Both gypsum and lime are used as soil amendment . The usefulness of compare them is limited because their function is different . Gypsum is tote up to clay and intemperate soil to help them drain and improve their tillage , or ability to be tilled , and to remove common salt from saline solution soils . Lime is added to improve the pH of acidic soils .
Gypsum
Gypsum is hydrous Ca sulphate , CaSO4·2H2O , that comes in the configuration of flatten crystal . It is mine from geologic sediment and produced by artificial means as a by - mathematical product of devices used to see to it pollution in ember - fired power plants . It is also used to make chalk , plaster of Paris and drywall for progress construction .
Benefits of Gypsum
Gypsum is added to heavy clay soil to ameliorate its power to debilitate and to improve its texture for easier cultivation . Gypsum makes clay territory less heavyset and hard and better able to accept air and nutrients that plants require . Gypsum also removes Na from salty soil and supervene upon it with atomic number 20 . Gypsum does not bear upon soil pH or birthrate . It is not utile to rectify any soil type other than heavy clay .
Soil pH
To appreciate the usefulness of lime , it is necessary to realize soil pH. Soil pH measures the potential of the hydrogen ion in urine ; an ion is an atom or atom with a confident or negative charge . The pH plate of 1 to 14 is a logarithm ; a dirt with a pH of 5 has 10 times as much alive atomic number 1 as pH 6 soil . A soil with pH 7 is indifferent ; soils below 7 are acidic ; soils above 7 are alkaline .
The availability to plants of atomic number 19 , phosphorous , atomic number 20 and magnesium decreases in acidulous stain ; at the same time the availability of aluminum , copper , iron , manganese and zinc increases .
alkalic filth , those with a pH above 7 sometimes have too much salt and want branding iron , manganese and Zn .
Too much atomic number 13 or manganese is toxic to works . Deficiencies of iron , manganese and zinc can adversely sham the health of plants .
Most plants prefer a soil pH of 6 to 7 although there are plants that like acidic soils .
Types of Lime
Two kinds of lime , CaO , are normally used to raise the pH of grunge . Calcitic limestone is mostly calcium carbonate , CaCO2 . Dolomitic limestone , made from rocks containing atomic number 12 carbonates and Ca , must be at least 6 percent atomic number 12 . Since ground limestone is dusty and difficult to spread , lime is ordinarily marketed in granules .
Adding Lime
The amount of lime ask to raise soil pH depend on two component . The more acidulent a soil is , the more lime is usually require . The amount of lime require also depends on the land ’s buffering capacity , its power to have its pH increased . examination kits are useable at gardening centers to determine land pH. Check with your local agricultural extension inspection and repair to find out how to have your soil tested for its buffering capacity .
