Your soil is chock full of chemical reactions. This reacts with that to form something else. While it isn’t crucial to fully understand this stuff, read on if you’re interested in the specifics of what actually happens when limestone is applied:
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1)The chemical symbol for typical limestone is CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate). In the soil, there are many H+ (hydrogen) ions that combine with vital nutrients. By doing so, the H+ ions form new compounds that are not usable to the plant.
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2)When the limestone is applied, it first breaks apart into separate ions as follows: CaCO3 -----> Ca2+ and CO32-.
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3)Since opposites attract, the double negative charge of the CO32- will attract two hydrogen ions to form carbonic acid: H+ + H+ + CO32- = H2CO3
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4)Luckily for us, the carbonic acid is very volatile and does not last long. Interestingly though, it does not break up back into the original hydrogen and carbonate ions. Instead, it splits in the following way:
