What else should I be looking for in a soil test that shows plenty of calcium when some plants do show Ca deficiency?
1 Answer
The test results also give "excess lime results as - HIGH ", so the soil has plenty of calcium. Root hairs can generate enzymes and " other stuff" as necessary to solubilize elements that are needed. Elements that regular chemistry indicates are relatively insoluble. So there is plenty of calcium available to the plants. ( Told to me by an Ag PhD before the internet was invented , so , No , I can't find it on the net ).
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2With a pH of 8.4, the overall biochemistry of most plants will be compromised. "Soil test kits" for amateur use usually stop at 7.5, and very few plants will tolerate more than 8.5 The OP's problem might not be "calcium deficiency", but "deficiency of everything else." May 31, 2021 at 4:00
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I'm trying to fix other micros with chelated forms, but out of the ones that I hadn't expected a deficiency, calcium was the one that surprised me. It must have been the overdose of fertilizer that I have been giving, so once the roots get farther away from the affected area, they would find calcium again, could that be a possibility?– ammounMay 31, 2021 at 13:28
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1You seem to be trying to fix the symptoms, not the disease. IMO you have two big problems: (1) pH = 8.4 is much too high. Virtually nothing will thrive at than pH, and many plants won't tolerate it at all. The ideal range is 6.5 to 7. (2) LOI = 0.6% is much too low. You will have very little microbial activity in the soil which is essential to combine with the plant roots taking up nutrients. The ideal range is 3% to 6%. May 31, 2021 at 15:11
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1... I would start by growing a green manure crop which will fix nitrogen and tolerate the alkaline soil. A good choice would be lucerne/alfalfa. Then get another soil test and see if you are moving in the right direction, and repeat if necessary. May 31, 2021 at 15:18