What Are Signs You Need To Lime Your Lawn
A soil pH test is always required to determine if lime is right for your lawn, but here are some other indicators your yard needs help:
There are a lot of weeds Many weeds prefer acidic soil, so when your soils pH is too low, an abundance of weeds will grow. Typically, healthy lawns are able to choke out most weeds on their own.
Fertilizing does not have an impact If your lawn does not green-up after fertilizing it, the soil pH might be too acidic. If the soil pH is too acidic, the grassroots will not take up nutrients, and the lawn becomes dull and then browns.
Too Many Lawn Pests Healthy lawns keep pests in check. When too many lawn pests begin bugging you or the lawn, it could be because the lawn is not thriving.
Drought and Stress During a drought, most grasses slow production so that only the most essential part of the grass receives nutrients. During the rainy season, when the lawn is recovering from the drought, applying lime can help your grass regain its vibrance.
How To Apply Lime
Lime should only be applied to a dry lawn, and never to a lawn that is dormant, wilted, or stressed. Limestone is most effective at changing the soil pH when it is mixed in with the top 5 inches of soil, which means its easier to adjust your soils pH before planting grass seed or laying sod than it is to add it to an established lawn. Once youve applied lime to correct your soils pH, chances are you will not have to re-lime for several years.
Before adding lime to an established lawn, aerate the lawn with a core aerator to open up space for the lime to move into the soil. Next, using a drop or rotary spreader , apply the limestone to your lawn. Apply half while walking over your lawn in one direction, then apply the other half in a direction that is perpendicular to your first. This will ensure that every part of your lawn is covered with lime.
What Does Lime Do For Your Lawn
Whether it is a sustainable landscape you are after, as we discussed in our previous blog, or just an aesthetically pleasing landscape to wow your neighbors and visitors, the health of your soil is paramount. Soil compaction can be a large problem, caused by foot traffic, making it harder for water to reach the necessary areas of your soil. Similarly, the pH level of your soil can also be an issue, with too much acidity being detrimental to your landscape. In the northeast, this is especially common. The best way to alleviate this problem is with the addition of lime to the soil of your lawn. This may be a foreign concept to many, but in this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know about lime and its benefits to your yard.
Lime: What is it?
A soil amendment that is composed of limestone rock, it naturally possesses calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate that work in unison to increase the pH of your soil, decreasing acidity. Calcium and magnesium are both essential nutrients for your plants, but here lime is not working in a fertilizer capacity. However, when the pH level is increased, and thus the health of the soil, nutrients are more readily available for your turf and plants.
When to Apply Lime
Flat Out Benefits of Lime Application
Leave Lime Application to the Professionals
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Video Benefits Of Adding Lime To Your Lawn
Is it good to put lime on your lawn? Learn the benefits of lime application.
Lime for the lawn provides grass with many benefits:
- Amount of decaying matter in the dirt
- What kind of soil it is
How many nutrients leach from the soil and how often they leach is a difficult thing to gauge without the help of a test because the conditions are truly different for everyone.
Lending A Hand To Beneficial Bacteria
Im a huge proponent of supporting healthy soil and feeding and supporting your soil as the key to a healthy lawn.
Lime assists good bacteria and fungi when it comes to breaking down dead plant matter. This can include things like old grass cuttings and various forms of organic fertilizer. Lime is a natural food for these friendly microbes, and works especially well when working in conjunction with compost.
Homeowners with kids and pets who prefer to use organic treatments on their lawn will be glad to know that lime is an excellent addition to their natural lawn remedy arsenal.
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In What Other Ways Does Lime Help The Lawn
Lime acts as a tonic for sick soil filled with disease and insects. Diseases such as club root and clover sickness can stem from soil that lacks certain nutrients. Since adding lime helps make the necessary nutrients available, the process can help heal sick soil.
Many insects find lime very distasteful, which means common insects, like slugs, wireworms and other lawn pests wont stick around in soil treated with it. Lime can also be harmful to some types of insect pests.
A Dash Of Lime Just What The Doctor Ordered
Lime is a mineral that contains mostly calcium carbonate and, in some cases, magnesium carbonate.
Calcium is needed for the regulation of other minerals in the soil including copper, phosphorus, and zinc.
Directly depositing lime onto the ground is like injecting your grass with a tonic that enables it to maintain a bright green hue.
It also helps the grass defend itself against high temperatures, water shortages, and the stress it endures from foot traffic.
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What Is Overliming Injury
Calcium is needed in the soil for good root development, but the soil can have too much. When too much lime is applied, the soil has too much calcium and becomes alkaline. Some elements in the soil needed for proper plant growth are not soluble in alkaline soil:
- Zinc
- Manganese
- Boron
These elements are needed in small amounts for plants to grow properly. When these elements are not available, plants suffer and often become chlorotic, gaining a yellow color in the process.
