Hydrated lime - excess building materials

JoeX

I massively overestimated the materials I needed for repairing some external render and consequently have 20-odd kg of hydrated lime that I don’t need.

I vaguely recall hearing about lime being used in gardening, probably to decrease the acidity of the soil…so does anyone use hydrated lime in the garden and what for?  Are there any plants that particular like lime in the soil?

Ta,

Joe

Lyn

We have acid moorland  soil here,  very so often we lime the ground for the veg patch but that’s all. 
  I wouldn’t put it on  the garden borders because I like the acid loving plants I have.
It depends on your soil,   Is it you who has an allotment? 
It’s a soil sweetener I think they call it,  you can use your builders lime e but be careful of it when you handle it,  but I’m sure you know that. 

fidgetbones

You can use lime  before planting brassicas. It helps to keep down clubroot.

Redwing

We had some left over from building work too.  It can be used as a whitewash for greenhouses in summer.....still got loads left.

JoeX

No allotment @Lyn , I only dabbled in veg when Digging for Victory last year

Whitewash, hmm would that work on terracotta that I want the aged look too?

Lyn

Yes, 50-50 lime+water. 

nick615

As a treatment for those areas of a veg plot that prefer more alkaline soil, lime is an ideal substance, hence the clouds of it that one sees farmers using on fields.  It's therefore a useful way of disposing of left over building material BUT, if buying lime as a deliberate act with which to dress a plot, the pelleted form is IMHO more useable?  Whether in a row of something, or dropped into dibbed holes for individual seedlings, I use lime in similar fashion to chicken manure pellets, often in the same place. 

Lyn

I bought the pelleted version last time,  no dust from it. 
I wont need it every year though.

nick615

This is the beauty of pelleted material, Lyn, because, whether it be my chicken manure or lime pellets, I reduce waste by only applying either where my crops are to grow.  I therefore draw out my pea row, scatter chicken manure pellets along it, then lime granules, and finally the seed.  For leeks, I dib 70-80 12 inch deep holes, drop in the two types of pellet, a few in each hole, and then the leek seedlings.  My veg plot isn't large but a bucket of chicken manure lasts 3-4 years, and a bag of lime even longer.