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Any one used powdered concrete as a lime substitute?

As a fairly common waste product of building/renovating it would be a handy to be able to use it on the garden

Experiance/opinions?

I would say not. Concrete has all sorts of things added and is potentially toxic, lime on the other hand is a purer product. I have never heard of anyone putting concrete on the garden, not that I have ever used lime either.

Agricultural/garden Lime and Hydrated Builders Lime are different. Builders lime can also be used but you need much less and be careful as hydrated lime is caustic! Here's a link to tech advice from the RHS http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/pro ... px?pid=144

Have heard of concrete rubble being used for hardcore or to make new concrete and made raised beds myself many years back from broken paving slabs.

I wouldn't be worried about too many nasties from concrete, it's an inert material and that's what the problem is. It's just going to sit there, relatively unchanged over a very long period of time. It's a replacement for general aggregate (eg. gravel) but won't have the alkaline benefits of lime for soil application.

Nay then

Thanks

I'd say not really either and would agree it would most likey be almost completely inert , however would add that if you or anyone did choose to use it to be careful handling it and werar a mask at the very least. Powdered concrete is likey to contain very small pieces of quartz which can cause all sorts of breathing related problems such as silicosis.


Pete