You can correct overliming by applying sulfur. More than one application may be necessary to get your soil back to the desired pH level.
What Does Lime Treatment Do For Your Lawn
Lime balances pH levels and encourages nutrient uptake so your lawn can thrive. Acidic soils create favorable conditions for a variety of weeds like shepherd’s purse to grow. Microorganisms essential to suppress fungi activity are reduced. Microorganisms also aid in the decomposition of grass clippings and thatch. Unfortunately, if your soil pH is acidic, microorganisms cannot grow. Finally, strongly acidic soils may lead to calcium, phosphorus, or magnesium deficiencies, which are vital nutrients for healthy grass growth. Adding lime to balance the pH will help your lawn avoid these pitfalls and help optimize grass performance.
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Tips For Liming Aeration And Seeding
Lime works well with aeration and seedingcombining liming and aeration can give you a head start in the spring, creating a perfect environment for new seeds. Here are some things that can help you get started:
- Use this rule of thumblime should be applied at a rate of 40 pounds per 1000 square feet.
- Apply lime to your yard at the same time you are sowing new seeds.
- Make sure to seed at the recommended rate and to keep the grass seed moist and water daily to keep the grass seed from drying out.
- We recommend double aerate at cross angles, pulling plugs that are around 3-4 in length.
- Afterward, leave the plugs alone so they will break apart, and do not collect the lawn clippings.
- Avoid using spiked shoes for aeration. The spike will compact the soil even further.
When Should I Put Lime On My Lawn
The winter or very early spring is the best possible time to apply lime to your lawnlime can burn growing grass, so youll want to make sure you apply it after the growing season has ended but before the new growth of spring.
In areas where winters are extremely cold, lime treatments should be applied during the first frost. This is because the thaw/freeze cycle assists lime in penetrating the soil.
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Bonide Chemical Hydrated Lime
Bonide chemical is a versatile formula designed for potted plants, gardens, and lawns. A high quality product can raise the pH level of soil quickly and neutralize acidity. Plus, it can improve soil structure and provide sufficient calcium to the lawn. It strengthens the soil so it can easily absorb the nutrients from the soil.
Whats So Great About Lime
Lime is a natural soil additive that can encourage stronger grass growth and better color. It does this by reducing the acidity of the soil, allowing plants to take up more nutrients present in the soil. Not only this, but lime also adds calcium and magnesium to the soil, which are essential nutrients to lawn health.
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Signs Your Lawn Needs Lime Treatment
- Soil test results Most accurate way to determine the pH level.
- Common weeds occur frequently Weed treatments are not as effective.
- Moss is growing Moss grows in acidic soils, a sure sign the lawn needs Lime.
- Fertilizer appears ineffective Diminished signs of green-up or increased growth.
- You have sandy and clay type soils These soil types are naturally acidic.
Powdered Lime For Lawns
This form of Lime is a fine powder made from pulverized limestone. Its what I like to use in my garden around plants that prefer sweeter soil as its cheaper and gets absorbed quickly.
Advantages
This kind of lime is normally more affordable than pellets. Your soil also absorbs it more quickly.
Disadvantages
A gust of wind or even a breeze can easily sweep away this pulverized limestone.
This not only poses the risk of losing your lawn treatment, but you or your family might breathe some in, which is not healthy. This can be remedied by wearing a mask, however.
It can be time-consuming to manually spread powdered lime out over a lawn. While this might work for small lawns, or isolated lawn areas, its not my recommended approach for a broad application. If you have a mid-sized or large lawn, go with pelletized lime.
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How To Apply Lime To Your Lawn & Soil
The most common form of lime used for grass is Dolomitic lime. You can contact a professional lawn care specialist to take care of liming your lawn or can do it on your own if you have experience. Lime for lawncare comes in both pellet and powder form. Both are equally effective in stabilizing the pH of the soil. Lime is applied to grass via a tiller or a drop spreader. This ensures that the application is even and that no one area gets too much lime. The more finely ground the lime, the quicker it will react in your soil.
We recommend hiring professionals to take care of liming your lawn. The process can be messy, and lime powder can be harmful if inhaled. Wearing a commercial-grade breathing mask will help limit exposure, but it is important to clean the surrounding surfaces once it has been applied to the lawn. Lime powder will often stick to paves surfaces and can erode plastics if not properly cleaned. Most lawn care companies will use lime pellets to help prevent many of the cleanup and breathing complications that come with the lime application. Another advantage of using lime pellets is that they are formulated for timed release. This will ensure proper coverage for your entire yard.
When Is The Best Time To Put Down Lime
Timing is very important when liming your lawn. It takes time for lime to break down in the soil and transform the pH. How long the deacidification process takes will depend on the condition of the soil, the type of lime you use, how it is applied, and how well it has been interred into the soil. Working with a professional lawn care company can make the process quicker since they will know the best type of lime and how to apply it according to your specific soil concerns.
