Soil Calcium—Another Essential Soil Mineral
But Use It Properly

Soil calcium is another mineral essential to your garden's health. However, as with all the other minerals, it needs to be available in the right amount for soil organisms and your plants to take advantage of it.

Some people say that you can't use too much lime in the garden. Consider that statement untrue. There are effects.

For example, adding calcium to the soil increases the pH of the soil. As you increase the pH, you increase the amount of phosphate available in the soil. But if the pH goes too high, the phosphate can become tied up and not benefit soil organisms or your plants.

When the soil calcium level goes even higher, it may affect the availability of other trace elements. So you could end up spending money on soil amendments and organic fertilizers that don't have much effect.

If you add too much lime to your soil, pore space increases to the point that the soil can dry out and can hold less water.

Some Benefits of Soil Calcium

Used correctly, calcium has several benefits, including:

  • Improves soil structure in heavy clay soil.
  • Helps crops/plants absorb nutrients more effectively.
  • Helps connect organic matter to the clay soil.
  • Decreases the sodium level in the soil.
Cabbage calcium deficiency. Leaves are distorted and head will not form if calcium is not employed.
Photo courtesy of David B. Langston,
University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Use a Soil Test

The best way to determine how much soil calcium you need to add to your gardens is to have a detailed soil test done.

Don't use one of the simple pH tests. You may tie up other nutrients by applying too much lime. Send soil samples to a local or state soil testing lab. The report will detail exactly what you need to improve your soil.

Soil Calcium Sources

There are rock and organic sources of calcium that you can use on your soils.

  • Poultry manure, especially from laying hen operations (where calcium is supplemented to strengthen the egg shells) can be a significant source of additional calcium.
  • Gypsum (calcium sulfate), which is approximately 22% calcium and 16% sulfur.
  • Limestone (calcium carbonate), which is around 36% calcium. Use it if you need to raise pH substantially.
  • Dolomite, which is around 21% calcium and 10% magnesium.

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