If you want to know where to buy dolomite for gardening, you’re at the right place! Gardening dolomite can greatly improve your soil quality and help your crops thrive.
Before adding it to your garden, you should ensure that it’s really needed. Dolomite changes the pH level of your soil, and messing this balance up can be detrimental to your plants.
In this article, I explain what dolomite gardening is, which crops grow best in it, and where you can buy some.
What Is Gardening Dolomite?
Gardening Dolomite is a compound consisting of limestone, calcium, and magnesium.
Sometimes, it also contains sodium. These elements can influence a garden’s soil pH while also providing valuable nutrients to your plants.
If dolomite contains sodium, it shouldn’t exceed 2% of your total soil value. Too much sodium can adversely affect the salinity of your garden’s soil, killing many plants and potentially causing bigger problems.
Which Crops Grow Best In Dolomite Soil Mixes?
Dolomite has many good qualities, and you can use it for various crops. You should add it to your soil when your plants need neutrality or more alkalinity.
Alkaline Soil
Asparagus, beets, brussels sprouts, lilacs, and photinias prefer alkaline soil.
Calcium And Magnesium
When a bit more calcium and magnesium are needed, add dolomite. Plants that need more calcium as they grow include tomatoes. Adding dolomite lime can provide more of these nutrients to plants like parsnips, onions, beans, and garlic.
Fruit trees like apple trees also benefit from the addition of dolomite lime, making it easier for them to set and ripen an abundance of fruit.
Note: Don’t use dolomite lime when growing Japanese maples, rhododendrons, magnolias, and grapes. These plants prefer acidic soil. Adding dolomite lime will change the pH and hurt them. In addition, strawberries and raspberries aren’t too fond of acidic soil either, so avoid using dolomite lime where you grow these.
Where To Buy Dolomite For Gardening
You can find dolomite at your local gardening center. If not available there, be sure to check online where you might find a few suppliers that carry gardening dolomite who can deliver. You can also give your local hardware store a visit!
Learn more about What Is Bone Meal Used For In Gardening?
Is Dolomite The Same As Garden Lime?
Dolomite isn’t the same as garden lime. While both raise the pH levels in your garden’s soil, lime does not contain calcium-magnesium carbonate. It only adds calcium to the soil.
Dolomite also acts slower than gardening lime.
Can Dolomite Cause Problems?
Dolomite is beneficial for gardening when you use it properly, but if a mishap occurs, it can cause problems.
In The Garden
It’s widely believed that vital soil nutrients wash away when it rains, especially when you have little to no organic matter incorporated in your ground. Still, it isn’t a great idea to add dolomite to your gardening soil without having it tested first.
Your soil may already contain enough nutrients, and adding more could negatively impact your crops. Only add dolomite to your garden if there’s a huge magnesium deficiency combined with low calcium levels.
For Your Health
Dolomite contains some heavy metals like aluminum, arsenic, lead, mercury, and nickel. These can possibly leach into your soil and reach your crops.
Consuming these metals can be detrimental to your health. If you experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach irritation, or constipation after eating crops grown in dolomite-rich soil, there might be too much of it in the ground.
Dolomite also contains silica particles that can harm your lungs and lead to cancer when inhaled. You can also experience skin and eye irritation, so be careful when working with dolomite in windy weather.
In General
If you live in a beachside house, resist the urge to use dolomite in your garden.
Dolomite can become a pollutant, causing disturbance to marine life habitats, burying them, or even blocking their access to sunlight.
The Best Dolomite Mix For Gardening
The best dolomite mixture for gardening contains about 8 – 12% magnesium and 18-23% calcium.
Should I Use Dolomite When Planting In Pots?
You can use dolomite in potted plants if their soil test shows they need it. Simply mix the dolomite lime with dry soil and add water. You should check the pH in your soil after two days and only plant when it’s reached the right level.
In Conclusion
Dolomite for gardening isn’t difficult to find, but take caution before buying it. If you visit your local gardening store, the sales clerks will guide you on how to use it best.
If you add dolomite to your garden incorrectly, you could really mess it up. The slightest mishap in your calculations could change your pH balance to where it shouldn’t be.
I hope this article gave you some insight on how best to use dolomite in your garden. If you have any more questions about it, ask them in the comments!
How do I apply dolomite to my garden?
You can apply dolomite to your gardening soil before and after you plant.
To apply it before you start planting, test the pH in your soil and mix dolomite into the dry sand. Add water and let it rest for a few days. After testing it again, you can start planting if your soil has reached the correct levels.
To apply dolomite to your garden after you've already planted, scatter it over the surface of your soil a few inches from the base of your crops. If you have deep-rooted crops, you should work the dolomite into the first few inches of ground, but leave it on top if your plants have shallow roots.
Is dolomite good for gardens?
Yes.
Using dolomite in your garden can improve your soil quality, but too much could also do damage.
Is dolomite good for tomatoes?
Tomatoes need calcium and magnesium for optimal growth, and dolomite adds plentiful of it to soil!
Is dolomite the same as garden lime?
No.
Dolomite and gardening lime differ. Although both contain calcium carbonate, dolomite lime also has magnesium carbonate in its mixture.
