your sample, the results are mailed back in a few days. That would be your best bet, if you have concerns about your soil. Generally it is under $10 for a basic test.

I've had it tested twice thru the local extention service, but the way they tell you to do it seems rather illogical to me. "take several samples from at least 3 different spots in your yard, mix and send" Duh! It's my flower beds I'm concerned about. And I know my soil is on the acid side. I used a ton of oak leaves and tilled them in my beds along with using a shredded oak leaf mulch at least twice a season. I sprinkle wood ash from my fireplaces every winter and spring when I clean em out. (I also use manure and Osmacote.)

Most of my plants are thriving. I do have trouble with Coralbells, pinks and never got lavender to live longer than 2 years even in a heavily limed and sand-added bed.

So my question remains, Can I replicate a sweeter soil by using a mixture of sand and compost for the above plants?

Thanks for your patience with me (: