Why lawn soil pH matters and how lime is the best solution!
Making your lawn (and its soil pH) awesome!
Why care about a healthy lawn pH?
- Improves fertilizer effectiveness
- Maximizes nutrient availability
- Enables soil microbe activity
If we fertilize our lawns without first correcting the pH, we could waste anywhere from 20 - 70% of the fertilizer. With a low pH, the Nitrogen and Potassium we fertilize our lawns with will bond with the excess Hydrogen to form compounds the grass plants can’t access.
Maintaining a pH between 6.5 and 7 is the best thing we can do to maximize the available nutrients for our lawns. In the northeast we have a naturally acidic soil (i.e. a pH less than 7). If you soil tests above 7, that would be uncommon for the Northeast, but please reach out and we'd be happy to help.
Image: Nutrient availability by pH level (Source: Jonathan Green )
What is pH?
pH is a measurement of the concentration of Hydrogen ions. By neutralizing an acidic soil we are decreasing the amount of Hydrogen ions in the soil. Excess Hydrogen bonds with soil nutrients, forming compounds that grass plants can’t absorb and that the microbes in the soil aren’t able to feed on.
What to do? How to improve your soil pH.
Test your pH using a pH meter prior to putting down any fertilizer.
If your pH is below 6.5, you'll want to apply a Calcium product to the lawn. We apply Calcium because it bonds with the Hydrogen, neutralizing the soil pH and minimizing the free Hydrogen ions in the soil.
Why Lime? Limestone is a natural source of Calcium. Although we have traditional Lime products (pulverized limestone), there are improved products with a higher concentration of Calcium and faster activation in the soil. These products are commonly referred to as "Fast-Acting Lime."
Our best calcium product is Jonathan Green’s Mag-I-Cal , that improves soil pH in as little as two weeks! That's really fast compared to the 3-4 month breakdown and activation period of traditional Lime products.
Jonathan Green's more recent innovation was combining their fast-acting lime formula with their soil conditioner, creating Mag-I-Cal Plus. Mag-I-Cal Plus adds molasses as a sugar source to stimulate microbe activity as well as gypsum, which helps to break up clay and compacted soils. "Looser soil" improves root penetration, enables air and water flow, and promotes growth by increasing biological activity and releasing nutrients trapped in the soil. This natural and effective combination is an easy to apply a holistic approach to improving soil health.
For an effective and fast-acting lime product at a great price, we also carry Ziplime by Soil Doctor.
When to apply lime and Calcium products
Spring is Great, Fall is NOT too Late!
Apply lime any time during the growing season when the ground is not frozen; usually by April in the Northeast so that the calcium can dissolve and work into the soil. If your pH is really low, you can apply lime up to 3 times per year (spring, summer, and fall). Keep in mind that fast acting products (as shown above) work in as little as 2-4 weeks, whereas traditional powdered or pelleted lime takes 3 to 4 months. It used to be common practice to apply lime every Fall to accommodate this longer activation period, preparing the soil for next Spring.
How to apply lime and Calcium products
Lime and other products are easily spread using a broadcast or drop spreader. We recommend applying at the recommended rate on the package. Otherwise, the product will under perform if applied too lightly or you'll have additional waste by over applying. Always apply 1 product at time in your spreader. Spread rates and throw weights of all products are different and combining multiple products usually leads to an insufficient or potentially harmful application for the lawn.
Repeat applications are better than increase dosage.
If you want to drastically improve your soil pH, increased frequency of applications is better than increased 'dosage.'
Keep in mind, the product needs to be watered in to work. Try timing the application prior to a rain or irrigate afterwards to ensure the product is dissolved into the intended areas.
Lime can be applied the same day as fertilizers and grass seed. Think of Lime as conditioning the soil rather than feeding the plants.
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