Oh I thought that's what he said it doesn't affect ph.
That was my impression. The faster it becomes available the faster it affects ph. Ideally dolomite should be used unless addressing a ph issue. Which imo usually has a cause behind it and not lack of buffering capacity.The comment suggests using it as a buffer. To buffer an acidic medium you need it to raise ph.
A mix of dolomite and calcitic lime is probably the best buffer. Calcitic for short term fast acting and dolomite for long term and to add some mag to balance out the calcium.
That was my impression. The faster it becomes available the faster it affects ph. Ideally dolomite should be used unless addressing a ph issue. Which imo usually has a cause behind it and not lack of buffering capacity.
No the faq i copied above says it does not raise ph so it isnt a buffer just a source of trace elements.
If they are soluble yes.Wouldn't "trace elements" act as a buffer, especially if it's alkaline?
Principles of buffering:
HA ⇌ H+ + A−
OH− + HA → H2O + A−
OH− + H+ → H2O
Once the acid is more than 95% deprotonated, the pH rises rapidly because most of the added alkali is consumed in the neutralization reaction.
Buffer capacity is a quantitative measure of the resistance to change of pH of a solution containing a buffering agent with respect to a change of acid or alkali concentration. It can be defined as follows:
What's essentially happening throughout the growing phase, is that your "buffer" is always getting smaller and smaller, (as acids are deprotonated) so if you build in a "reserve" buffer, during the mixing phase (when soil is created) you should have more overhead, while still maintaining excellent pH values. (an offset) that can absorb and bind all the broken down acids, so that the soil pH remains healthy, and constant.
This is how I understand it anyhow.
Domite takes longer to activate and lasts longer while calcitic limestone is fast acting and used up fast.
And the more i think about it if azomite does not raise ph even though it contains calcium is it even breaking down fast enough for plants to actually utilize its micronutrients?
correct.Just quick thought on that. I'm guessing it's inert because it does not break down/dissolve into water and therefore no benefit to the plant or ph control. The sodium would be a draw back but possibly used for aeration?
Wouldn't "trace elements" act as a buffer, especially if it's alkaline? Seems to me it would work over the long haul, gradually.
That's why I think. It's of no real value to ph, plants or soil except maybe aeration?The company says it does not effect ph.
So my question now is can it even be broken down in time to be useful the way its marketed?
Of course outside in the ground it will eventually break down and may leach calcium.
A buffer is essentially prepared in two ways
- mixing a large volume of a weak acid with its conjugate base
- mixing a large volume of weak base with its conjugate acid
That's why I think. It's of no real value to ph, plants or soil except maybe aeration?
How do we define a buffer?If they are soluble yes.
Nope if it does not dissolve how can it affect ph?How do we define a buffer?
“A buffer is an aqueous solution that RESIST changes in pH upon the addition of an acid or a base”.
I don't think it necessarily has to be "dissolved" in water all at once, it can happen gradually. I could even "bind" things out of the water, and that would act as "buffer."
Solid state Buffers:
In general, a zwitterion along with the appropriate salt is used since the pair must be insoluble in the organic reaction mixture. Unlike the organic soluble buffers, each buffer pair will set a fixed value of the relevent ionisation parameter, regardless of the quantities of each form used.
Nope if it does not dissolve how can it affect ph?
Soil doesn't have a ph only a potential. Ph is the measurement of an aqueous solution based on h+ ions in the water. Therefore only something that is soluble can affect ph. So if something in the soil is soluble it can affect ph.Yea, that's how I've always understood it also, but I'm beginning to think with soil, it might be a little different, because there are a lot of chemical reactions going on in there.
Soil doesn't have a ph only a potential. Ph is the measurement of an aqueous solution based on h+ ions in the water. Therefore only something that is soluble can affect ph. So if something in the soil is soluble it can affect ph.
Nope if it does not dissolve how can it affect ph?
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