In general, the best time to lime your lawn will be in the fall. This will give the lime plenty of time to transform your acidic soil before the next growing season. The chemical reaction of lime in the soil is pretty slow, so if you are looking for quick results for your lawn, you may need to consider soil replacement. The middle of summer is the worst time to lime your lawn. High heat can negatively affect the chemical process and cause the pH levels in your soil to become further imbalanced. You should also avoid liming your lawn when there is a danger of frost. Freezing pretty much brings the chemical process to a standstill, and the moisture may also dilute the lime and prevent proper pH neutralizing.
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Why Is Soil Ph Important
Soil pH determines how soil ranges from acid to neutral to alkaline. This characteristic is given a pH number. Soil with a pH of seven is neutral. Levels below seven are considered acidic and those above seven are considered alkaline. If a soils pH level is extreme in either direction, plants in that soil are not getting the nutrients they need to grow properly.
Soil pH levels are important because they can affect how well your lawn grows. A soils pH level affects plant growth in several ways:
- Nutrient availability
- Soil structure
- Soil toxicity
Acidic soils are most common in areas with heavy rainfall or regions that have sandy soil. Alkaline soils are often found in regions where there is little rainfall. Highly acidic soils are inhospitable to plants.
Adding lime is a common method for raising pH and neutralizing acidic soil. Alkaline soils often require sulfur to lower the pH and get it back to a neutral level.
You can determine the health of your soil by taking a soil test to reveal the nutrient deficiencies determined by the pH levels. This will give you an overall idea of your soils condition.
Why Should I Put Lime On My Lawn
When it comes to proper lawn care, lime is critically important. Lime will ensure that your lawn has an adequate supply of calcium, and it will also ensure your soil has a balanced pH. If you have highly acidic soil, the best and also a cost-effective solution for neutralizing is liming. Lime will naturally break down in the soil over time. As this process progresses, it will trigger the rise of calcium in the soil particles. During the rise, the acidic components will be replaced. Your lawn contains hydrogen and potassium, which are both acidic, they react with the carbonates in the lime transforming them into neutral components. Once they have turned into water, carbon dioxide, and neutralized clay, they can better support the growth of healthy plants, in this instance, grass.
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Does Garden Lime Kill Moss
Moss likes acidic soil. Lime wont directly kill it, but it will make the earth less hospitable for moss.
Moss is problematic for lawns because it grows over the soil surface and prevents rainwater from penetrating down into the earth. This makes the grass dry out, giving it a yellow appearance.
So, applying lime will help your grass maintain its deep, luscious green colour and prevent moss from zapping the water from the grasss roots.
What Does Lime Do For My Grass
Other than balancing your lawns pH levels, lime can help with other issues, provided you know how to apply lime to your yard correctly. For example, agricultural lime can eliminate some toxic elements from the soil by binding them and adding vital nutrients like calcium carbonate, magnesium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus in manageable amounts. These nutrients help your grass thrive and give it that luscious, vivid green color.
While cleansing a lawn of harmful bacteria and toxins can be useful, there are also many good bacteria in soil that help it stay healthy and combat potentially harmful elements. Lime treatments can nourish these bacteria and are especially effective when combined with added compost.
Overall, lime treatments are one of the most beneficial ways to restore and maintain your lawn, but you have to apply the right amounts at the right time. Lawn care professionals should use lime treatments sparingly, or they could end up doing more harm than good.
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Does Your Grass Struggle To Grow
Sparse grass can be a sign of a lack of nutrients, which is very frustrated for homeowners who are regularly applying a slow-acting fertilizer. Acidity levels can work against your best efforts, and in the process, you can spend a surprising amount of money just to wind up disappointed. Adding lime to your soil may help your grass grow faster and thicker. Not only just this lend itself to a lush lawn, but one thats robust enough to fight off problems.
How To Apply Lime Treatment For Lawn
Before you add lime to a lawn, make sure you aerate the yard with core aerators to open pours for Calcitic lime to penetrate the soil. Once you aerate the lawn, the next step is to apply the lime to the lawn.
Always use a rotary spreader or a dropper for application . Apply lime while moving on your yard in one direction and then use the other half in a perpendicular direction. This is a smart way to ensure that you have covered all parts of the lawn with lime.
According to Arkansas Universitys publication, if the soil test of your lawn calls for less than fifty pounds of limestone per 1000 sq. ft, it is better to apply it in a single application. Choose between spring and fall for application.
Furthermore, if youre applying fifty and a hundred pounds of lime, applying half quantity in the spring and the rest in the fall is beneficial. In case you want to add more than a hundred pounds of lime, apply fifty pounds in the spring and fifty pounds in autumn.
Retest the soil in the following spring, and apply more lime to reach the optimal level of soil PH. You may add up to fifty pounds of lime in a single application per 1000 sq. ft. Immediately water the yard after applying lime. It is necessary to wash extra lime off the turf to prevent burn.
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