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When To Add Lime To Lawn

What Does Lime Do For Soil

Applying Lime Treatments to your Lawn — Expert Lawn Care Tips

The two types of lime that gardeners should become familiar with are agricultural lime and dolomite lime. Both types of lime contain calcium, and dolomite lime also contains magnesium. Lime adds these two essential elements to the soil, but it is more commonly used to correct the soil pH.

Most plants prefer a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. If the pH is too high or too low , plants cant absorb the nutrients that are available in the soil. They develop symptoms of nutrient deficiency, such as pale leaves and stunted growth. Using lime for acidic soil raises the pH so that plant roots can absorb the necessary nutrients from the soil.

When To Use Lime As A Soil Amendment For Your Lawn

Lime for lawns reduces soil acidity

Kelly Burke is a professional turf manager for a manicured corporate campus in New England. He is accredited in organic land care and is a licensed pesticide applicator. He formerly managed the turfgrass as a golf course superintendent and has held several senior management positions at private country clubs overseeing high maintenance lawns.


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Soil pH, an important element in proper plant care, is a measure of its relative acidity or alkalinity. For most plants to thrive, the pH level needs to be in the range of about 6 to 7, which is just slightly acidic. A lower pH level, indicative of very acidic soil, is problematic because it prevents plants from absorbing nutrients. In a soil with a very acidic pH of 4.5, for example, it is estimated that about 70 percent of applied fertilizer is wasted because plants can’t make use of it. If your soil is too acidic, you can add agricultural lime for lawns when applied systematically as a soil amendment, it can work to adjust the overall soil pH away from the acidic side and back toward neutral pH.

When Should You Apply Lime To Lawn

Applying lime to lawn is typically done in fall, when grass stops growing. The end of September until the beginning of November is the best time for this treatment. The other best time is in spring, after winter melts, and before the grass begins its growth. It can be done between the beginning of February until the end of March.

Dorota is an economist by profession, but her biggest hobby is photography and interior design. In Treehouse since the beginning of 2019.

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How Much Lime Should I Add To My Yard

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Ground limestone, commonly referred to as agricultural lime or simply lime, has long been valued as a readily available yet highly effective soil amendment. Lime supplies calcium, an essential nutrient, but limes widely appreciated benefits are attributable primarily to its effect on soil pH. Proper applications of lime will ensure that your lawn grass has an adequate supply of calcium and that the soil pH remains in the optimal range.

Test The Soil Ph Level

Lime Application Lawn Service

First, test your soil pH to determine if your soil needs liming or not. Use a soil pH meter like this ToolBay Soil Meter , ) to take an accurate reading, and will also test the moisture levels. Ideally, the recommended pH level of turf grass is from 5.8-7.0, any lower means it will benefit from adding lime to it.

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Excessive Weeds Is A Sign Your Lawn Needs Lime

Every single person on the planet that has a lawn or enjoys gardening will experience weeds growing in their pride and joy that they have to remove.

Weeds growing in your lawn is completely normal but if weeds start to grow more than you would normally expect them to grow, especially if they start to take over certain areas of your lawn this could be a sign that you need to add lime to your lawn to raise the pH level.


Not all weeds will grow if your lawn has a low pH level, weeds that will thrive in a lawn with low pH include:

If you have these specific weeds growing in your lawn that is a good sign that the pH level is in fact too low.

You basically have two options in these circumstances, you can continue to rip out and battle the weeds or you can address the root of the problem which is the fact your lawn has soil with a low pH level.

If you add lime to your lawn in these circumstances it will raise the Ph level and make the soil ideal for grass to grow and it should make the soil less ideal for weeds to grow.

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How Much Does A 40 Lb Bag Of Lime Cover

The general rule is that a 50 pound bag of lime will cover 1,000 square feet of lawn. If thats the case, a 40 pound bag should cover about 800 square feet. That is if the soil ph requires the maximum amount of lime application. If your soil is only mildly acidic, 40 pounds of lime may be enough for 1,000 square feet.

