Container Substrate-pH Response to Differing Limestone Type and Particle Size

The objective of this study was to develop reactivity indices to describe the pH response for liming materials incorporated into container substrates. Three reactivity indices [particle size efficiency (PSE), fineness factor (FF), and effective calcium carbonate equivalence (ECC)] were developed based on lime particle size distribution and lime neutralizing value (NV) in CaCO3 equivalent. Six lime particle size fractions (2000 to 850, 850 to 250, 250 to 150, 150 to 75, 75 to 45, and 3 when mixed in a sphagnum peat substrate at 5 g CaCO3 equivalents per liter of peat. PSE for calcitic carbonate limes at day 7 (short-term pH response) were 0.13, 0.40, 0.78, 0.97, 1.00, and 1.00 for 2000 to 850, 850 to 250, 250 to 150, 150 to 75, 75 to 45, and