The benefits of burnt lime are the subject of controversial debate among hobby gardeners. Using a hazardous substance as a fertilizer or pesticide is at least a risky tightrope walk. This guide would like to make a contribution to your individual, gardening decision-making. Read here about the properties of burnt lime and what uses the substance is suitable for.

Quicklime should be handled with great care

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. What is quicklime?
  3. buy quicklime
  4. Quicklime usage overview
  5. Quicklime in the garden
  6. Pest control with quicklime
  7. Quicklime for disinfection
  8. How to extinguish quicklime?
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. the essentials in brief

    • Quicklime is burnt limestone with the specific properties: water-soluble, caustic, odorless and a strongly alkaline pH value of 13-14.
    • In the garden, quicklime is suitable as a fertilizer, for soil improvement, acts against horsetail, moss and other weeds as well as against pests and pathogens such as clubroot.
    • Quicklime can be used to disinfect the chicken coop and fight maggots in the compost bin.

    What is quicklime?

    Quicklime is the corrosive result when limestone is burned in a blast furnace at 1000° to 1200° Celsius. In this process, carbon dioxide is expelled and the lime-rich sedimentary rock is strongly deacidified. Calcium oxide, also known as quicklime, quicklime, quicklime or quicklime, is formed. Quicklime is characterized by the following properties:

    • highly corrosive (eye contact will cause blindness)
    • water soluble (from 20° Celsius with violent reaction)
    • odorless
    • flammable (on contact with organic substances)
    • pH 13-15

    The chemical formula CaO therefore hides a substance that, regardless of its purely natural origin, has attributes that hobby gardeners should not take lightly.

    Dangerous quicklime

    Quicklime is highly corrosive

    The properties mentioned make it clear that burnt lime is a highly flammable substance. When it comes into contact with water, an intensive reaction sets in, as a result of which microorganisms and plants can literally burn. Consequently, lawns and planted beds are taboo for treatment with quicklime. Scattered on the compost, quicklime causes a mass die-off among microorganisms, after which rotting almost comes to a standstill.

    Quicklime is also dangerous for humans. Irrespective of whether it is slaked or unslaked quicklime, contact with the skin, mucous membranes or eyes causes fatal health damage. Quicklime should therefore always be used under strict safety precautions with a breathing mask, safety goggles and gloves. In this context, it should be mentioned that granulated quicklime poses significantly fewer risks than finely ground form.

    digression

    Quicklime and slaked lime - difference

    The addition of water turns quicklime into slaked lime. Previously, quicklime (calcium oxide) was produced from natural limestone (calcium carbonate) during lime burning. For the production of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), water is added in a sophisticated dosage. This step in the production process is important so that slaked lime has specific properties that are essential in the construction industry for the manufacture of mortar. In the mortar, slaked lime undergoes a special development, the so-called setting. This binding process ensures stability in the walls after the house is built. Slaked lime reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air. Calcium carbonate is formed again, i.e. limestone.

    Buy quicklime - sources of purchase and price

    Quicklime is rarely found in garden centers

    You cannot buy quicklime on every corner in Germany. In the local Obi hardware store and garden center you will usually look in vain for quicklime for the garden. For you we have researched the market thoroughly and have found what you are looking for from local and online shopping sources. The following table provides an overview of where you can buy burnt lime at a reasonable price:

    shopping source Price per kg
    Amazon quicklime granulated from EUR 1.46
    Amazon quicklime ground from EUR 2.68
    Raiffeisen market from EUR 0.79
    Weed Killer Shop from EUR 0.58
    BayWa.de from EUR 0.78

    Are you interested in the price per ton? Then please contact a large agricultural supplier, such as DüKa Düngekalkgesellschaft mbH in Bavaria, by telephone or e-mail.

    Quicklime use - overview

    Agriculture and hobby gardeners value the high proportion of calcium present in quicklime. Lime is indispensable for healthy soils, promotes plant growth and prevents acidification. Furthermore, quicklime protects ornamental and useful plants from pests and diseases, which is conducive to perfect soil hygiene. These benefits result in various possible uses:

    In the garden pest control disinfection construction industry
    fertilizer against snails against maggots (bio bin) lime mortar
    soil improvement against mites against mold (organic waste bin) lime plaster
    against horsetail against larvae against parasites (barn) lime paint

    Quicklime is mainly used in the construction industry, but mostly as slaked lime. Burnt and then slaked lime is often used as an admixture to mortar or plaster. In the production of cement clinker, quicklime acts as a subordinate component. In the steel industry, burnt lime is used to desulfurize pig iron. The following sections show how hobby gardeners make use of unslaked quicklime.