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Apply Lime On A Dried Lawn

Lime is blended into the top 5 inches of soil and applied to dry grass. Grassroots are usually just around five inches deep. A drop or rotary spreader is the most effective instrument to employ. Never use your hands to apply lime on your lawn. If you get too close to the lye in the lime, it will burn you.

To keep the dust out of your lungs, you should also use protective equipment like a breathing mask.


Aerate a lawn with a core aerator before adding lime to allow the lime to move into the soil. After that, apply the limestone to your grass with a drop or rotary spreader.

Half of it should be applied while walking in one way across your lawn, and the other half should be applied in the opposite direction. This ensures that lime is applied to every inch of your lawn.

How Long Does It Take For Lime To Work On Grass

Adding Lime to the Soil – Adusting the soil’s pH level for a green lawn

When you apply lime to your lawn it is not a quick fix and you will not see the effects immediately or possibly anytime soon, it will take time.

Depending on the starting condition of your lawn and the type of lime you apply it can actually take 1-3 years for the full effects of applying lime to fully materialize and improve your lawn. However, you will probably start to see some effects after a few months.

Here are the types of agricultural lime for your lawn that are popular:


  • Dolomitic Lime dolomite is a mineral that is found in limestone and it is rich in calcium and magnesium. It is normally sold in pellets or powder that can be easily spread over your lawn. Dolomitic lime is a slow-acting lime but this has the benefit of making it less likely to burn your plants or grass.
  • Calcitic Lime calcitic lime it the lime you will see the fastest results from applying it to your lawn. However this lime is so powerful there is a real risk that you will burn your lawn if you use it, this type of lime is probably best left for professional lawn care experts.

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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.

How Can I Tell If My Lawn Needs Lime

Weeds, patchiness, discoloration or poor growth can all be signals you might need lime for the lawn, but its best to have your soil tested. A soil test is a simple process, and once you do it youll know the exact acidity level and can plan the best care regimen.

There are several homemade ways of testing soil, but the most reliable and accurate method is through your county extension or land-services office. If the university system in your state has an agricultural lab, you can often get the tests from there, as well as garden centers. In some cases they are free, but the cost can be as little as $10.


You can also do the test online and through the mail by sending in a sample to determine if you need lime for your lawn. Soil testing services will usually send you the results directly. An authentic soil test will give you better confidence in your results, as well as give you more power to cultivate the perfect, lush, green lawn you envision.

Lawn grasses in states that have cold winters generally do well with a soil PH level of about 6.5 to 6.8. The pH levels measure acidity/alkalinity on a scale of 0-14, with the low pH numbers representing items with a high acid content, such as vinegar or lemon juice.

A good soil test also tells you levels of calcium and magnesium. This information will better guide you to either the most popular dolomitic lime that contains magnesium, or the more calcium-rich calcitic lime.

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What Happens If I Use Too Much Lime

Liming your lawn is an effective way to help the soil restore itself to a healthy pH, which in turn will give you healthier grass. Liming should always be left to the professionals, but if you did lime your lawn on your own and notice a problem, chances are you used too much. Using too much lime on your lawn will remove the acidity from the soil, but it will also make it too alkaline for your grass to thrive. This will cause yellowing grass that is also not able to absorb vital moisture and nutrients from the soil around it.

The best way to fix an over-liming is to have a professional lawn care company test the soil and administer a customized solution. You can also spend several weeks mulching in fresh organic materials to help dilute the lime. Or, as a last resort, you can apply horticultural sulfur to your lawn to try to counteract the lime and restore your soil to a healthy pH level.

Preserve And Protect Your Lawn

When should you apply LIME? Find the answer at Encap.net! #Gardening # ...

While the major benefit of using lime in your lawn is correcting soil acidity, calcitic lime also adds an important nutrient to your lawn that’s right, calcium.

Calcium helps maintain your lawn’s colour and strength, and also helps protect the lawn from stress, including heat, drought, or heavy foot traffic.

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Only Apply When Needed

You wouldnt take an antacid if you didnt have heartburn would you? Then why apply lime to a lawn that doesnt need it? While liming does have its place in proper lawn maintenance, it should only be applied when needed to correct an acidic soil, and then only after a professional soil test. Most places in the United States are actually within the preferred pH range and liming would be useless, or even damaging to a soil. So the next time someone tells you your lawn needs lime added, be sure to ask how they came to that conclusion.

