farming lime is a conditioning factor that many folks utilise to their lawn , vegetable gardens , flower layer , and pastures . If you ’re not sure whether it ’s right for you , say on !
Is your green goddess luxuriant , like a thick green carpeting , or is it mar by bare patches and weeds ? Do you have problems maturate canonic folio lettuce in your veggie plot ?
One reason your lawn or veggie garden may be in distraint is that the dirt is too acidic , and this is where we ’ll begin our discussion of lime .
We yoke to seller to help you find relevant products . If you corrupt from one of our links , we may earn a delegation .
Here ’s the card :
What You’ll Learn
A Little Chemistry
The pH of filth is a touchstone of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a mixture of poop plus distilled pee . Knowing this establishes whether we have acidic or alkalic ground . Neutral is 7.0 .
Numbers below 7.0 represent acidity , and those above signify alkalinity . Different plants prefer different pH levels . The ideal for most turf grass is about 6.0 to 7.0 .
Soil Savvy Test Kit
To determine the pH of earth in your garden , use a production like the Soil Savvy Test Kit , available on Amazon , or contactyour close agricultural extension service servicefor a outfit .
Testing divulge not only the pH level , but nutritious lack and excesses as well . plant like dope ask nutrient that are piss soluble , so roots can take them up for intelligent increase . A pH or nutrient imbalance inhibits this cognitive operation .
We have a comprehensive guidebook on soil testinghere on Gardener ’s Path .
A multifariousness of agent influence pH in the land of your lawn or garden , includingnutrient content , rainfall , fertilizer use , andsoil type . countenance ’s talk about each .
Nutrient Content
To understand soil nutrients intimately , I confab a paper titledNutrient Deficiency Symptomsby plantsman Barbara Bromley of theMaster Gardeners of Mercer County , an arm of theRutgers Cooperative Extensionin New Jersey .
Soil hold primary macronutrients include nitrogen , phosphorus , and potassium ; secondary macronutrients calcium , magnesium , and atomic number 16 ; and micronutrient manganese , iron , boron , molybdenum , Zn , and copper color .
In soil with acidulousness above pH 6.5 , there may be want in nitrogen , atomic number 15 , potassium , Mg , or molybdenum . In gain , food like aluminium , atomic number 26 , and atomic number 12 may become toxic in the presence of excess acidity .
The implications of such deficiencies include things like yellowing from decreased chlorophyll , withering of leaf blade , poor winter tolerance , sluggish - knitting sod , poor growth , reddish leafage tips , crushed resistance to disease , and reduction in turf tightness .
There are numerous natural and chemical applications available to amend nutrient want determinedby soil testing . For example , bone mealboosts Ca and phosphorus .
A note of interest : Nitrogen is so changeable thathome test kitsgenerally do n’t measure it . you’re able to curb N insufficiency by mowing on a regular basis and letting the weed snip stay where they come . They also contribute calcium and Mg to ground .
Rainfall
If you dwell on the East Coast like I do , there ’s enough rainfall to cause alkaline nutrients to leach out of the dirt , thereby increasing its sour . As you travel west , dirt be given to be more alkaline .
Fertilizer
If you fertilize on a regular basis , or your grass absorbs runoff from neighboring properties , ammonium ion and/or an overabundance of nutrient like atomic number 7 and daystar may increase acidity .
Soil Type
Soil has a character make out as buffering capacity , aka reserve acidity , that is great in the presence of remains and rich organic matter . grease that can buffer modification in pH is less likely to become too acidic or alkalic .
If yours is flaxen , it may not be able to buffer properly to avoid becoming acid . Read more about understanding the form of dirtthat you may have in your plot of land .
Reducing Acidity
neutralize acid soil helps to control effective nutritious intake so dope is healthy and attractive . It also has a positive impression on soil structure , make more air space in clay crap and compacting arenaceous ground for beneficial airflow and wet retentivity . This appendage is called flocculation .
You may “ sweeten ” acidic soil with two types of agricultural limestone :
If your dirt is acidulent , and the alimentary content is adequate , the calcitic type is the unspoiled pick . Conversely , if your dirt is acidic and lacks magnesium , dolomitic Citrus aurantifolia is the more desirable option .
