Ha! I laugh at your calcium. HA!!
What movie is that from? Anyway...
My entire neighborhood is build on the grounds of a limestone quarry. They were working in our direction when the quality of the limestone got muddy, so they moved to whiter pastures, so to speak. My "soil" is white limestone rubble and dust. The pH is above 8 and our St Augustine thrives in it. Of course it does not thrive under all natural conditions but for the most part, it does very well. And our water comes from a limestone aquifer. We can't win for losing.
Here's what you need to do.
1. Never test for calcium again. It just doesn't matter.
2. Water normally (once a week for as long as you need to water so the grass will survive for a week). I water for 1-3 hours per zone depending on the weather.
3. When you get a heavy rain that lasts for days, RUN to the garden store and get enough Greensand to cover your yard at 40 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Apply it before the rains stop and you'll have the ONLY grass that's green in 2 weeks. Every other lawn will have leached out what little acidity has built up at the surface and all the iron in the soil will be glued to the alkaline soil particles. All the other lawns will be yellow - not dead, but bright yellow. There's just nothing you can do to prevent that. Greensand is the only cure (unless you just wait until spring).
_________________ David Hall Moderator Dirt Doctor Lawns Forum
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