What Type Of Lime Is Best For Lawns

Thanks to the added plant benefits provided by the calcium, the preferred type is calcitic lime. Agricultural ground limestone, pulverized limestone, and crushed limestone are some of the types of calcitic lime products that are available. Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring mineral that occurs naturally in the earths crust. It is found in a variety of forms, such as calcite, gypsum, limestone and sandstone.

Calcite is used as a mortar and pestle, as well as as an abrasive for grinding and polishing metals and ceramics. The mineral is also used to make concrete, which is why it is commonly used in building construction. In addition to its use in construction, calcites can be used for landscaping and landscape design.

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Can I Apply Lime And Fertilizer At The Same Time

Its okay to apply lime andfertilizer at the same time. The lime will release slowly over time and provide a long-term solution, while thefertilizer will provide an immediate supply of nutrients to the soil.

If youre not sure how much lime to use, you can use a soil test kit to estimate the amount of lime youll need. You can also use this calculator to figure out how many pounds of fertilizer to add to your soil.

When And How Do I Apply Lime

Soil pH Level How to Spread Lime to Raise and Fix It.

Throughout the U.S. and Canada, the best time to apply lime is in the spring or fall. In northern locations, applying lime in October or November before the ground freezes will allow rain to work it into the soil. The snow melt and freeze/thaw cycle during the spring will also help work it into the ground.

Your soil test will likely make a recommendation on how much lime to apply based on your pH value. Soils that are slightly acid could require 25 to 50 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. annually. You can split this up into two applications if you prefer, one in the spring and another in the fall.

Lime can be messy to apply if you buy the cheap stuff. Pay a little more for pelletized dolomitic lime. It will be easier to apply with your broadcast spreader, and will add calcium and magnesium to your lawn while raising your soils pH.

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What Does Lime Do For Lawns

The main reason to apply lime to your lawn is to raise the pH level. The ideal pH for grass is between 6 and 7.

If your soil is too acidic, the grass will not be able to absorb essential nutrients. This leads to yellowing and dying of the grass blades.

Lime helps neutralize excess acidity in your lawn, which can cause damage to the grass roots.

Its important to note that lime cannot solve all problems with your lawn. It wont fix poor drainage, compacted soil or a lack of nutrients in the soil. It can only help if you have an overly acidic lawn, but it wont work miracles.

Does My Lawn Need Lime

Whether or not your lawn needs lime is dependent upon its soil pH which is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity in your soil. In the Lehigh Valley, the ideal soil pH is 6.5. Anything that gets into the 5.5 or lower is an indication that your lawn definitely needs lime. In the Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton, PA area, its common for soil to be acidic, with the pH on the low side. Lime for lawns helps to raise the pH to where it needs to be in that sweet spot of 6.5 to 7.0.

Even if you end up with the correct soil pH range, its a good idea to check this each year as the pH will have a tendency to lower over time.

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Other Mistakes To Avoid

Be careful around your flowers and plants when spreading lime. Heavy concentrations of lime can make the soil dangerous for some flowers and plants.

Some plants like soil that is more naturally acidic. If you lime areas where you have plants like azaleas or daffodils growing, it could impact their health.

Can You Put Lime Down With Grass Seed

What Is Lime Treatment For Lawn

Lime can be applied at the same time. Follow a plant for one year. New lawns should be planted in the fall and existing lawns should be over-sowed in the early spring. For soils that are sandy or clay-loam, this method works well. Mulching Mulching is a great way to control weeds and keep weeds out of your lawn.

Mulch can be applied at any time of the year, but its best to apply mulch in late spring or early summer, when the soil is warm and the grasses are in bloom. If you dont have a lawn mower, you can also use a garden rake to mow the lawn in the spring and summer.

Mowing is best done by hand, so be sure to wear gloves when mowing. When youre done, remove the mowed grass and place it in a bucket of water to keep it moist until the next time you need it.

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