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shopping Products to provide calcium

Sarge

Sarge

Hey guys,
 
Just trying to find a product which will provide a little more calcium to my bigger seedlings. I use chilli focus which does have some calcium in it but probably need something dedicated. Everything Ive seen so far is a liquid designed for a hydroponic system and being in Australia, what's available at the usual places I check isn't much.
 
I found this product http://www.bunnings.com.au/richgro-5kg-dolomite-lime_p2985046
 
Its some lime product which suggests its good for lowering PH(haven't tested this), good source of calcium and magnesium. Could I use this? I haven't bought anything yet and I don't yet know if I need to but my plants seem to be growing slow, or maybe its my OCD checking them numerous times a day which gives the illusion of slow growth. Ive also got access to a big bag of cow shit compose and blood bone. I can get dynamic lifter but since the plants are sometimes pulled indoors I'd prefer to keep those strong smells away.
 
Can I use the hydro stuff on normal soil plants?
 
 
 
Sarge said:
 
Can I use the hydro stuff on normal soil plants?
 
 
Click to expand...
 
 
Yes.
 
Just curious. What symptoms are you seeing that you think calcium will solve? Cal deficiency in seedlings planted in soil seems odd.
 
Bone meal is good. Use it when fortifying Phosphorous as well, it has lots of both. I prefer molasses. It's got Calcium and Magnesium and a few other micronutrients as well as chelating agents which can help make the nutrients more accessible to the plant in water. Use unsulphured kind, the one with sulphur is full of (you guessed it!) sulphates which are very water soluble and can form all sorts of nasty chems in your soil/hydro tank.
 
I only use egg shells and they get all they need.  If you need a faster acting dose you can ash and crush them (preferably on a grill outside as they stink) or even faster acting is dissolving them in vinegar but in that case make sure you don't use too much vinegar, that it's all neutralized, and that you don't give each plant too much of this at once as a overdose can kill a plant while it's really hard to add (mixed into soil you transplant into) enough crushed but not ashed or dissolved egg shells to kill a plant, then it lasts all season.
 
Lime raises pH of acidic soil, it doesn't lower it.  Same for egg shells, bone meal, and other forms of natural calcium.  If you want to lower pH, which will improve calcium uptake to a point, use things like peat moss, sawdust (untreated wood only), composted leaves or pine needles, the bodies of your deceased plants from last year, etc.   These are good to add if you are using slightly alkaline tap water to water them, as well as improving soil texture.
 
I suspect you are giving the seedlings too much attention or not enough light or warmth, not that they need any more supplements yet.
 
I suspected some of mine were calcium deficient and bought some calmax from a hydro shop in noosa. 2 weeks after first application and the new growth is looking really good. You get about 100 watering cans worth from 1 litre. The noosa shop was the cheapest by far. Google it, if your interested.
 
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