Soil Question

[Green]

Hey, We give our chickens oyster shell, I didnt realize its good for the plants, thats great!

[aprild]

Hello, Momi,

Is that better? I won't use aloha if it offends you.

Dear jade,

I suggest:

1. test your soil.
2. Add lime or oyster shell, lime is cheaper, though, if needed.
3. It takes some time to achieve balance from the lime action breaking down, so be patient--you need to work with your soil.
4. To my knowledge, you cannot screw up your soil by adding too much lime--if you go too alkaline, add more nitrogen in the form of chicken poop, etc. If your soil is acidic, I doubt you will have any problem with too much lime. Add it when you are digging up your garden and dig it in. I use a large yogurt container full per about 4 sq. yds. because I have acidic soil, too.
5. Biodynamic is a great way to go for gardening, but you may have some trouble in HI with rats.

Is that o.k., Momi? I didn't answer the question because I thought that others had done a great job already. Didn't you also take the thread off topic? I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about what we can or cannot post as long as we don't attack others.

I still think you're taking haoleboy waaaaaaaaay too seriously and you could
lighten up a bit. That's aloha, I believe--love one another. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. Be kind, be generous of spirit, stay in harmony, do your best. Love, love, love. I honor the Spirit within you. I love you. We are both God's children, therefore, I honor you. Am I close?

If you just ignore him, it won't bother you so much and won't encourage him.

I didn't read his post on cave relics. But I do know that someone can only offend you if you are willing to be offended.

I find haoleboy amusing and I don't want you stopping my fun by discouraging his, mostly, innocuous postings. Please.

Love and Light,


april

[jade]

Mahalo for answering my question. I found out that they make lime in a pelet form. I think in the future I will be using that. That way you do not have to breath in the dust. Where can you get oyster shell? Is it in a powder form?

Jade

[Hotzcatz]

Aloha Jade,

If you didn't want to get a soil tester, you ca always plant a hydrangea bush. If it blooms pink then your soil has enough lime, if it blooms blue, then the soil is acidic.

I emptied out a bucket of water which had been used to clean cement off of tools near the hydrangea bush. The blossoms went from the usual blue to purple and then pink. It didn't take more than a month or two before they were back to blue again so I think all the rain leaches out soil amendments pretty quickly.

A hui hou,
Catz

[toucano]

Hotzcatz - good point about leaching. The soil where I live is incredibly 'thin'. I'm sure that all of the rain here takes a lot out of the soil in no time. I fertilize with MiracleGrow about every 10 days using about 1/2 strength. Seems to work pretty well and I've never seen a plant burnt.

I do find it amazing a few days of sunshine, after a week of heavy rain, many of my ornaments and fruits show heat stress. Guess when you have your root system so close to the surface it does not take a lot to become dehydrated.

[jade]

I have a small hydranga bush but it hasn't bloomed yet. Thats a good idea. It makes sense to me. I did add lime and I swear already the leaves seem greener on my plants. I don't know if the lime or the fact that spring is near but all of my plants just started to grow like crazy.I think I will add lime every three months to maintain.