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A very big bag of peat moss from Denmark costs 4-500 baht....15us$....not that expensive but yes a big bag cocohusk and so is cheaper...Very big bag of new zealand pinebark fines is also 500...If you know where to buy it is not so expensive.
Fresh charcoal has a ph @ 8-9.Thats because of the ash content and thats why they add only 5 percent charcoal to the soil mix.5 percent by volume not by weight since the char is soo light.
In this thread and in may others threads one frequently reads that citrus are acid loving plants. Citrus like a pH of 6.5 which is as close to being neutral (pH 7) as one can get. Acid plants, such as blueberries, are acid loving plants, and enjoy a pH of 3.
Quote from: SeaWalnut on November 12, 2019, 06:10:14 PMFresh charcoal has a ph @ 8-9.Thats because of the ash content and thats why they add only 5 percent charcoal to the soil mix.5 percent by volume not by weight since the char is soo light.Last year i soaked about 100 litre charcoal chunks for bbq in woodvinegar...i spread them all over the garden, but now a year later it's hard to find the chunks...i don't know where they are...but it was a lot. I read somewhere that it's good to add this to the soil.
Sunny, the article says "....a soil above 7.0, which can cause nutritional deficiencies" That all depends on how high the pH is above a pH of 7 the tree is growing in. Also problems can occur when pH levels goes to far below 6.5. But back to my statement. A pH of 6.5 is really not an acid soil, it is almost neutral.
Quote from: Millet on November 12, 2019, 10:18:43 PMSunny, the article says "....a soil above 7.0, which can cause nutritional deficiencies" That all depends on how high the pH is above a pH of 7 the tree is growing in. Also problems can occur when pH levels goes to far below 6.5. But back to my statement. A pH of 6.5 is really not an acid soil, it is almost neutral.OK thanks Millet.But if charcoal has the ph of above 7 it is base (according to seawalnut) , the tree's all look fine though...
Quote from: sunny on November 22, 2019, 03:17:49 AMQuote from: Millet on November 12, 2019, 10:18:43 PMSunny, the article says "....a soil above 7.0, which can cause nutritional deficiencies" That all depends on how high the pH is above a pH of 7 the tree is growing in. Also problems can occur when pH levels goes to far below 6.5. But back to my statement. A pH of 6.5 is really not an acid soil, it is almost neutral.OK thanks Millet.But if charcoal has the ph of above 7 it is base (according to seawalnut) , the tree's all look fine though...Sunny, I tested the charcoal you have in Thailand, I honestly don't like it for plants. In fact I like more that red soil you have which is fast draining.What you have there that I found interesting and good are rice hulls.There are rootstocks for alkaline soils like above 7.5 for your climate.I wonder what rootstock do those pomellos have?
Today i bought 4 pomello tree's, 2 white, 1 red, 1 pink.The left 2 are for sure in 100% charcoal powder...the right one maybe as well, i have to unpack them first to be 100% sure..
I have been hearing a lot about the use of rice hulls in general nursery culture of bedded plants. I am very interested in experimenting with rice hulls in the cultivation of citrus trees. Test such as the length of time before the hulls begin to deteriorate, root zone aeration, etc.
As i wrote before, more than half of the fruit tree's in nurseries are grown in pure charcoal. So they all must have rootstocks which can live in high ph?I just bought pomelo but next time i can make a pic of other fruittree's in the shops....I guess this charcoal was made from cocohusks because it is as fine as powder and charcoal from ricehusks is more course. But those nurseries just use anything they have around and is cheap, clay mixed with ricehusks or whatever they have. I have never seen their tree's in real potting soil which is sure available.
Quote from: sunny on November 23, 2019, 02:52:40 AMAs i wrote before, more than half of the fruit tree's in nurseries are grown in pure charcoal. So they all must have rootstocks which can live in high ph?I just bought pomelo but next time i can make a pic of other fruittree's in the shops....I guess this charcoal was made from cocohusks because it is as fine as powder and charcoal from ricehusks is more course. But those nurseries just use anything they have around and is cheap, clay mixed with ricehusks or whatever they have. I have never seen their tree's in real potting soil which is sure available.From what I have seen there, I checked many nurseries from south to north, most of the citrus is propagated from air-layering, especially limes, which are resistant to high calcareous soil. On the side note, unfortunately almost all nurseries I've seen, have "California red scale" (Aonidiella aurantii) which is so difficult to kill in hot weather with all the systemic insecticides. In cold weather is not a problem to get rid of it.
From what I have seen there, I checked many nurseries from south to north, most of the citrus is propagated from air-layering, especially limes, which are resistant to high calcareous soil.
Quote from: lebmung on November 23, 2019, 06:07:44 PMFrom what I have seen there, I checked many nurseries from south to north, most of the citrus is propagated from air-layering, especially limes, which are resistant to high calcareous soil. Limes are very sensitive to high pH.I think that under high temperatures and abundant rain of tropics ash is rapidly removed from the charcoal.
Quote from: Ilya11 on November 24, 2019, 04:28:43 AMQuote from: lebmung on November 23, 2019, 06:07:44 PMFrom what I have seen there, I checked many nurseries from south to north, most of the citrus is propagated from air-layering, especially limes, which are resistant to high calcareous soil. Limes are very sensitive to high pH.I think that under high temperatures and abundant rain of tropics ash is rapidly removed from the charcoal.I repotted my new pomelo's and 3 out of 4 were in pure charcoal.Next time i'm in that wholesale nursery i'll check the soil of the limes....
I haven't seen that red scale but maybe i don't know what it looks like.