Sorce for Calcium wanted.

[jcrous]

I have very recently converted my first garden bed to a raised bed and filled it with mushroom compost (75% and 25% soil) mix. It is however a bit poor in calcium content.

What are the best sources for calcium?

[Hermitian]

Originally Posted by jcrous

I have very recently converted my first garden bed to a raised bed and filled it with mushroom compost (75% and 25% soil) mix. It is however a bit poor in calcium content.

What are the best sources for calcium?

I believe you have access to dolomite lime?

[RayR]

What's the PH of your beds? Dolomite lime would be a good choice to add Ca and Mg as long as your PH isn't too high already.

[jcrous]

I have not yet tested, but I believe it will be alkaline due to the mushroom compost. I will test tomorrow.

[snippits]

Originally Posted by jcrous

I have very recently converted my first garden bed to a raised bed and filled it with mushroom compost (75% and 25% soil) mix. It is however a bit poor in calcium content.

What are the best sources for calcium?

If the Ph is in acceptable range, then gypsum will do it. Gypsum is not suppose to raise Ph but lime will. Gypsum also has sulfur in it.

I always put a little bit in my tomato planting holes. Going straight organic this year growing my tomatoes, and I will be using Tomato Tone which has gypsum in it as one of the ingredients. I think most of the calcium and sulphur in Tomato Tone come from gypsum.

[Redbaron]

A simple way to help is simply grind up some egg shells in the blender and add a bit of vinegar. let that soak a couple days then add water, shake, and water your tomatoes with it.

[Sun City Linda]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

A simple way to help is simply grind up some egg shells in the blender and add a bit of vinegar. let that soak a couple days then add water, shake, and water your tomatoes with it.

I would think watering tomatoes with vinegar water would be problematic.

[Doug9345]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

I would think watering tomatoes with vinegar water would be problematic.

The egg shells should neutralize it. Taking a guess without figuring out the chemistry, It might be a calcium acetate solution.

[Sun City Linda]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

The egg shells should neutralize it. Taking a guess without figuring out the chemistry, It might be a calcium acetate solution.

ahhh ha! Thanks.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Doug9345

The egg shells should neutralize it. Taking a guess without figuring out the chemistry, It might be a calcium acetate solution.

You're right Doug, calcium acetate, and carbon dioxide gas

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by Sun City Linda

I would think watering tomatoes with vinegar water would be problematic.

Vinegar won't harm the tomatoes. They like a slightly acid soil anyway. So anyway you are not really trying to completely dissolve the eggshells anyway. Just a bit of a jump start. The biology in the soil will take care of the rest. Worms for example love egg shells, once they are ground up small enough. But that is a very slow release. To give the plants a bit of a boost to start the vinegar dissolves some off the shells. Then diluted by water. All good.

[Lady J]

In addition to egg shells, I grind up all my crab shells and add them to the soil as well. It not only adds calcium, but also adds chitin.

[b54red]

I have added ground oyster shells to my beds before and raised my calcium levels significantly. Most feed stores sell it as grit for chickens. I also put all of our egg shells into the compost which also adds calcium. If you could get some Texas Tomato Food it has a lot of calcium in it but I don't know if it can be purchased outside the USA.

I used tons of fresh mushroom compost for years but it raised my ph to an unacceptable level after a few years. It seems that sometimes the mix would be extremely alkaline but things sure grew good in it for a while. I have been working to get my ph down naturally for the last three years and it is finally getting a bit lower and the plants are healthier now.

Bill

[mdvpc]

You might be able to get a liquid calcium at a hydroponics store in your country.

[Uncle Dunkel]

Like others here if PH is ok I would use gypsum to raise calcium. If ph needed raised I would use lime to raise ph and calcium. If my plants needed a quick fix of calcium I would use a product that contained a chealated calcium.
Tim