    Use quicklime in the garden

    If the pH falls below ground level, burnt lime is used as a fast-acting problem solver. In heavily compacted, waterlogged garden soil, burnt lime is useful as a soil conditioner. Quick lime makes short work of penetrating weeds, such as the dreaded horsetail. The following brief instructions explain how to use quicklime correctly in the garden:

    Use quicklime as a fertilizer and soil conditioner

    Quicklime should be applied as a fertilizer with great caution and only after determining the pH of the soil

    In order for plants to thrive and produce a rich yield, an ideal pH value of 6.2 to 6.8 is desirable in sandy-loamy garden soil. In clayey loam, a pH value between 6.6 and 7.2 is considered optimal. If the value falls below 5.0, growth depression is the result. This is a case for quicklime as a fast-acting recovery lime and fertilizer. Here’s how to do it professionally:

    1. best time is in spring or autumn
    2. Buy a pH value test or test device and carry it out according to the enclosed instructions
    3. If the test result is less than 5.0, buy granulated quicklime
    4. Clear the bed
    5. Put on a respirator, gloves and protective overalls
    6. Distribute burnt lime with a spreader and without creating dust
    7. average dosage: 80-100 g/m² on sandy soil, 150-200 g/m² on loamy-clay soil
    8. Spread 200-300 g/m² on massively acidic soil (pH below 4.0).
    9. Work quicklime into the surface with a rake, do not add more

    It is important to note that you never mix quicklime with organic fertilizers such as compost or guano.(121.99€) The triggered reaction releases environmentally harmful ammonia.

    Quicklime has no place in the garden without a pH value measurement in advance. In view of this great importance, the following video shows how you can easily measure the pH value in the bed yourself:

    youtube

    Quicklime vs Horsetail

    Horsetail is a hardened opponent in the garden that is not so easy to eradicate. Nevertheless, amateur gardeners who are close to nature should not be tempted to bring the poisonous chemical injection into position. Instead of glyphosate, quicklime is used against field horsetail. Burnt lime rapidly increases the pH value, which the weeds do not like at all. For optimal control success, the field horsetail growth should be largely removed in advance. The best time is in the fall, because applying quicklime against horsetail will also destroy all other plants in the bed.

    Quicklime against weeds on land and water

    Anyone who can deal with horsetail is also suitable for combating many other types of weed. Quicklime is effective against moss, which can only exist in acidic soil. If pond owners struggle with an algae-contaminated water world, aquatic animals living in it are resettled and the water drained. Scattered on the dry pond floor, burnt lime acts against algae and sets the course for crystal-clear water. Under no circumstances should unslaked quicklime be sprinkled into the water, as the agent is toxic to fish and other aquatic life.

    Pest control with quicklime - tips for hobby gardeners

    Snails and other pests and diseases can be successfully combated with burnt lime

    Quicklime has a toxic effect on numerous pathogens. Because quicklime in higher doses destroys almost all organic life as a result of a sharp increase in the pH value, many pests and pathogens have nothing to oppose quicklime. Decades of experience in the vegetable patch have shown that after liming there is much less damage caused by snails. Soil-borne pathogens also lose out when the hobby gardener spreads unslaked quicklime. Farming and home gardening using quicklime is the primary way to control the spread of clubroot. Combatting the following pests and pathogens with quicklime is an option:

    • against snails, their eggs and larvae
    • against wireworms
    • against pathogens, especially clubroot
    • against fungi of all kinds

    Even a thin layer of burnt lime before sowing or planting is enough for a healthy bed without pathogens. Quicklime has, among other things, a strong hygroscopic effect. Direct contact with snails or worms deprives the bodies of water, after which the pests die. The pH increase in the top crumb prevents the germination of fungal spores and other pathogens.

    tips

    The categorization as a hazardous material requires careful handling when disposing of quicklime. Disposal must be carried out in such a way that release into the air or water is excluded. Unused leftovers and the empty packaging are hazardous waste and must be disposed of in the appropriate containers or handed in directly to the local waste disposal company.

