[Growwine] Nutrient balance is important

[peter salonius]

As opposed to adding potassium - Just In Case - when you are correcting pH (Anthony says in a later email that he is down to 5.1) you should get soil tests done for the various areas of yoiur vineyard that you are pretty sure are different from each other (soil tests for pH and the major nutrients are inexpensive).
 
Most provincial soils labs do not have specific fertilizer recommendastions for grapes AND their fertilizer recommendations tend to be quite generous.
 
With grape vine fertilization BEING CONSERVATIVE IS BEST - the last thing you want is luxurious growth.
 
Using ordinary lime,  if your Magnesium levels are high enough // or Dolomitic lime, if you need Magnesium is the very best way to get the most out of the nutrients that are already in the soil.
 
Most plant nutrient availability peaks at between pH 5.5 and 7.0 and availability drops off both above and below these values.
 
I personnaly am happy with a soil pH a little above 6.0.
 
Peter Salonius
 
=============================================================================> From: andrew.bennett at ns.sympatico.ca> To: growwine at littlefatwino.com> Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:13:41 -0300> Subject: Re: [Growwine] Correction /Dolomitic lime> > On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:59:32 -0300, peter salonius <petersalonius at hotmail.com> wrote:> > >> >Dolomitic lime is sold by the TONNE or 40Kg bag and is a mixture of mostly > >Calcium carbonate and some Magnesum carbonate. This ground limestone> >is used with some regularity on soils that have a tendancy to become more > >acid over time.> > Unless you are quite sure you have lots of potassium,> it is as well to add some when adding dolomitic lime:> magnesium displaces potassium adsorbed in the clays, thus> upsetting the balance. Balance is all-important!> > Andrew Bennett, Avondale Vineyard, Nova Scotia.> _______________________________________________> Growwine mailing list> Growwine at littlefatwino.com> http://lists.littlefatwino.com/mailman/listinfo/growwine
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