Both types of agricultural lime contain trace of additional elements , and it ’s the amount of sodding calcium carbonate that distinguish the proficient products . The atomic number 20 carbonate equivalent , orCCE , is factored into calculationsto institute the recommend number of pounds per acre . Lime is also judged by its fineness , as measure by the ability to pass through meshwork screen of dissimilar sizes .
Other family for order admit in force neutralizing cloth , ENM , and in force liming material , ELM , but they are beyond the oscilloscope of this clause . Knowing the staple will help you pick out quality Cartesian product .
Buying and Applying
If examination indicates the need for either calcitic or dolomitic lime , you may like the following products .
Pelletized Dolomitic Limestone via TSC
Pelletized dolomitic limestone isavailable from Tractor Supply Company .
Pulverized and rebound into shot , this product generates less dust than non - pelletized types . Apply it easily with a broadcast spreader .
software system contain 40 Cypriot pound , enough to scatter over 1,000 square feet .
Signature High - Calcium Pelletized Limestone
Pelletized calcitic limestone by Signature isavailable from the Home Depotin 40 - pound bag , for 1,000 square feet of applications programme with a broadcast broadcaster .
The Scotts Push Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader isavailable from Tractor Supply .
With an ample hopper and labored - duty chassis , this multi - purpose spreader adjusts as need to apply basswood , feed , or ejaculate .
Scotts EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader
I recommend pellets , but there are also pulverized product available that have not been bound into pellets . The selection is up to you .
pellet tend to be pricey , and they are made with a binding agent that must soften down before the lime can work its direction into the ground . The manifestly pulverized version is mostly cheaper and fall apart down faster . However , it is such a all right powder that the slightest breeze makes it airborne and pose an aspiration risk .
Be sure to read software labels before buy lime mathematical product . Do n’t obscure calcitic and dolomitic agricultural limestone with non - agrarian quick lime ( calcium oxide ) , and quench / hydrated lime ( calcium hydroxide ) , which are used in a variety of app from cook and papermaking to grammatical construction and water treatment .
You may also do across liquid lime ( chelated calcium ) for spraying directly onto the foliage of atomic number 20 - lacking plants .
Fall is a good time to apply lime to your lawn or vegetable garden , so it has a chance to work into the grease before the next grow season . A reduction in sourness may take space in the first year , or over several years , depending upon your lawn ’s unique conditions . Once the acidulousness is cut , nutrient consumption will meliorate , and so should the appearance of your lawn .
If your lawn does n’t meliorate , prove the dirt again . Sometimes we give our grass too much love and end up at the paired end of the pH spectrum with too much alkalinity , iron issues , and pitiful nutrient uptake .
Drawing Conclusions
Liming was a tradition at my dad ’s household , so when deal for the lawn became my business , I intended to do the same – that is , until I learned it ’s not a one - size of it - convulsion - all program .
Back in the day , Dad evaluated ours by considering where we lived and what grew there . The yard was full of virulent - lovers includingboxwood , cypress , California fern , andrhododendron bush , as well as some boney finger grass , dandelion , plantain , andsorrel . As it turn out , his pH judgment was an accurate one .
The Bottom Line
To summarize , liming is n’t a tumble undertaking that all homeowners with lawns should routinely do .
If your lawn is beautiful , do not tot up lime . Grass that responds well to good precaution requires neither window pane diminution , nor the addition of calcium or magnesium . meddle with soil pH and nutrients may ruin a good for you lawn and take years to remediate .
A lawn that is patchy , yellow / brown / dead , weedy , moss-grown , shoal - rooted , or all of the above may or may not need lime . Only a soil test will tell .
If you ’ve bask this clause , see these guides for more information onlawns and grass :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally published February 3rd , 2019 . Last update May 8th , 2023 . Cartesian product photograph via Soil Savvy , Tractor Supply Company , theme song , and Scotts . Uncredited photos via Shutterstock .
About
Nan Schiller
