How to Tell If Your Soil Needs Lime
What You Need to Know About Lawn pH? Even though it is invisible, soil pH levels are one of the most important variables in healthy grass growth. The pH of the soil, which ranges from 1 to 14, is a measurement of the soil's alkalinity or acidity. Anything with a pH of 7 or higher is considered alkaline; anything with a pH below 7 is considered acidic. If your soil's pH is out of equilibrium, you can, fortunately, take some action. When your soil's pH is too low, you can use limestone—also referred to as lime in the lawn care industry—to assist in raising soil acidity. Learn how to determine whether your lawn needs lime and discover how to assess your lawn's health and why grass pH matters.
Why Is Lawn pH Important? The pH of your lawn can be changed to a range between 6.2 and 7.0, which has great advantages. It boosts soil microbial activity, improves soil structure, and increases the availability of key plant nutrients.
How to Tell If Your Soil Needs Lime - Test the Soil - Unfortunately, judging a soil's pH by its appearance is not a trustworthy method. It is reasonable to presume that your soils are acidic if you live in the Northeastern United States, but it is always preferable to utilize a soil testing kit to obtain precise measurements. Many options are available both online and at your neighborhood garden center.
It's the Fall - Lime can be sprayed at any time of the year, but because of the cooler soil temperatures in the fall, it is often preferred because it speeds up the decomposition of the lime. Applying it after aerating and seeding your lawn during this period is extremely beneficial.
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: 1. 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. 2. 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.
Lawnber Knows all About Your Lawn’s Lime Needs - We service the areas of New York, so we understand the nuances of the soil conditions in our area that impact the pH levels. The eastern parts tend 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.