October 2016 Newsletter

There is Lime and then there is Lime!

One of the questions I am frequently asked in the fall is, Why should I lime? I often find that even gardeners who lime their lawns every year do not really understand how lime works, they just know it does. Lime is one of the least expensive steps you can take for a healthy lawn, yet is often the one most people will skip. Because lime can make a dramatic difference in how well your lawn performs, I have tried to put together a brief lesson in lime.

What does lime do?

Lime is primarily a soil amendment or conditioner and not a fertilizer. An application of lime allows plants to absorb nutrients that were previously unavailable due to the soils pH. As a conditioner, lime helps your lawn and garden by doing the following –

1. Corrects soil acidity
2. Furnishes important plant nutrients like calcium and magnesium
3. Reduces the solubility and toxicity of certain elements in the soil such as aluminum, manganese, and iron. This toxicity could reduce plant growth under acidic conditions
4. It promotes availability of major plant nutrients. Calcium acts as a regulator and aids in bringing about the desirable range of availability of many plant nutrients. Some elements which lime aids in regulating are zinc, copper, and especially phosphorus.
5. It increases bacterial activity helping to create better soil structure.

When should I lime?

Applications of lime on established lawns and gardens can be made at any time of the year, but the best time of the year is fall or early spring. Lime must be spread evenly over the entire area because it does not move horizontally thru the soil. The use of a broadcast spreader helps in even distribution

How much Lime do I need?

The amount of lime required will vary with the degree of acidity, the soil type and the kind of lime you choose to use. Light, sandy soils require less lime than soils high in silt and clay. It is always a good practice to have the soil tested to determine the amount of lime required. Soil test instructions for the University of Massachusetts Soil Lab are available at  www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest .

While more expensive soil pH testing meters are available.  Jonathan Green offers an easy, do-it-yourself kit to determine what your soil will need to achieve the ideal growing conditions for a healthy, beautiful lawn.  The kit contains a test tube, and a capsule of powder to sprinkle on top of the soil and a pH Range Chart.

The bottom line is that liming your lawn and garden is an important part of good maintenance and should be included in any yearly schedule.

So now that you understand what lime is and how it works, I am going to confuse you with all the types of lime that are available to use!

Fast Acting Lime

Fast Acting Lime was created to solve a recurring gardening problem here in Central Massachusetts, the need to quickly and effectively raise soil pH. Soils in our area are quite acidic, a condition that limits many plants and grasses from absorbing essential nutrients. Compounding the problem is extreme wet weather during the fall and early spring that creates weathered soil conditions which increase the natural acidity of our soils. The more acidic your soil, the less likely grass and plants will thrive.

I am a big fan of fast acting lime. This lime is not a hydrated lime also known as slaked lime.  Hydrated lime is calcium hydroxide while fast acting lime is made of calcium carbonate. The biggest difference is fast acting lime will not risk burning your lawn the way hydrated lime might.

The reason that fast acting lime works so quickly is because it is ground very fine and has a higher percentage of calcium carbonate compared to other types of lime. The calcium carbonate is ground very fine and then a binding agent is used to group it together to make it easier to spread. When it gets watered in it starts to dissolve and break down into the small particles. The small particles work faster. Think of the difference between using granulated vs cube sugar in your coffee.

Pelletized Lime

Pelletized lime is finely ground pulverized agricultural lime with a cementing agent has been added to form pellets.  It has been in use for several years, and while it is more expensive, this material is easier to spread than regular pulverized liming materials and eliminates the dust problem caused by powdered lime. The lime pellets dissolve quickly with a soaking rain or irrigation.

Pelletized lime costs a little more than powdered lime, but has several advantages in that it goes through a spreader more easily, it may be spread by hand without being covered by dust and the dust does not drift or blow into areas where lime is not wanted. This type of lime also eliminates such problems as tracking lime onto patios, decks or into the house and it is easier to clean up.

Powdered Lime

Lime powders, while less expensive than pelletized products, can be very messy and difficult to spread. This lime has a dusty consistency like that of baking flour.

So now you have all the information you need to take advantage of some of this cool weather and get out there and lime!

 

All our best,

Team Lakeview!