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Colorado

In an effort to lower the pH (7.7) in my colorado soil which has a high "free lime" content, I was considering using sulfuric acid, with the help of a soil test from Colorado State University, which would tell me how much to use.

my questions are:

1. Has anyone out there done this?
2. How do you get your hands on sulfuric acid?
3. Is there any drawback to this method or other reason why I wouldn't want to try this?

thanks!

Pete

11/22/2006 2:59:03 PM

Colorado

...and that would leave me with a lot of CaSO4 in the soil (I think)... any problems with that?

11/22/2006 3:03:29 PM

Mocksville, NC

Yeah i would (not)put any Sulfuric Acid on.
i would add Elemental sulfer (Epsona) makes a good Organic kind, along with compost, and manure your PH will drop, to lower your ph its right on the bag how much, but remember the compost, and manure will start creating Humic acids, and drop even further mine was 7.5 i added 1/2 pound to 1000 sq ft, and by season end it was 6.8 i did not till deeply just the top 1 to 2 inc just cultivated this way you wont bring up the free lime, and lime is slow even free lime it takes 6 to 12 months to fully raise back up, by that time your season is done anyways, my 2 cents

11/24/2006 7:14:22 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

elemental sulfur works by forming sulfuric acid. It's just a whole lot safer.

11/24/2006 9:29:41 AM

Mocksville, NC

Thats how we get gypsum!!! i really didnt know about sulfur in that way , with the help of microganisiums ( spelling) turning sufur to sulfuric acid cool! i'll be the 1st to admit i dont know all symbols in combination on the periodic table, but i did learn somthing new, and that makes me feel peetty good thanks!
This late in the year you should use a finer grain sulfuric acid will help speed up the process vs pellets.

11/24/2006 3:00:19 PM

President - GPC

Yo Pete,
Use the sulphur and gypsum, slow and sure wins the race......to help lower the Ph I went with spagnum "pete" moss, with a lb of sulphur and two lbs of gypsum.....In the spring if we are still a bit high we can put in the ammonium sulphate a bit to add some N too, but I wouldnt get to radical......you grew some very nice kins this year.....dont want to posion your soil........toss in a bunch of leaves and pine needles and lets see what the spring test says......give me a call......

11/24/2006 3:25:09 PM

President - GPC

LB did this last year too and he should have his soil test results back in two weeks, anxious to see his results.....he had great rootstructure this year and his PH was at 8.3 previously

11/24/2006 3:26:51 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

I posted this link over on the other thread. IF, if you believe it, then sulfuric acid, or sulfur for that matter, is a waste of time and may cause you more trouble.

http://www.plantanswers.com/garden_column/march04/1.htm

Sulfur works if you do not have free lime. If you do, well, it depends on who to believe. Good luck!

11/25/2006 9:55:49 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

Roger raises an interesting point in that I don't know if there is a time dependent factor in this. It seems possible. This would mean that timing is very important... put it on too soon and the benefit may be gone before July and August.

Anything I say should be taken with a grain of salt (no pun intended) because the more I learn about this, I realize the less I know. Anyway, here's a few more thoughts bouncing out of my head:

Remember that calcium-carbonate (lime) and calcium-sulfate (gypsum) are NOT calcium. That is, I don't believe the plant can use them like it would use calcium. Just like water is completely unlike elemental hydrogen or oxygen, so are these salts, compared with calcium. Now, in the soil, maybe these things can be broken down into individual elements, but then, when was the last time you saw hydrogen and oxygen "easily" separated...?

Now, one thought....

11/25/2006 10:33:19 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

If you add sulfur, will that deplete some of your available calcium? That is, lets say you add sulfur (S), that is going to dissolve some of the Ca from the lime and then combine with it to make the salt gypsum. But... what if you have some small amount of calcium just loitering around, minding it's own business, then you add the S and that hooks up with the Ca and robs your soil of what calcium you had? Like I say, just a thought.

I've done both sulfur and gypsum in the past. As I think about this I'm becoming more inclined to stick with organic matter and experiment with chelated calcium and iron. But I don't know...

11/25/2006 10:39:47 PM

Mocksville, NC

Cliff , yeah your right ive done both, but i had a abudent amount of Cal i did it 1 time when my ph was above 7.5 since then it has stablized, and i'm inclind to agree with sticking to organic matter, because i sheet compost the untire patch i should say patches. I did consult some lets say more expirenenced growers, before adding it, and it was done right after my soil sample came back,
I chatted with Craig C and he calculated what i needed, but warned me to try 1/2 of the calculation i did that, and Craig C of Agro k hit the mark dead on 6.9 PH . Thank you Craig, and i'm not a customer of his, but he shared his knowlege with me, that shows me he cared enough about gardening as a whole, not just bringing great products to people. Roger R

11/27/2006 2:17:38 PM

Mocksville, NC

Bye the way sorry, Brigitte we all know who she is, the tan one! hehe She was 1st to bring it to my attention, Thank you Brig.

11/27/2006 2:38:53 PM