Eureka or DUH! moment. - Page 2

creister · May 27, 2008

Could I add the gypsum to the water resivor, or do I need to work it into the soil?

dice · May 28, 2008

Usually you work gypsum into the soil before planting. I have
no hard data on how well putting it in the water reservoir
instead works, but gypsum weathers to calcium and sulfur
pretty fast in soils. The difference between what is in the
soil and what is in the water reservoir as far as weathering
of gypsum or lime goes is probably mostly carbonic acid
(soils with a lot of organic matter usually have plenty; there
may be some of that in the water reservoir that gets there
via the wicking basket).

Calcium is mobile in soils, not as much as nitrogen but more
mobile than phosphorus. You could try splitting it: half in the
reservoir, the other half in a strip like the fertilizer strips,
neither of which will disturb roots.

I have used both powdered gypsum (powdered is usually
cheaper) and pelletized gypsum. When I just broadcast
the pelletized stuff on top of the soil, the pellets disappear
pretty fast in the rain, so apparently they dissolve into finely
divided gypsum quickly. (The pellets are not like chunks of
mined gypsum that size; probably have a lot of air in them.)

creister · May 30, 2008

Just an update to this thread. I took Dice's advice and trimmed my plants. BER is pretty much stopped. I haven't added any lime or gypsum. I have been filling the water resivor every other day. I can't believe how low those things were getting in such a short time. I really believe I let them go too long early on and that was the beinging of my probelms. I will moniter the rest of the season. Thanks again Dice.

dice · May 30, 2008

Quote:

Thanks again Dice.

No problem. (I wonder if you can cut off the rotted part
on a BER fruit and save seeds from the rest of it. I have
always just tossed them in the compost pile.)

creister · May 30, 2008

I was wondering the same thing. Mine were all green still, so I just composted them.

creister · May 30, 2008

I just read a short article in Progressive Farmer, that claimed you could just cut off the rotton spot, and use the fruits for juice or canning. Which would also mean seed saving.

May 28, 2008	#17
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Usually you work gypsum into the soil before planting. I have no hard data on how well putting it in the water reservoir instead works, but gypsum weathers to calcium and sulfur pretty fast in soils. The difference between what is in the soil and what is in the water reservoir as far as weathering of gypsum or lime goes is probably mostly carbonic acid (soils with a lot of organic matter usually have plenty; there may be some of that in the water reservoir that gets there via the wicking basket). Calcium is mobile in soils, not as much as nitrogen but more mobile than phosphorus. You could try splitting it: half in the reservoir, the other half in a strip like the fertilizer strips, neither of which will disturb roots. I have used both powdered gypsum (powdered is usually cheaper) and pelletized gypsum. When I just broadcast the pelletized stuff on top of the soil, the pellets disappear pretty fast in the rain, so apparently they dissolve into finely divided gypsum quickly. (The pellets are not like chunks of mined gypsum that size; probably have a lot of air in them.) __________________ -- alias

May 27, 2008	#16
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Could I add the gypsum to the water resivor, or do I need to work it into the soil?

May 30, 2008	#18
creister Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Abilene, TX zone 7 Posts: 1,478	Just an update to this thread. I took Dice's advice and trimmed my plants. BER is pretty much stopped. I haven't added any lime or gypsum. I have been filling the water resivor every other day. I can't believe how low those things were getting in such a short time. I really believe I let them go too long early on and that was the beinging of my probelms. I will moniter the rest of the season. Thanks again Dice.