Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a collection of questions and answers related to our products. You will also find term definitions, tips, etc. that we at Pacific Calcium Inc. think may be of interest to our site visitors.

We encourage you to fill in our questions, tips, & suggestions form if you cannot find the information you are looking for. Please keep your submissions related to organic farming or gardening.

1. What is humus?
2. What are the characteristics of humus?
3. What are humic acids?
4. What do humic acids do?
5. What is soil composed of?
6. What does tilth mean?
7. What is soil acidity and Ph?
8. What is Lime?
9. What is the history of Lime?
10. What does calcium do?

What is humus?

A complex black substance that is created when organic matter decomposes. It is the glue that holds the particles together in what we call soil.

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What are the characteristics of humus?

• Its origin can no longer be identified.
• It resists further decomposition.
• It has lost all its protein, fiber, sugar, etc.

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What are humic acids?

The water-soluble organic acids that are naturally present in soil organic matter.

What do humic acids do?

They physically improve the soil, chemically improve the properties of the soil, and biologically stimulate the plants.

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What is soil composed of?

5% organic matter (humus), 45% rock minerals (clay, calcium rock, silica), 25% air, and 25% water.

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What does tilth mean?

Tilth is the term used to describe the overall soil quality.

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What is soil acidity and pH?

Soil becomes more "acid" when hydrogen ions replace other nutrient ions, such as magnesium and phosphorus, on the surface of the soil particles. The replaced ions leach downward in the soil water. Thus, the hydrogen ion level increases, which in turn, increases the acidity level. An increase in hydrogen ions can be attributed to the decomposition of organic matter, or to the addition of ammonia-based fertilizers.

"pH" is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions. A lower pH value means the greater the soil acidity.

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What is Lime?

Lime is the term used for crushed limestone. Limestone is mined as rock and is crushed mechanically to varying degrees of fineness. In most cases, lime is comprised primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), also called calcite.

Some limestones may contain relatively high (5% to 12%) amounts of magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃) as well as CaCO₃. These materials are called dolomites. Dolomite should only be used in situations where soil analysis has shown a definite need for magnesium.

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What is the history of Lime?

The agricultural benefits of applying Lime to soil have been known since the time of the Roman Empire, but Lime was first used specifically to change soil acidity levels in the mid-1800's by Virginia farmer Edmund Ruffin.

While this ability to neutralize soil acids is recognized to improve the availability of many nutrients, work in the decades around the Second World War by Dr. William A. Albrecht showed that calcium is also a key nutritional element.

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What does Calcium do?

Calcium (Limestone) is an essential nutrient for building strong cell walls, the building block of all plants. Stronger cell walls equate to a healthier, stress-resistant plant.

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