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Originally Posted by filmorer
Thx for the suggestions. You're the 2nd person whos uggested the local service. I'll have to look into it.
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This sort of thing is the extension office's job so it likely should be your first choice. Not only should they be able to check a soil sample for pH for free or maybe $1.00, but they can discuss what is in the local soil from bugs to nutrients.
But not having walked a mile in your shoes I don't want to make assumptions so I offer many (possibly confusing) options. Maybe the nearest office is 90 miles away, or their working hours are your working hours, etc. So maybe mailing a soil sample off to a university works best for you. However, your LAST worry is whether they will think you are crazy for wanting to grow a banana. We've got other members in AZ & NV, and up in Canada, London, Europe. If someone tells you that you can't grow anything but cactus where you are, then they don't really need any of the fruit you produce, right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by filmorer
In regards to the calcium deficiency, what would you recommend?
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Gotta know that pH first. You may have calcium in the soil, but the plants can't take it up because of the pH. If the pH isn't right, you'll be fighting this forever.
If you have acidic soil then it is easy. Add some form of lime. Look for calcitic lime or dolomitic lime (dolomite), "lawn lime", "agricultural lime", "garden lime", calcium carbonate, etc. Under one name or another, these should be available at the "big box" shops as well as family nursery places. Also, hardwood ash, bone meal, crushed marble, crushed oyster shell, are good. If you only need a small amount and you have no nursery supply nearby then crushed "blackboard chalk" or "sidewalk chalk" will work. But my worry is that your desert soil is actually alkaline and this cure will be worse than the disease.
If your soil pH is about where you need it, then gypsum (hydrated calcium sulfate) will add the calcium you need without making any big pH changes.
If your soil is alkaline, and I suspect that it might be, you will need to drop the pH. You can add sulfur which is, by itself, neutral but soil microbes will slowly turn this into sulfuric acid. You will need to keep the soil moist and warm (second part should be easy for you) so the "bugs" can work. Also, ground pine bark, sawdust, composted leaves, wood chips, cottonseed meal, leaf mold, and peat moss will bring the pH down for you, but only a little bit at a time. You might also look for fertilizer for "acid loving plants", AKA "azalea food" or "blueberry fertilizer." "Hollytone" and "Miracid" are some product names.
Whatever you add, stir it in deep, don't just sprinkle it on top. And it will take a while to work. Be patient.