In horticulture, lime sulfur (British spelling lime sulphur) is a mixture of calcium polysulfides formed by reacting calcium hydroxide with sulfur, used in pest control. It can be prepared by boiling calcium hydroxide and sulfur together with a small amount of surfactant. It is normally used as an aqueous solution, which is reddish-yellow in colour and has a distinctive offensive odour.
A (New York State Agricultural Experiment Station) recipe for the concentrate is 80 lb. sulfur, 36 lb. high grade quicklime, and 50 gallons of water. 2.25:1 is the ratio (by weight) for compounding sulfur and quicklime; this makes the highest proportion of pentasulfide. If hydrated lime is used, an increase by 1/3 or more (to 48 lb. or more) might be used with the 80 lb. of sulfur. If the quicklime is 85%, 90%, or 95% pure, use 42 lb, 40 lb, or 38 lb; if impure hydrated lime is used, similarly increase its quantity. Avoid using lime that is less than 90% pure. Boil for an hour, stirring and adding small amounts of hot water to compensate for evaporation.
Famous quotes containing the word lime:
“Seeing then that truth consisteth in the right ordering of names in our affirmations, a man that seeketh precise truth had need to remember what every name he uses stands for, and to place it accordingly, or else he will find himself entangled in words, as a bird in lime twigs, the more he struggles, the more belimed.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)