In many parts of the country, adding lime to your lawn is as essential as mowing it. Without lime, lawns may be unable to benefit from the nutrients in your soil, including those you add through fertilizers. By understanding how lime helps your lawn and why you may need lime, you can help your lawn reach its full potential.
WHAT IS LIME?
Lime is a soil amendment made from ground limestone rock, which naturally contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. When lime is added to soil, these compounds work to increase the soil’s pH, making soil less acidic and more alkaline. Even though lime includes calcium and magnesium, which are essential nutrients for healthy plant growth, it’s not a substitute for fertilizer. Lime’s primary role is to alter soil pH and offset soil acidity, which can improve the availability of plant nutrients.
WHY APPLY LIME?
Lawns need lime when low soil pH starts inhibiting the availability of nutrients. Soil pH preferences vary between regional lawn grasses, but most grasses prefer soil pH between 5.8 and 7.2. Warm-season grasses tolerate slightly lower pH, while cool-season grasses prefer pH slightly higher.1,2 When within preferred pH ranges, the nutrients lawn grasses need most — including added nitrogen from lawn fertilizers — stay available for grass to use. When pH strays too far in either direction, even plentiful nutrients are restricted. Lime restores balance in overly acidic soil to bring pH back to optimal.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY LAWN NEEDS LIME?
When soil becomes too acidic, lawn grasses struggle and plants that flourish in acidic soil take their place. For example, the presence of lawn moss signals your soil pH has become too low for strong, healthy grass growth. Other warning signs include increases in common lawn weeds, diseases and insect pests. Many weeds prefer acidic soil, and low soil pH can inhibit the effectiveness of some herbicides and insecticides.2 When soil is overly acidic, you’ll also notice that grasses don’t respond to quality lawn fertilizers with the healthy, lush growth you normally expect.
WHY DOES SOIL PH KEEP CHANGING?
Soil pH changes for many reasons, including the lime or other products you add. In areas with heavy rainfall, calcium naturally leaches away as rainwater passes through soil. The loss of calcium means soil pH drops and soils become acidic over time. In these regions, lime is usually a necessity for healthy lawns. In areas with very little rainfall, calcium doesn’t leach away, and lawns can become too alkaline. Proper lawn maintenance also naturally lowers soil pH over time. Regular fertilization, proper irrigation and increased activity of beneficial soil microorganisms all contribute to gradual, normal drops in soil pH.2
Semis & Townhouses
$ 35 per application + hst
- 100% organic program
- 3 applications / year
- Improved lawn health
- Helps balance lawn Ph
- Cancel any time
- Pricing applies for townhouses and semi-detached houses only.
Detached Houses
$ 45 per application + hst
- 100% organic program
- 3 applications / year
- Improved lawn health
- Helps balance lawn Ph
- Cancel any time
- Pricing applies for detached houses with lots less than 30 feet wide.
Detached Houses +30
$ 55 per application + hst
- 100% organic program
- 3 applications / year
- Improved lawn health
- Helps balance lawn Ph
- Cancel any time
- Pricing applies for all houses with lots wider than 30 feet.