I have Tums and I understand my peppers love calcium Tums are mostly calcium. I've heard you can grind up the Tums and mix it with water for the peppers. Sounds reason able. Anyone do this? How about other calcium tablets?
Paul
Tums contain calcium carbonate but this would have to be the most expensive fertiliser you have ever bought. Very roughly you add lime (calcium carbonate) or gypsum (calcium sulphate) at a handfull per square metre (yard). How many tums does it take to make a handfull? How much would that cost? You can buy a 5kg (10lb) bag of lime or gypsum for a few dollars and bigger bags at less per kg.
If you really want to grow good veges look at the soil as a whole rather than focus on one element. For example if your soil pH was already over 7 you wouldn't want to add calcium carbonate which will raise it even further. Unless your peppers are showing signs of calcium deficiency I wouldn't worry about it. It's a question of finding balance not of finding a magic ingredient.
David
A little crushed up drywall or plaster of Paris works too. Or, put an eggshell or piece of sidewalk chalk in a blender with a cup of water. For magnesium, I use epsom salts (1 T per 2 gallon water) on my pepper plants every 3 weeks.
He's looking for calcium, not magnesium. I think it's very silly to be messing up a blender or wasting time and energy not to mention wasting building products when any gardening department sells huge bags of granular lime for real cheap.... granular is so much neater and is time release.
Why... do your peppers have hemorrhiods?
I forgot to mention I am growing these in pots. They occupy a 22 inch and an 18 inch pot filled with new potting soil. The leaves do show signs of calcium deficiency as shown in various pictures I have seen. The leaves tend to be crinkled and often slightly malformed.
I already have the Tums, I just did not kow how much to use. I know I can buy bone meal and other forms of calcium at the store. I have no source for gypsum other than to raid a construction site.
Paul
Calcium deficiency is usually a problem in the transport of calcium from the soil to the fruit. Over watering, and over fertilizing are usually the problem. I suspect that you over fertilized with chemferts, or over watered (blocking oxygen). Make sure you have good drainage, and only use manure, fish emulsion, or an organic fertilizer that is no more than
10-10-10 (preferably a quarter that).Also see:
...
I use 1/4 the fertilizer dose for potted plants, particularly when using inorganic fertilizers. Fish emulsion is another good choice, assuming the pepper plants are outdoors.
All I have is Scott's miracle grow GP fertilizer. They've gotten a light feeding once a week. The drainage is quite good as I get a trickle out from the bottom of the pot. I am watering the peppers less lately, about every other day. I'll see what the garden center has.
Paul
If that's the case then I must be over fertilizing. They get about a half pint of Miracle Grow every week. I'll try the emulsion if I can find it.
Paul
What is the recommend interval for feeding? With fish emulsion, it is every two weeks and that is 5-1-1 or less. Even farmers will over fertilize, they consider it a form of crop insurance, but it doesn't work that way. When I looked up growing peppers, the recommendation was for 3 - 4 tons of chicken manure/acre. That works out to 18 lbs/100sq.ft. and then that again half way through the season. I plan to use less.
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100 sq.ft. = 0.0022956841 acre. 8,000#/acre = 18.37#/ 100 sq.ft. Side dress with 11.5#/100 sq.ft.
As others have said calcium deficiency is often related to watering.
If you use the tums, assuming they are 100% calcium carbonate, grind them up finely and sprinkle about a rounded teaspoon in each pot. Mixing with water won't do much because it is only slightly soluble in water at neutral pH.
Bone meal is approximately calcium phosphate which is good in that it supplies phosphorus as well as calcium but it is less soluble and will take longer to work especially if it isn't finely ground.
David
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