What were the results and recommendations for improvement? According to the website AllAboutLawns.com, the best time to apply lime to soil is before your lawn is planted. Different plants prefer different pH levels. A variety of factors influence pH in the earth of your lawn or garden, including nutrient content, rainfall, fertilizer use, and soil type. Pelleted limestone has become preferred over powdered form, mostly because it’s easier to apply. If you live on the East Coast like I do, there’s enough rainfall to cause alkaline nutrients to leach out of the dirt, thereby increasing its acidity. Apply it easily with a broadcast spreader. Dolomitic lime (calcium magnesium carbonate) is comprised of the mineral dolomite. The two types of lime that gardeners should become familiar with are agricultural lime and dolomite lime. Buy Your Lime. In many parts of the country, adding lime to your lawn is as essential as mowing it. Her background includes landscape and floral design, a BS in business from Villanova University, and a Certificate of Merit in floral design from Longwood Gardens. Pulverized and bound into pellets, this product generates less dust than non-pelletized types. Apply half of the recommended amount of lime by walking back and forth horizontally with the spreader, then add the second half by walking vertically. 7 of the Best Garden Hose Reels, How to Battle Colorado Potato Beetles in Your Garden. If yours is sandy, it may not be able to buffer properly to avoid becoming acidic. If your soil pH is below 5.5, your lawn won’t grow well. I BELIEVE IT IS ACIDIC. Lime adds these two essential elements to the soil, but it is more commonly used to correct the soil pH. In a general sense, 100 pounds of lime spread over 1,000 square feet will raise the pH level of your soil by one point. The plain pulverized version is generally cheaper and breaks down faster. To understand soil nutrients better, I consulted a paper titled Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms by horticulturist Barbara Bromley of the Master Gardeners of Mercer County, an arm of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension in New Jersey. By understanding how lime helps lawns and why you may need lime, you can help your lawn reach its full potential. It sounds like the soil beneath the lawns in your area tends to be acidic. Spring is a great time to test your soil, and you can apply lime between fall and early spring. I do organic gardening and regularly add natural soil amendments based on the pH of the soil and needs of the plants I’m growing. Be sure to read package labels before purchasing lime products. Only a soil test will tell. To summarize, liming isn’t a fall task that all homeowners with lawns should routinely perform. Without lime, lawn grasses may be unable to benefit from the nutrients in your soil, including those you add through fertilizers. Liming a lawn that doesn’t need it is a waste of time and money, and liming soil that is already highly alkaline may affect soil health and result in a sickly, yellow lawn. Adds desirable nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus, and increases bacterial activity to improve soil structure. In general, a lawn’s pH level should be between 6.0 and 7.0. Liming New Lawns. We have a comprehensive guide on soil testing here on Gardener’s Path. Have warm-season grass? Lime is a soil amendment made from a limestone rock that contains magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Granular lime pellets are most commonly used in a spreading machine and that’s the reason they are easy to spread evenly. There are several types of lime and your local garden center can help you determine the best type for your grass, soil type and climate. They also contribute calcium and magnesium to soil. If you live in a non-agricultural area, the calcitic lime can be tough to find, so other types may be your only option. However, because pelletized lime is more processed, it also tends to be more expensive by weight. A lawn that is patchy, yellow/brown/dead, weedy, mossy, shallow-rooted, or all of the above may or may not need lime. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Pelletized lime is very similar to ground ag lime, but easier to apply in this pellet form. To make your lawn less acidic, you can apply lime. the Soil Savvy Test Kit available on Amazon, your nearest agricultural extension service, Read more about understanding the kind of dirt, effective neutralizing material, ENM, and effective liming material, ELM, Chickens in the Garden: What You Need to Know, 9 Cauliflower Head Disorders and How to Avoid Them, Into the Cloning Vats: Easily Propagating African Violets, Color Your Garden Brightly with Painted Daisy, The Best Sun-Protective Gear for Gardeners, Reel It In! Tampering with soil pH and nutrients may ruin a healthy lawn and take years to remediate. Lime quality varies from place to place, so to gauge it you can ask about its effective neutralizing value. However, if they are failing to thrive, I recommend a soil test to determine the pH, and a review of the plants themselves, to determine their acidity preferences. Don’t lime during frosty weather. Lime by soil test recommendations. Testing reveals not only the pH level, but nutrient deficiencies and excesses as well. Scotts Turf Builder Classic Drop Spreader. A pH or nutrient imbalance inhibits this process. Both types of agricultural lime contain traces of additional elements, and it’s the amount of pure calcium carbonate that distinguishes the best products. Uncredited photos via Shutterstock. Limestone naturally contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. The ideal for most turf grass is about 6.0 to 7.0. Most plants prefer a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. See our TOS for more details. https://goo.gl/SraXXQ ...Click here to buy your lime! In dirt with acidity above pH 6.5, there may be deficiencies in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, or molybdenum. Should I do anything for my beds? The pH of soil is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a mixture of dirt plus distilled water. Don’t spread lime on a dry, wilted lawn or a soggy, wet lawn. It also has a positive effect on soil structure, creating more airspace in clay dirt and compacting sandy soil for better airflow and moisture retention. For us to know the best lime to go for, we need to understand what lime is. Product photos via Soil Savvy, Tractor Supply Company, Soil Doctor, and Scotts. Read more articles about General Lawn Care. For example, bone meal boosts calcium and phosphorus. Before you begin, a few liming lawn tips should be considered. Water lightly after your lime lawn treatment to help the soil absorb the lime. Actually an element called calcium sulfate. Pellets tend to be pricier, and they are made with a binding agent that must break down before the lime can work its way into the earth. Thank you, Willow. If you’ve enjoyed this article, see these guides for more information on lawns and grass: © Ask the Experts, LLC. Liming was a tradition at my dad’s house, so when caring for the lawn became my job, I intended to do the same – that is, until I learned it’s not a one-size-fits-all application. I switch between dolomitic and calcitic depending on mg needs there is a Grassfactor YouTube video in lime and seems research points to proper rates holding pH for 2-3 years. Types of lime to apply to a lawn: Agricultural limestone or "Ag lime" is a finely granulated calcitic limestone. The other type of lime sold by gardening centers is often called aglime or agricultural lime. This way, your criss-cross pattern ensures the grass is evenly and completely covered. With an ample hopper and heavy-duty frame, this multi-purpose spreader adjusts as needed to apply lime, feed, or seed. Calcitic lime (calcium carbonate) comes from limestone, chalk, or marlstone. ft. When it comes to the best time to aerate lawn, most people think it’s spring. If you live a rainy area where acid-loving plants such as rhododendrons and camellias thrive, your soil is likely acidic and may benefit from lime lawn treatment. Many gardeners prefer to lime just before the first frost in fall because the soil has all winter to absorb the lime. Plants like grass require nutrients that are water soluble, so roots can take them up for healthy growth. Love that you are an organic gardener in tune with your plants’ needs. You may “sweeten” acidic soil with two types of agricultural limestone: Calcitic lime (calcium carbonate) comes from limestone, chalk, or marlstone. By hand readily it will act to raise the soil available from Tractor Supply.... 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