How to Tell If Your Soil Needs Lime

One of the biggest factors of healthy grass growth is something you can’t even see: soil pH levels. Soil pH is a measurement of the alkalinity or acidity of the soil and is measured on a scale of 1-14. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, while anything below 7 is acidic, and anything above 7 is alkaline. Fortunately, there are steps you can take if your soil’s pH is out of balance. Limestone (also known as lime in the lawn care industry) is a material that’s heavy in calcium that is used to increase to help increase soil acidity if your soil’s pH is too low. Learn why lawn pH impacts the health of your lawn and how you can tell if your lawn needs lime.

Why Is Lawn pH Important?

There are enormous benefits to your lawn when adjusting pH to a range between 6.2 – 7.0. It enhances the availability of major plant nutrients, increases soil microorganism activity, and helps improve soil structure.

How to Tell If Your Soil Needs Lime

Test the Soil

Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to tell what a soil’s pH is by simply looking at it. If you live in the Northeast United States, it’s safe to assume your soils are acidic, though it is always best to use a soil testing kit to get accurate measurements. You can find many options online and at your local garden center.

It’s the Fall

Lime can be applied any time of the year, but it’s typically preferable to apply lime during the fall due to soil temperatures, as this helps increase the breakdown of the lime. It’s especially helpful when you apply it after aerating and seeding your lawn during this time.

Potential Signs of an Acidic Lawn That Needs Lime

There are a few signs your lawn might be alkaline and require lawn treatment, but there might be other causes of these lawn problems, so further investigation is required:

• There are a significant amount of weeds. Lush, healthy lawns are able to weed out weeds by limiting available root space. Your sparse lawn might be caused by a pH imbalance that can be amended with a lime application.
• Fertilizer isn’t doing its job. Because the pH of your soil impacts your lawn’s ability to use nutrients, your soil might need lime if your fertilizer doesn’t seem to be impacting the health of your lawn.

Green Lawn Fertilizing Knows all About Your Lawn’s Lime Needs in PA, DE, and NJ

We only service the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey, so we understand the nuances of the soil conditions in our area that impact the pH levels. The eastern United States tends to have acidic soils due to the rainfall we receive in comparison to other areas of the country. This rainfall causes the loss of basic cations that would otherwise help keep the soil from acidic conditions. We also have naturally occurring decaying organic matter that contributes to the acidity of our soils over time.

Your Green Lawn technician will test your soil pH for free to determine the amount of lime and the number of applications needed to properly balance your pH. We use granular limestone to reduce the dusty residue that is common with powdered lime. These granular are held together with a water-soluble substance that dissolves quickly when wet to allow it to absorb deep into your soil. Call us today at 855-469-0692 for a free quote and to schedule a service like lime applications.