Have a soil test done, then decide what to do.

Can adding lime without knowing the exact
make up of your soil do any harm? Yes it can. Excess calcium can make other minerals act as if they are deficient.

What is your "battle" with the fruiting plants, and which plants?

Hi Lazy,

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping to avoid the soil test by finding out whether or not just bunging in some lime was a benign act. Thanks for clearing that up. It's amazing that most printed veg books (at least the ones I've read) suggest adding lime as a matter of course with crop rotation.

Fruiting plants... Tomatoes have a brief window in my garden when they don't get massacred by blight. Sweet peppers / chillies never seem to attain a decent frame, plus their flowers drop off at a pretty high rate. Eggplants do okay (we call them brinjals here in SA, but aubergine's gaining traction). I've always assumed that the problem is my lack of knowledge when it comes to growing peppers.

Thanks again.

Soil pH helps plants properly utilize many soil nutrients so it is important as is the balance between Calcium and Magnesium. There is a need to know what the soil pH is so one can determine how much Calcium to add to properly adjust that pH as well as the amount of Magnesium present. Plants need both Ca and Mg to utilize one another.

kimmq is kimmsr

kimmq,

Thanks for the info - soil tests a go-go. See, I listened to you and mentioned where I'm located this time.