The final pH you wish to achieve will depend on your cropping program. Growth of field crops grown in rotation with potatoes may be better at a pH greater than 5.7. It is a good source of both Caand Mg for plant nutrition and neutralizes soil acidity. More generally, the term 'calcitic limestone' is used to mean a limestone with very little Mg. The rates of fertilizer mixes required to supply those plant nutrients still needs to be calculated and depends on your choice of fertilizer mix.
Many plant nutrients occur in the soil as positively charged cations.
The ability of a soil to hold these plant nutrient cations from being leached and lost from the soil is important to maintaining soil fertility. Clay or organic matter in the soil are negatively charged and contribute to the soil's ability to hold these nutrient cations. Ranges of CEC associated with soil textures are presented in Table One . K, Mg, and Ca are plant nutrient cations. H and Na are other cations normally present in the soil.