Lime Lawns – Sweet and Sour

What a title? Lime, sweet and sour mixed with a lawn? What is this article really about?  If you are not a lawn enthusiast, this article is about providing nourishment to your yard.  I know, it sounds silly as to why one would Lime Lawns.  If your grass has become sad looking, it could be that the soil has been deplenished of certain nutrients and created an acidic soil, or sour soil, which is in turn killing your yard!  By the way, alkaline soils are sometimes called “sweet”.

If you think that perhaps your soil does in fact need lime, the first thing to do would to have your soil tested.  The testing can be done either by a reputable lawn service company or your local extension office.  Even a large nursery maybe able to assist you, you would need to ask. 

Lime is a composition of calcium or magnesium and calcium that can reverse the effects that an acidic soil creates.  There are 3 major types of lime which are Burnt Lime, ground Limestone and calcic Limestone composite and hydrated Lime.

When you have your soil tested, you will be advised of the pH level.  If this number is too low or high, adjustments to your soil will need to be done.  The testing is done by measuring the quantity of Hydrogen ions in the dirt.  The measurements are described in units from 1 to fourteen; 7 being the middle is considered neurtral.  If the pH level is above 7 the soil is considered alkaline and below 7 the soil is considered acidic. 

The best reasons to Lime lawns is that the lime promotes and provides nutrients, increases bacterial activity creating healthier soil and also soil acidity.  When working this process into your yard maintenance, liming should be done every 3 to 5 years varying on where you live and the kind of soil you have.  It is easy to over lime, take care in applying the lime per the manufacturers instructions.  The results of your soil testing will determine the amount of lime that should be used.

The best opportunity to lime your yard is when you have no grass because the lime is for the dirt not the grass.  If your lawn is already established, the best time to lime your yard would be either in the spring or the fall.  Lime can be obtained at your local home improvement store in either a powder or pellet form.  Once you have applied lime to your soil, you can have another test the following year to determine if another application is necessary.

Remember that to Lime Lawns is a relatively simple process but be careful not to over lime so that your lawn can be as beautiful as ever!