first time organic "diy cook" soil

I put 2 cups pulverized lime powder into 1 gallons water (bucket) and got it bubbling
nothing else in it just the lime... gonna let it bubble 48 to 72 hours
then cut it 1 cup per gallon and water in 1 gallon (that's 1/4 cup lime)
which is about half the total volume (save the rest for later if needed)

then Im going to wait and see..the plants look pretty good overall despite the minor issues and I don't want to over shoot and end up to high... if I can get up to 6.3 id be happy and leave it

then im going to follow that with 2 gallons tea for microbes
so that's 3 gallons total solution per #20 pot
likely wait until Friday or maybe Saturday depending

Hey bro, I like how you're on top of things like pure scientist. A+ Grow dem bitches!! GROW!! GROW!!

A+ lol

how long will it take before the lime raises the ph?

I know its not instant or anything.. but am I looking at 2 weeks or longer?

Well, lime reacts in the presence of aciditic substances. If the soil is acidic, and you water, the moisture at that moment initiates the acid nuetralizing effect, and all surrounding area becomes nuetralized of acids. If you are testing and not reaceicving the pH n the range you would llike ie. too acidic. In my opinion, it doesn't mean shit. At the time of feeding the Lime is doing it's thing and helping more than you think. This is my belief. IT doesn't matter what ph is of the soil when testing with inscruments. The bacteria and fungi continue with their biological activies regardless, they each would rather like to be in their most perfect conditions, but this doesn't mean in other environment conditions those same microbes would die. They are always working for you down there as long as you don't dump salt in there continually impeding their actions, like CalMg! The microbe army combined with the Dolomite will do their job and the pH measurement we see on our instruments becomes less meaningfull in the full picture. I hope you understand.
I know nothing!

im4satori said:

how long will it take before the lime raises the ph?

I know its not instant or anything.. but am I looking at 2 weeks or longer?

Click to expand...

Like what Johnei said, it starts helping as soon as you apply it, but figure on 2 weeks+ before anything really shows up on the pH meter.

update;

so you guys where right about the silica

it seemed to have done evry little for rasing the ph

but on a positive note...my ph is risisng

ended up giving each 20 gallon container 51/2 oz additional lime and 1 good strong tea

and today was the first sign I seen of noticeable change

those that where reading 5.5 are now reading 6.2 and those that where reading 5.8 are now reading 6.3

so im with in range and happy

I did foliar feed them a couple times with some micro mix and some zinc edta and some magnesium to make up for the def form the ph issue and they where happy for it

everything looks great.. back to water only!

thanks for the help

De nada