virginiarose said:
I still do not know why people add limestone and in what amounts and what is Florida peat? Maybe @tink3472 can explain it to us.
Well here we use lime to raise the ph of our soil. The pine bark is on the acidic side so the ph will be too low for daylilies. Also, the nitrogen in fertilizers lower the soil ph so eventually it will need to be raised back up thus the lime. I just sprinkle lime onto the bed and till in or water in if I'm not tilling right away. I don't really measure but it is probably 15-20 lbs per 4'x30' bed. I know it sounds like a lot but it's basically half a bag of lime.
copied from
http://extension.psu.edu/agron...
"A long-term effect of all ammonium based nitrogen fertilizers is to lower soil pH. Anhydrous ammonia, urea, diammonium phosphate, and nitrogen solutions, when first applied, greatly but temporarily increase soil pH in the zone of application. Ammonia is released and can “burn” germinating seeds or seedling roots in the area of fertilizer placement. In the eventual conversion of NH4+ to NO3-, however, an acid residue is formed."
this is what Florida Peat is
copied from
http://www.plantapalm.com/vce/...
Florida peat is made of organic materials that have broken down over many, many years. All the trees, bushes, and other small plants in a certain area die, then break down and settle in a depressed area. After thousands of years, this becomes a peat bog. Any nursery person can tell you that most plants are susceptible to their own particular insects and pathogens. Peat derived from several species of plants may also be susceptible to just as many pathogens as the plants themselves. Canadian peat is primarily broken down sphagnum moss. Not only does Canadian peat not break down as fast as Florida peat, but it also does not seem to be as susceptible to disease.