    Quicklime for disinfection - tips & tricks

    Parasites, mites, maggots and other hygiene pests are at a loss when quicklime brings its caustic properties into play. So that your lovingly cared for poultry is not tormented by fleas or mites, you can disinfect the duck coop and chicken coop with burnt lime. If the rubbish in the compost bin comes to life, burnt lime will quickly put an end to disgusting maggots. The following short instructions explain how to use burnt lime in the barn and in the bio bin for disinfection:

    Disinfecting the chicken coop with quicklime

    Slaked lime is often used to disinfect chicken coops

    The health hazards of quicklime are reduced to a tolerable level if you disinfect the chicken coop with quicklime, i.e. slaked lime. Safety measures are nevertheless mandatory. How to do it right:

    1. Put on protective clothing and goggles
    2. have the old vat, water, mixing stick and paint roller ready (a 500 gram cup of quark if necessary)
    3. Slowly and carefully stir 5 kg of slaked lime into 15-20 liters of water
    4. Mix with a stick until you get a pudding-like consistency
    5. Disinfectants in the chicken coop spread on the walls and floor
    6. Allow the first layer of lime to dry slightly and paint the stall again

    Before the last coat of paint, stir a pack of quark into the slaked lime. This trick improves the durability and optimizes the smudge resistance of the disinfectant. When spreading, please make sure that the slaked quicklime flows into all cracks, because that's where most parasites hide.

    Quicklime against maggots in the compost bin

    If nasty maggots squirm in organic waste, a small amount of quicklime is enough to combat them. Before doing so, please take precautions to avoid skin and eye contact with the corrosive material. Sprinkle a handful of quicklime in the maggot-infested organic waste bin and close the lid. It is important to note that you only use quicklime against maggots outdoors and never in closed rooms.

    Extinguishing quicklime - how does it work?

    When slaking quicklime, water is simply added to it

    When quicklime is slaked, the water that was almost completely removed during production in the blast furnace is fed back into the material. The chemical reaction is correspondingly violent, combined with the development of high temperatures. How to extinguish quicklime yourself:

    1. Put on rubber boots, protective clothing, gloves and an eye mask
    2. toss a handful of quicklime granules into a vat or large bucket
    3. Fill the watering can with water
    4. Douse the quicklime with a fine spray in stages
    5. stir occasionally to check the consistency
    6. add more small amounts of quicklime if necessary

    Quicklime greedily sucks up every drop of water and initially crumbles into powder under the great heat generated. With a larger amount of water you slake quicklime to lime slurry, the so-called swamp lime.

    frequently asked Questions

    What is quicklime good for?

    In the construction industry, quicklime plays an important role in the manufacture of lime mortar, lime plaster and lime paint. In the garden, quicklime acts as a fast-acting fertilizer, powerful remedy against horsetail, moss and other weeds. Furthermore, some hobby gardeners resort to quicklime to combat pests and diseases. In the household, burnt lime is useful against maggots in the bio bin or as a disinfectant for the chicken coop.

    Where can you get quicklime?

    It may be due to its hazardous properties that you cannot easily buy quicklime off store shelves in most regions. For example, Obi has banned unslaked quicklime from its range and primarily offers slaked lime for do-it-yourselfers. The Raiffeisen markets do not have these concerns and offer burnt lime under the product name Gärtnerglück. You can buy quicklime online from Amazon, Unkrautvernichter-shop.de and various specialist dealers for agriculture who are also happy to supply hobby gardeners, such as Baywa.de.

    Is quicklime dangerous for dogs?

    Please prescribe strict indoor rest for your dog if you use burnt lime in the garden, in the stable or in the bio bin. Slaked and unslaked quicklime is a hazardous substance for all living beings. For your four-legged friend, direct contact of sensitive paws and a sniffing nose with caustic quicklime is to be avoided at all costs.

    tips

    In contrast to burnt lime, garden lime (€9.70) scores with convincing advantages without a downside. Garden lime is neither toxic nor corrosive. The application in the family garden is safe for children and pets. The only downside is that the effect of garden lime as a biological fertilizer takes a little longer than burnt lime.

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Garden design