What is the difference between dolomite lime and agricultural lime

Soil typically has a sandy, loamy or clay texture. With this information in mind, you are now equipped to determine what the ideal calcium to magnesium ratio is for your land. If the magnesium level falls below the ideal ratio, or is less than 75 ppm, you will want to consider choosing dolomitic lime over agricultural lime.

It should be noted that this is usually quite a rare occurrence. In most cases, traditional aglime will suffice to meet your needs. For long term results that will require fewer applications, dry aglime will do the trick. Applying too much or too little lime could create further problems, and failure to work the material into the earth could significantly reduce lime efficiency.

Braen is one the largest suppliers of aglime throughout NJ and NY. We sell only the highest quality liming agents at competitive wholesale pricing.

Our liming products are available for pickup or bulk delivery to your location. Materials April 4, Agricultural Lime vs. Dolomite Lime Share.

When to Use Aglime or Dolomite Before you can even begin to think about whether agricultural lime or dolomite could benefit your soil, you first need to have an understanding of when these materials are actually necessary.

Pros The first obvious benefit to using agricultural lime is that it has been proven time and again to effectively balance out soil pH levels and improve plant health. Considerations As mentioned previously, a little bit of patience is required when waiting for agricultural lime to fully correct your soil.

Dolomitic Lime As the name suggests, dolomitic lime is manufactured by crushing dolomitic limestone down to very small pieces.

Pros Although both agricultural lime and dolomitic lime are able to successfully raise the pH levels of acidic soil, dolomitic lime is generally chosen for pastures that have a history of grass tetany to raise forage magnesium levels or in fields, gardens and lawns where the soil is particularly magnesium deficient.

Related Posts. Top 10 Aglime Questions Answered. Should I use dolomitic or calcitic lime? The short answer? Very unlikely. However, if a crop requiring a low pH is being grown and liming is not recommended, gypsum can supply calcium to the crop. If liming is required, a dolomitic or calcitic liming material will supply sufficient calcium to maintain crop growth.

Dolomitic lime sources have the added benefit of increasing available magnesium. Choose the most economical liming material when liming is required. Do not apply gypsum or calcitic limestone to Wisconsin soils simply to increase soil calcium to magnesium ratios.

If you choose a liming material low in magnesium, be careful to avoid magnesium deficiencies. High calcium applications alone can decrease soil and plant magnesium levels. If the soil is acid and originally has a low magnesium content, adding a calcitic low magnesium liming material or high rates of gypsum could induce a magnesium deficiency.

Calcitic lime works effectively, even with one treatment. Calcitic lime also works more quickly than dolomite lime: Calcium carbonate is better at balancing pHs than magnesium carbonate, and calcitic lime contains much higher levels of calcium carbonate than dolomite lime.

Typical calcitic lime treatments require some patience. If you apply dry calcitic lime on a dry field, you will need to wait for rain for the treatment to work. Water is required for the chemical process to begin.

You must also till the soil immediately after the lime application. Lime sitting on the surface of your soil will not be nearly as effective as lime that is well mixed into the soil. But the main drawback to calcitic lime is its simplicity. However, these are special conditions.

Most soils only need calcitic lime as their magnesium levels are already optimal. For most applications, calcitic lime is best. But you should always double-check the mineral content in your soil just to be sure. When it comes to raising and balancing the pH of your soil, both calcitic and dolomite lime are effective.

However, unlike calcitic lime, dolomite lime also contains large amounts of magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral for healthy soil. Grass tetany, a metabolic disease affecting cattle and sheep livestock, is distinguished by magnesium deficiency. Fast growing spring grass will often be devoid of the magnesium livestock need to survive, making dolomite lime an important consideration if you are using your fields for livestock grazing.

Magnesium deficient plants are often yellower, have shorter root systems, and produce noticeably lower yields than plants grown in healthy soil. Fields home to crops that are taxing on potassium levels — such as corn fields — can also benefit from magnesium treatments. If your field contains a calcium-to-magnesium ratio of or greater, your field is considered to be magnesium deficient, and you should strongly consider using dolomite lime to bring your mineral balance into balance.

Proper calcium-to-magnesium ratios are important for ensuring healthy growth. View Our Lime Products! However, while dolomite lime works well if you need to raise your magnesium levels, excess magnesium creates new dangers. Too much magnesium can cause your soil to become overly compact, deterring crop growth while also making the soil more difficult to water efficiently.

It can also fuel rampant weed growth, further impeding the growth of your crops. Magnesium needs in your soil often correspond with your soil consistency. Magnesium deficiency is much more common in quick draining soils, especially those that are sandy, while clay and clay loam soils rarely suffer from magnesium issues.

If your fields contain a large amount of clay soil, it is unlikely that you will want to use dolomite lime. In fact, because dolomite can make soil compaction worse, an ill-advised dolomite application can seriously harm denser clay soils.

Additionally, undoing a dolomite lime treatment can be tough. Sulphur and nitrogen treatments can bring your magnesium levels back into line, but these treatments are time-consuming and can be expensive. So it is much cheaper and efficient to avoid adding extra magnesium into your soil in the first place. So if you are merely looking to correct the pH balance, you are much better served choosing calcitic lime. With this in mind, you should only use dolomite lime if you need to add magnesium to your soil.

The risks posed by introducing too much magnesium far outweigh any benefits. As always, if you are unsure about the nature of your soil, make sure to contact a professional to measure your soil pH and mineral content before ordering a lime treatment. When choosing a lime treatment, you will also have to choose whether to use damp lime or traditional dry lime.