Hmmm do you think that could be the cause of the very high ph of my well water? I have always wondered how in the world it could come out so high in ph yet so low in ppm (granted it was a pretty cheapo meter) and also it feels like the soft water ( when I was a kid we had incredibly hard well water for a long time until we could finally afford a softener and I remeber the change and the feeling of it and felt it when I moved here from city water). My well is also 320ish feet through pretty much straight clay also if that gives you any indication. Well water test next month though so I will for sure find out more!
Also with all this... you think basalt over gypsum in my mix since I have so many Ca inputs already right?
Depends on what is in your water. Find out what is in your water before you make changes to your soil.
That being said, if you're not getting any scaling on your faucets then Calcium likely isn't the issue for you here. But, as "Cannabineer" pointed out, it isn't so much the Calcium but the bicarbonate that buffers the pH. Calcium bicarbonate just happens to be the most common.
Once you get the results from your water test, you'll know for sure.
That said, are you experiencing any issues with pH in your soil itself? Because your water's pH could be an 8.0, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it will affect the pH of your soil itself unless it is a strong enough buffer to actually have an effect on the soil's pH itself.
Also, consider that most of what I say is regurgitating Clackamas Coot's knowledge, combined with my own personal experience and the knowledge resulting from it. That said, his original mineral blend was 4 cups per cuft: I believe it was 1.5c GRD, .5c gypsum, 1c basalt, and 1c OSF. He then switched it to a full 4c of basalt and nothing else, due to a variety of factors.
For one, he stopped incorporating OSF into his soil mix in favor of giving it to his worms as worms love OSF for grit. This enables him to use his EWC as a pH buffer. The idea of EWC as a pH buffer seems crazy, but if you make them yourself like Coots does it is possible. Sources below.
He also eliminated gypsum due to its calcium content, citing that he only needed the sulfur from it and not the calcium. This is why he favors using Basalt exclusively, as do I. That being said, it depends on
your own personal soil blend, the inputs you're using/have available, and your water.
As for GRD, it is mediocre at best when compared to other mineral inputs.
No matter your growing goals, worm castings can help you get there faster and more efficiently. Let’s look at the benefits of worm castings and why you should consider this soil amendment for your own
sohumsoils.com
"Through digestion they help release soil nutrients such as nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and calcium. In fact, so much calcium is released from the soil they ingest that the pH of worm castings is often close to neutral (7.0)."
"Castings act as a buffer against soil pH extremes and facilitate nutrient absorption."
Learn about the benefits of organic worm castings packed with plant food nutrients & minerals perfect for all plants & flowers in your indoor or outdoor garden.
earthwormtechnologies.com
"and finally, high quality worm castings buffer soil pH since they tend to run pH neutral"
I've learned a lot, both through research and mostly fucking things up. I certainly don't know everything, but I'm happy to share what little knowledge I've gathered throughout the past decade.
HTH