Should I use calcitic or dolomitic lime?
You normally use dolomitic lime on sandy soils. Sandy soils don’t have any way to hold magnesium or calcium. Both are needed for plant growth and should be added regularly. The only way to tell which lime you need to use on clay soils is with a soil test. Clay soils with high magnesium levels perform poorly. They will develop more cracks and have a tighter structure. These soils don’t need additional magnesium. Look for the magnesium base saturation (Mg BS) percentage on a soil test. The ideal Mg BS is 10%. Clay soils with Mg BS over 20% should get calcitic lime. Local experts may have developed a rule of thumb for certain soils.
