Definition and use as a fertilizer in the garden

the essentials in brief

• Quicklime is burnt limestone with the specific properties: water-soluble, corrosive, odorless and a strongly alkaline pH value of 13-14.
• In the garden, quicklime is suitable as a fertilizer, for soil improvement, acts against horsetail, moss and other weeds as well as against pests and pathogens, such as Carbonic hernia.
• With quicklime you can disinfect the chicken coop and fight maggots in the organic waste bin.

What is quicklime?

Quicklime is the caustic result when limestone is burned in a blast furnace at 1000 ° to 1200 ° Celsius. During this process, carbon dioxide is expelled and the calcareous sedimentary rock is vigorously deacidified. Calcium oxide, also known as quick lime, quick lime, unslaked lime or quick lime is formed. Quicklime is characterized by the following properties:

• highly corrosive (eye contact leads to blindness)
• water soluble (from 20 ° Celsius with violent reaction)
• odorless
• flammable (in contact with organic substances)
• pH 13-15

The chemical formula CaO is a substance that is pure regardless of its nature natural origin comes up with attributes that hobby gardeners do not take lightly should.

Quicklime as a hazardous substance

Quicklime is very corrosive

The properties mentioned make it clear that quicklime is a fire hazard. When it comes into contact with water, an intense reaction sets in, as a result of which microorganisms and plants can literally burn. As a result, lawns and planted beds are taboo for treatment with quick lime. On the compost scattered quicklime causes mass death among micro-organisms, whereupon the rotting almost comes to a standstill.

Quicklime is also dangerous for people. Regardless of whether it is slaked or unslaked quicklime, contact with skin, mucous membranes or eyes causes fatal damage to health. The use of quicklime should therefore always take place under strict safety precautions with a respirator, protective goggles and gloves. In this context, it should be mentioned that granular quicklime poses significantly fewer dangers than finely ground lime.

Digression

Quicklime and slaked lime - the difference

Buy quicklime - sources of purchase and price.

Quicklime is rarely found in garden centers

You cannot buy unquenched quicklime on every corner in Germany. So you will usually look in vain for quicklime for the garden in the local Obi hardware store and garden center. We have done thorough research on the market for you and have found what you are looking for in local and online shopping sources. The following table gives an overview of where you can buy quicklime at a reasonable price:

Are you interested in the price per ton? Then please contact a major agricultural supplier, such as DüKa Düngekalkgesellschaft mbH in Bavaria, by phone or email.

Quicklime usage - overview.

Agriculture and hobby gardeners appreciate the high proportion of calcium in quicklime. Lime is essential for healthy soils, promotes plant growth and prevents acidification. Furthermore, quicklime protects ornamental and useful plants from pests and diseases, which is beneficial for perfect soil hygiene. These benefits result in various possible uses:

Quicklime is mainly used in the construction industry, but mostly as slaked lime. Burnt and then slaked lime is often used as an admixture to mortar or plaster. In the manufacture of cement clinker, quicklime acts as a subordinate component. In the steel industry, quicklime is used to desulphurize pig iron. How amateur gardeners make use of quicklime is shown in the following sections.

Use quicklime in the garden.

If the pH value drops below ground level, quicklime is used as a fast-acting problem solver. In the heavily compacted, waterlogged garden soil, quicklime is useful as a soil improver. Quick lime makes short work of penetrating weeds, such as the dreaded horsetail. The following brief instructions explain how to use quicklime correctly in the garden:

Use quicklime as fertilizer and soil conditioner

Quicklime should be used as a fertilizer with great caution and only after determining the pH of the soil

So that plants thrive and produce rich yields, an ideal pH value of 6.2 to 6.8 is desirable in sandy-loamy garden soil. In clayey loam, a pH value between 6.6 and 7.2 is considered optimal. If the value falls below 5.0, growth depression is the result. This is a case for quicklime as a fast-acting recovery lime and fertilizer. Here's how to do it properly:

1. the best time is in spring or autumn
2. Buy a pH value test or test device and perform it according to the enclosed instructions
3. If the test result is below 5.0, buy granulated quicklime
4. Clear the bed
5. Put on a respirator, gloves and protective overalls
6. Distribute quicklime with a spreader and without creating dust
7. Average dosage: 80-100 g / m² on sandy soil, 150-200 g / m² on loamy-clay soil
8. Spread 200-300 g / m² on massively acidic soil (pH value below 4.0)
9. Work in quicklime on the surface with the rake, do not pour in

It is important to note that you never mix quicklime with organic fertilizers such as compost or guano.(€ 9.82 at Amazon *) The reaction triggered releases ammonia which is harmful to the environment.

Without a pH value measurement beforehand, quicklime has no place in the garden. In view of this great importance, the following video shows how you can easily measure the pH value in the bed yourself:

Quicklime against horsetail

Horsetail is a die-hard opponent in the garden who is not so easy to exterminate. Nonetheless, hobby gardeners who are close to nature cannot be tempted to set up the chemical lethal injection. Quicklime is used instead of glyphosate Field horsetail for use. Burnt lime drives the pH up rapidly, which weeds don't like at all. For an optimized control success, the field horsetail should be largely removed in advance. The best time is in autumn because the use of quicklime against horsetail also destroys all other plants in the bed.

