
You know you have clay if you can clump the soil into a ball, and it retains its shape. It can take longer for nutrients to permeate clay. It isn’t too sandy, but it isn’t too dense, either. Loam is the kind of soil that has a pretty good mixture of different particles in different sizes.Sandy soil will not form into a ball but just fall apart. This means the lime will saturate the soil. Sandy soil allows water and nutrients to move through it quickly.

If you want to do the math yourself, first, you need to determine your soil type.

If your soil ph is below 5.5, then it is time to add lime. Once you know your soil ph, it is simple to plug in the numbers to determine exactly how much lime your soil needs. There are several handy lime application rate calculators available online, including this one from Clemson University or this one from the National Gardening Association. If your soil is only mildly acidic, 40 pounds of lime may be enough for 1,000 square feet. That is if the soil ph requires the maximum amount of lime application. If that’s the case, a 40 pound bag should cover about 800 square feet. The general rule is that a 50 pound bag of lime will cover 1,000 square feet of lawn. To make sure that your lime application does not burn the grass, always water after application to rinse the grass blades. Never apply more than 50 pounds per 1,000 square feet at a time. Can you put too much lime on your lawn?Ībsolutely! Too much lime will burn your grass. Generally, one application should be done in the spring and the other in the fall. If your yard needs more than 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet, divide it into two applications. The total amount of lime per acre would be 2,178 pounds. Divide that by 1,000, then multiply by the 50 pounds of lime. So, let’s do the math for a one-acre yard. Of course, if your soil levels are closer to ideal, you can add less lime. If your lawn has a very low ph balance, you can apply as much as 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet of lawn at a time. How much lime to use all depends on that little ph test. How many bags of lime do you need per acre? Once you’ve determined the ph level of your soil, you can decide if you need to use lime. You can purchase an inexpensive soil ph test kit. Soil tends to be more acidic in areas with a lot of moisture. Your ideal soil ph balance should be slightly acidic, between 5.5 and 7.0.Ĭlimate usually determines whether you have acidic or alkaline soil. Lime is excellent for soil that has a lower ph and is more acidic. You don’t want soil that is highly acidic or highly alkaline. This makes soil less acidic and more alkaline. Why do you put lime on a lawn?Īgricultural lime will raise the ph level of the soil. It contains calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. Lime (also known as agricultural lime) has nothing to do with the citrus fruit but is actually a soil amendment made from ground limestone. How much lime to raise soil ph 1 point?.How do I calculate how much lime I need?.


