How to put lime on your lawn and when to do it
If you want to know how to make your lawn greener , knowing how to get lime on your lawn can make all the difference. Adding lime to your lawn not only gives your soil a much-needed pH balance, but also encourages healthy growth for the new year.
Unlike the citrus variety, the garden lime is known as “garden lime” or “dolomitic lime”. Typically this is made from ground rock, limestone or dolomite or supplied in pellets. Garden lime has a high concentration of natural magnesium carbonate and calcium, which is often used to neutralize acidic soil. For this reason, knowing how to lime your lawn and when to do so is important to ensure your lawn receives the right amount of calcium and a balanced pH soil for a greener lawn.
While the process may seem challenging, with the right equipment and care, it’s actually not that difficult. So if you want a green lawn all year round, here’s how to get limescale on your lawn with these simple steps.
You can find more lawn care tips here 5 tips to keep your lawn green, and learn how to trim your lawn to make it look bigger. Just make sure you don’t do any of these 7 common lawn care mistakes or lawn mower error while you’re at it.
When is the best time to whitewash your lawn?
The best time to add lime to your lawn is fall or early spring. This is typically the time when it rains, snows and has freeze and thaw cycles, which helps lime to break down and work in the soil. In addition, there are several months in the fall to disperse before spring planting. In dry weather it is advisable to water the lawn immediately after applying garden lime or to spray before a rain shower.
How to get limescale on your lawn
Before you begin, remember to never apply lime to wet grass, only when it’s dry. Similar to fertilizing wet grass, too much rain will wash it away before the soil has a chance to absorb the lime.
1. Test the pH of the soil
First, Test the pH of your soil to determine if your floor needs liming or not. Use a soil pH meter like this ToolBay Soil Meter ($11 (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)) to take an accurate reading and also test the moisture content. Ideally the The recommended pH of lawn grass is between 5.8 and 7.0any lower means it benefits from the addition of lime.
2. Buy your lime
Next, Buy garden lime needed to apply to your garden. This can be purchased from your local garden center and is usually available in powder or pellet form. It’s also important to consider the size of the area you need to cover. A general rule applies 50 pounds of lime to cover about 1000 square feet (23 kg, 93 sqm) substrate, but always read the instructions for use before use.
3. Handle with safety gear
When handling garden lime, always wear one of the The best gardening gloves to avoid possible skin irritation. You can also choose to wear safety goggles when spreading lime on a windy day. Never spread lime by hand, even with gloves, as this is not a safe practice or as effective as using a spreader. Although limescale is not known to be toxic, it can often irritate skin, so use caution.
4. Prepare the spreader
You need a spreader to apply lime to your lawn. There are two basic types available for purchase. Drop spreaders literally drop the minerals straight down through holes in the bottom of the tank, while rotary spreaders use a mechanism to spin them in larger circles. We can recommend this AMAZE 75201 Broadcast Spreader ($50 (opens in new tab), Amazon (opens in new tab)), for best results. when you fill it Put the spreader on concrete before pouring the lime into the spreader basin. If there is no specific fill line, leave about 1 inch blank from the top. In any case, always read the instructions for use on both the lime and the spreader set the correct amount of spread before applying.
5. Apply the lime to your lawn
The best way to apply lime to your lawn is to lime first Walk the entire perimeter of your backyard, or the area you want to cover. This will give you an outline to help you make turns if necessary. Then, straight lines going back and forth from one end of the yard to the other until you have covered the area. For those with clumsy or irregularly shaped yards, try to make sure you keep each line “straight” by following the pattern of the previous line.
6. Apply the second round of lime
Then apply the second round of lime by criss-crossing the first lines you had done Just walk lines perpendicular to the first set of lines to cross that set. This method ensures you cover every inch of the lawn and is more effective for an even, healthy lawn.
7. Water your lawn
Next, lightly water your entire lawn, make sure that the lime begins to penetrate the soil. As a result, lime particles adhering to the blades of grass are flushed directly into the ground and the blades of grass are prevented from “burning”. You can use a water sprinkler like this WOVUU Lawn Sprinkler ($19, (opens in new tab) Amazon (opens in new tab)), but make sure you don’t flood your lawn or you’ll have to learn how to fix a soggy lawn for a healthy garden.
8. Check the pH of the soil in a month
After a month, Check the soil pH to see if more lime is needed. If you find that your soil is still very acidic, you may need to apply lime more than once. Remember that lime is a slow-acting mineral, so it takes months for it to penetrate the soil and change the pH. In some cases, it can take up to six months to see a significant reading, so patience is key.
How often should you whiten your lawn?
In general, you should apply lime every three to five years. However, check the pH of your soil every 1-2 years and only if the pH drops should you repeat lime treatment as needed.
If you are looking to upgrade your lawn mower, here are 5 reasons to buy an electric lawn mower. Or if you are in the gardening tool market, take a look at the best garden shears.