Quicklime against weeds on land and water

Those who can cope with horsetail are also suitable for combating many other types of weeds. Quicklime works effectively against moss, which can only exist in acidic soil. If pond owners struggle with an algae-contaminated water world, aquatic animals living in it are relocated and the water drained. Scattered on the dry pond floor, quicklime takes action against algae and sets the course for crystal clear water. Under no circumstances should unslaked quicklime be sprinkled into the water, because the agent is poisonous for fish and other aquatic life.

Pest control with quicklime - tips for hobby gardeners.

Snails and other pests and diseases can be successfully combated with quicklime

Quicklime has a toxic effect on numerous pathogenic agents. Because unslaked lime in higher doses as a result of a strong increase in the pH value is almost everything Destroys organic life, many pests and pathogens quicklime have nothing to oppose. Decades of experience in the vegetable patch have shown that significantly less damage is to be complained about after liming due to snail damage. Soil-borne pathogens also lose out when the hobby gardener spreads unslaked quicklime. In this way, agriculture and private vegetable cultivation with quick lime primarily keep the spread of clubroot under control. Combating the following pests and pathogens with quicklime is an option:

• against snails, their eggs and larvae
• against wireworms
• against pathogens, especially clubroot
• against fungi of all kinds

Already a thin veil of quicklime in front of the sowing or planting is sufficient for a healthy bed without pathogens. Quicklime comes, among other things, with a strongly hygroscopic effect. Direct contact with snails or worms removes water from the bodies, whereupon the pests die. The increase in pH in the top crumb prevents the germination of fungal spores and other pathogens.

Quicklime for disinfection - tips & tricks.

Parasites, mites, maggots and other hygiene pests are lost when quicklime brings its caustic properties into play. So that your lovingly cared for poultry are not tormented by fleas or mites, you can disinfect the duck and chicken coop with quicklime. If the garbage in the organic waste bin comes to life, quicklime will quickly put an end to disgusting maggots. The following brief instructions explain how to use quicklime for disinfection in the stable and in the organic waste bin:

Disinfect the chicken coop with quicklime

Slaked lime is often used to disinfect chicken coops

The health hazards of quicklime are reduced to a tolerable level if you disinfect the chicken coop with slaked quicklime, i.e. slaked lime. Nonetheless, security measures are mandatory. How to do it right:

1. Put on protective clothing and goggles
2. Have the old vat, water, stirring stick and paint roller ready (if necessary a 500 gram cup of quark)
3. Slowly and carefully stir in 5 kg of slaked lime in 15-20 liters of water
4. Mix with a stick until it has a pudding-like consistency
5. Disinfectants in the hen house spread on the walls and floor
6. Let the first layer of lime dry slightly and paint the barn again

Before the last coat, stir a pack of quark into the slaked lime. This trick improves the durability and optimizes the smudge resistance of the disinfectant. When spreading, please make sure that the slaked quicklime also flows into all the cracks, because this is where most of the parasites are hidden.

Quicklime against maggots in the organic waste bin

Writhing nasty Maggots in the Organic waste, even a small amount of quicklime is enough to combat it. Please take precautions in advance to avoid skin and eye contact with the corrosive material. Sprinkle a handful of quicklime into the maggot-contaminated organic waste bin and close the lid. It is important to note that you only use quicklime against maggots outdoors and never in closed rooms.

Extinguishing quicklime - how does it work?

When quicklime is extinguished, water is simply added to it

When quicklime is extinguished, the water is returned to the material that was almost completely withdrawn from it during manufacture in the blast furnace. The chemical reaction is correspondingly violent, combined with a high temperature development. How to delete quicklime yourself:

1. Put on rubber boots, protective clothing, gloves and an eye mask
2. Throw a handful of quicklime grains into a tub or large bucket
3. Fill the watering can with water
4. Pour quicklime with a fine effervescent shower in stages
5. Stir in between to check the consistency
6. if necessary, add further small amounts of quicklime

Quicklime greedily soaks up every drop of water and initially disintegrates into powder under the great heat generated. With a larger amount of water, you can extinguish quicklime into lime paste, the so-called sump lime.

frequently asked Questions

What is quicklime good for?

In the construction industry, quicklime plays an important role in the production of lime mortar, lime plaster and lime paint. In the garden, unslaked quicklime acts as a fast-acting fertilizer, a powerful remedy against horsetail, moss and other weeds. Furthermore, some hobby gardeners use quicklime to combat pests and diseases. In the household, quicklime is useful against maggots in the organic waste bin or as a disinfectant for the chicken coop.

Where can you get quicklime?

It may be due to its dangerous properties that in most regions you cannot simply buy quicklime on the store shelf. Obi has banned unslaked quicklime from its range and primarily offers slaked lime for do-it-yourselfers. The Raiffeisen markets do not have these concerns and offer quicklime under the product name Gärtnerglück. You can buy quicklime online at Amazon, Weedvernichter-shop.de and various specialist agricultural dealers who also like to supply hobby gardeners, such as Baywa.de.

Is quicklime dangerous for dogs?

Please prescribe strict room restraints for your dog if you use quicklime in the garden, in the stable or in the organic waste bin. Slaked and unslaked quicklime is a hazardous substance for all living things. For your four-legged friend, direct contact between sensitive paws and a sniffing nose with caustic quicklime must be avoided.

Tips

In contrast to quicklime, it scores Garden lime(€ 9.70 at Amazon *) with convincing advantages without any downsides. Garden lime is neither poisonous nor corrosive. Use in the family garden is safe for children and pets. The only downer is that garden lime as a biological fertilizer takes some time longer than quicklime.