You can inhibit nitrogen deficiency by mowing regularly and letting the grass clippings stay where they fall. Lime is also judged by its fineness, as measured by the ability to pass through mesh sieves of different sizes. You can learn more about lime lawn treatment and the best time to lime a lawn here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/adding-lime-to-soil.htm. To summarize, liming isn’t a fall task that all homeowners with lawns should routinely perform. Have you done pH and nutrient testing? In many parts of the country, adding lime to your lawn is as essential as mowing it. Don’t spread lime on a dry, wilted lawn or a soggy, wet lawn. If your magnesium levels are out-of-control, select agricultural lime, or aglime, as it is made solely of crushed limestone and won’t add additional magnesium to the soil. In the same way, your dad assessed the needs of the lawn based on the plants growing there. A lawn that is patchy, yellow/brown/dead, weedy, mossy, shallow-rooted, or all of the above may or may not need lime. Don’t lime during frosty weather. The implications of such deficiencies include things like yellowing from decreased chlorophyll, withering of leaf blades, poor winter tolerance, slow-knitting sod, poor growth, reddish leaf tips, low resistance to disease, and reduction in turf density. Once the acidity is reduced, nutrient uptake will improve, and so should the appearance of your lawn. Pelletized lime is less subject to windy and dry conditions: Pulverized lime is best applied during moist weather, as wind and dry conditions can cause the lime application to blow around and become less evenly applied. I BELIEVE IT IS ACIDIC. Don’t expect an extra application of fertilizer to help because highly acidic soil can’t absorb nutrients effectively. 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! Poor soil drainage Do you have problems growing basic leaf lettuce in your veggie patch? What were the results and recommendations for improvement? Conversely, if your dirt is acidic and lacks magnesium, dolomitic lime is the more suitable option. Powdered lime is faster acting but messier to apply than pelletized lime. Whether you test it yourself or have a garden center or lawn care extension service do it … 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. As it turns out, his pH assessment was an accurate one. https://goo.gl/ymS7dV ...Click here to try a liquid form of lime! 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. Many gardeners prefer to lime just before the first frost in fall because the soil has all winter to absorb the lime. If your soil pH is below 5.5, your lawn won’t grow well. Pelleted limestone has become preferred over powdered form, mostly because it’s easier to apply. Molybdenum. 7 of the Best Garden Hose Reels, How to Battle Colorado Potato Beetles in Your Garden. 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. With wit and hopefully some wisdom, she shares what she’s learned and is always ready to dig into a new project! Should I do anything for my beds? So the selling point may be apply properly this year and check again in 2 years. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Packages contain 40 pounds, enough to spread over 1,000 square feet. 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. A lawn has, less of a chance of loss of nutrients and thatch is reduced with a decent ph element. Choose a Time Pulverized and bound into pellets, this product generates less dust than non-pelletized types. Neutralizing acidic soil helps to ensure efficient nutrient uptake so grass is healthy and attractive. They can test the soil to determine if it has the proper nutrients and whether it’s alkaline enough. The two types of lime that gardeners should become familiar with are agricultural lime and dolomite lime. The calcium carbonate equivalent, or CCE, is factored into calculations to establish the recommended number of pounds per acre. I think the one-size-does-not-fit-all concept cannot be stressed enough. 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. The best time to apply limestone depends on if you want to seed your lawn and the time of year. If you live in a shaded orange area above, your soil probably requires lime. Do you need to lime your lawn grass? Here’s a hint that may help you determine if you need lime lawn treatment: If you live in a dry, desert climate, there’s a chance your soil is alkaline and you may not need to lime your lawn grass. If testing indicates the need for either calcitic or dolomitic lime, you may like the following products. A ph that is desirable is between 6.0 and 7.0. Let’s talk about each. 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. A variety of factors influence pH in the earth of your lawn or garden, including nutrient content, rainfall, fertilizer use, and soil type. Lime by soil test recommendations. They don’t treat plant beds for shrubs or trees or flowering plants. Depending on the type of lime, you can use a drop-style or rotary spreader. Calcitic and domestic lime most commonly used in gardening. Have warm-season grass? Actually an element called calcium sulfate. I just got an email from my lawn care company and they recommended liming the lawn due to the acidity of the soil. To determine the pH of earth in your garden, use a product like the Soil Savvy Test Kit available on Amazon, or contact your nearest agricultural extension service for a kit. Lawn grasses generally thrive in soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Limestone can be derived from dolomitic or calcitic lime. Both types of agricultural lime contain traces of additional elements, and it’s the amount of pure calcium carbonate that distinguishes the best products. Knowing this establishes whether we have acidic or alkaline soil. An advocate of organic gardening with native plants, she’s always got dirt under her nails and freckles on her nose. If your garden shrubs and plants are thriving, I would leave the soil alone. 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. The best type of product to use on your lawn is called dolomitic lime. The only way to find out for sure is to take a soil test (Inexpensive tests are available at garden centers.). Best Time to Lime a Lawn. Healthy lawns need proper soil pH to thrive, usually between 6.0 and 7.0. Only a soil test will tell. A note of interest: Nitrogen is so changeable that home test kits generally don’t measure it. The optimal pH for grass is between 6.0 and 7.0. Calcitic lime is usually the best for your lawn, but lime comes in several types. Hi William – Thanks for your excellent question. Thank you, Willow. A soil pH test is the best method to determine if your lawn needs lime. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. Don’t lime during frosty weather. See our TOS for more details. This way, your criss-cross pattern ensures the grass is evenly and completely covered. Aglime consists solely of crushed limestone while dolomitic lime also contains magnesium to help … 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. Moss, bare spots and weeds are signs that your soil has low pH (acidic), which means your lawn could need lime. Liquid lime is applied with a sprayer but it can be difficult to judge the amount of lime applied. By understanding how lime helps lawns and why you may need lime, you can help your lawn reach its full potential. If you haven’t planted grass seed yet, apply lime to the soil just before you plant. If your dirt is acidic, and the nutrient content is adequate, the calcitic type is the better choice. The grass is blooming, and you want to make sure your soil is getting enough water and nutrients. Many gardeners prefer to lime just before the first frost in fall because the soil has all winter to absorb the lime. If your lawn is beautiful, do not add lime. To make your lawn less acidic, you can apply lime. Get the soil professionally tested. Be sure to rake these up as they fall, and plant shade-tolerant grass seed of a variety that does well in moderately acidic soil. This process is called flocculation. https://goo.gl/SraXXQ ...Click here to buy your lime! Lime adds these two essential elements to the soil, but it is more commonly used to correct the soil pH. If your test results show normal or low magnesium levels, dolomitic lime should do the trick! Plants like grass require nutrients that are water soluble, so roots can take them up for healthy growth. However, most gardeners find that pellet forms are easier to apply than powders. Most grasses, even shade-tolerant… Read more ». If you’re not sure whether it’s right for you, read on! Tampering with soil pH and nutrients may ruin a healthy lawn and take years to remediate. The other type of lime sold by gardening centers is often called aglime or agricultural lime. Soil contains primary macronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; secondary macronutrients calcium, magnesium, and sulfur; and micronutrients manganese, iron, boron, molybdenum, zinc, and copper. Be sure to read package labels before purchasing lime products. Once you’ve decided on the best type of lawn, refer to the label to determine the proper amount, which will depend largely on your soil pH. If your lawn doesn’t improve, test the dirt again. Find Lime soil amendments at Lowe's today. Lime quality varies from place to place, so to gauge it you can ask about its effective neutralizing value. In dirt with acidity above pH 6.5, there may be deficiencies in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, or molybdenum. Follow the specific testing guidelines on the product that you purchase.