Dolomite Lime - Why Liming Your Soil Is Bad for Your Garden
Dolomite lime is used everywhere. I've got to give credit to the dolomite lime industry. They've done a tremendous marketing job convincing us that we need to put this stuff on our lawns and gardens every year.
A search through conventional and organic gardening websites and books blog reveals that most garden experts happily pass on this information.
Occasionally, using dolomite lime is warranted, but the truth is, it often makes things worse, sometimes just a little, and sometimes a lot. Let's look at why...
What is Dolomite Lime?
Dolomite lime is a rock. It can be quite pretty. It is calcium magnesium carbonate, CaMg(CO3)2. It has about 50% calcium carbonate and 40% magnesium carbonate, giving approximately 22% calcium and at least 11% magnesium.
When you buy it for your garden, it has been ground into url granules that can be course or very fine, or it could be turned into a prill.
Now, dolomite lime is even allowed in organic gardening. It is not inherently bad, but how it is used in the garden is usually mildly to severely detrimental.