Hi V,

I just bought a 40lb. bag at the Lowes in S. Tampa, had to cross the pond to get it since they can't sell it in Pinellas now. It was packaged as Garden Lime and they had both the crushed form and the pellets.

Tom

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is dolomite and what do you guys use it for ? Maybe it's something I need to start using ? Thanks, sally

Tom,

I am now SURE I used the wrong name when I asked for it. Lol...

Sally, I am using it for Lou's potting mix recipe for fall veggies. It sweetens the soil to use an old term. Makes the soil less acid. I think that it is needed because pine mulch tends to be acidic

Also was used in the past assist in the burial process. As I understand it helped prevent disease from spreading out or leaching out from the remains as nature took its course.

Veronica

Here is a link that might be useful: Lou's recipe, Post # 11

Sally,
Using dolomite and greensand puts the missing minerals the plants need to grow healthy and strong into the Fla soil.
Just like we add fertilizer, we should also add the missing minerals too.

Dolomite lime is like garden lime but has a much higher percentage of magnesium. It improves the drainage of heavy clay soils making them more friable and easier to work.

Greensand is glauconite (mainly potash and a hydrated silicate of iron) It releases it's nutritional benefits through a exchange action in the soil to be taken up by the plants.The mineral has been used for decades which contains a huge amount of Potassium and other trace minerals(as many as 30). It also loosens clay soils while enriching sandy soils, it also helps all soils with water retention, while keeping them better aerated.

Lou

The other day I went digging around and found the "recipe". I found a small bag of Glittering Greensand, which I believe is the Texas kind, at a local nursery and got the last bag they had, 8 pounds for $8. When I say small bag, I mean...small bag...that stuff is heavy! No luck with the Dolomite in Brevard but I'm still looking. :)

Just a note here... I'm still getting the flowers to set sweet peppers on my California bell pepper plants in this hellish heat.

I'm beginning to swear by the Dolomite & Greensand I add in my potting mix.
Lou

Lou, I'm still getting sweet peppers too, with my buckets in the shade ;-)

Tom

How do you know if you need to add these products ? do you do a PH test or the test that measures the nutrients in the soil ? I always assumed that adding cow manure and Black Hen and Milorganite and Alfalfa pellets, etc. was enough, also adding Osmocote to the potted stuff.....and keeping lots of mulch-leaves, etc.- on plants in the ground... I don't use granular fert. I still have some sweet-peppers setting and the plants are several years old now, but I have not added anything to their pots since Spring and they look awful..... I guess my main ?? is 'how do you know when you need to add the nutrients you are talking abt.' ?? Thanks, sally

Hey V,

If you really want dolomite vs. regular crushed limestone it looks like Southern Ag distributes it, and they have a warehouse in Palmetto...unless Lou can turn you on to someone closer. Call them via their Contact info and ask for a local distributor.

Tom

Sally,
You would have to send your soil out to get tested to find out exactly what the missing minerals are, but as Fla soil is so poor just about everywhere in Fla and everybody's test always come back missing most everything, I didn't bother to have my soil tested because I'm on virgin woodlands here. I just went ahead and added dolomite & greensand. The organics normally will add some of the trace minerals but if the cows are eating grass that is grown on the poor soil in Fla, the trace minerals will still be missing in the cow poop. There may be enough to grow grass but I'm growing veggies and I'm not about to chow down on grass clippings. We also need those trace minerals in our bodies for good health. For the small amount of money it costs me to add the trace minerals to my potting and garden soils I figure it is well worth it health wise and I get good tasting veggies to boot. Most of the vegetables you buy in the super markets are grown on depleted soils with only the N P K added just so they can get a crop to market and you can dang well taste the difference.

I don't like using the Milorganite as I've read reports a few years back that it may also contain traces of heavy metals. (mercury, lead, etc) I don't know how true the report was but it was enough to steer me clear of using it.

FYI; Milorganite is derived from Milwalkee's sewage treatment plant and many old cities still have the lead pipes buried underground. The other heavy metals come from what people flush down the hopper (like flashlight batteries & what have you) Those metals will slowly leech out into the sewer water and become trace heavy metals.

Lou

Hey V,

I called Shell's and they carry both, pulverized and pelletized, 40lb. bags for $9.59. If you'd rather go to PC I'm sure Prosource One will have it too.

Lou, which do you use, pulverized or pelletized, and why?

Tom

Thanks, Tom, you're a champ.

Lou,

I have heard much the same about Milorganite. I only use it rarely and only on the ornamentals. I am phasing it out as my soil builds. I am working to have a food forest here... where you have one or two food plants scattered here and there, rather than beds of the same plants. This permaculture method is less likely to pull in the problem insects and if they do arrive, they will hopefully only attack one or two.

Also heard it is full of medications, too.

Thanks for the input, especially on Milorganite.... years ago, they had on the bag not to use it for veggies, but now the bag says use it for everything including veggies..so go figure.... I use it mostly for the roses, on the Rose Forum they mentioned that it was almost a perfect food for roses.... but I use the Black Kow and Black Hen more for the veggies, as well as compost, ( I use pulverized egg-shells and coffee grounds, etc.) Guess I should see where I can get some Dolomite and Green sand and try it, you guys have sold me !! sally

Tom,
I've only used the pulverized, I never could find the pelleted. My local resources out in cow country are mighty thin, few & far between out here.
FYI:
For your existing fruit trees, a good way to sprinkle the pulverized evenly around the inside of your tree's drip line is to use a salt or pepper shaker.

Lou