Bore Water

I have bore water access and use it on my gardens, its crystal clear but high in calcium, so some of my normal garden plants suffer from nutrient lock out.

Is high calcium water a bad idea for mels mix?, or is there an option to combat it, I ask as house water pressure is dismal, but my bore water pressure is exceptional

Steve

Simso wrote:Is high calcium water a bad idea for mels mix?, or is there an option to combat it, I ask as house water pressure is dismal, but my bore water pressure is exceptional

Too much calcium in soil can be bad for plants since it can lock out other needed nutrients, such as magnesium.  High calcium levels in the soil will also cause elevated pH levels.  But, you need to test the soil to determine if you actually have elevated calcium levels in the soil.  If you do, you can correct the levels by application of agricultural limestone.

To prevent too much calcium being added to your raised beds, you might consider using a filter on your bore tap to remove the calcium from the water before it is applied to the gardens.

https://www.amazon.com/Waterdrop-Protector-Certified-Compatible-Gardening/dp/B089CZ4HDJ/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=calcium+water+filter&qid=1651322803&sr=8-7

Never knew a filter product like that existed, just made my day, now need to read more on it

Re the limestone, thought that is what caused high calcium to start with, our bore is drilled into a limstone base

I was about to say the same thing Simso. In Perth, where I gardened on the coast and the reticulation came from limestone aquifers, we would sometimes use foliar sprays of iron and manganese to address nutrient deficiencies. We would also broadcast agricultural sulphur pellets.

Perth is where I am, and yep, our bore water is from a limetsone base.

TY Ohiogardener for the link to the filter. 

I'm trying to collect and use rain water for the garden. But our area has lots of limestone caves, the National Spelunking Society has headquarters here. 

We do get a white calcium deposit (I assume?) on faucets. We use a product to clean  faucets and sinks inside called "Lime Away."   I rely upon my dh to know about minerals.  How do I test for them?  Oh wait, you said having it in the water does not necessarily translate to a buildup in the Mel's Mix.  Right.  So we test the MM, not the water. 

Can anyone point me to which soil tester I should buy for at home testing?  Or do I have to send off to the cooperative extension service?  Thanks. 

I don't have a "well" -- bore, I assume.  But before we got the rainwater set up, I was using tap water to start wetting down the first Mel's Mix.  I let it run on through the valve in the bottom of the beds, and hope very little stayed around.   If we run short of rain water we will have to resort to tap water.