This week I applied lime to my lawn. Earlier this year I took a soil test to find out that my soil’s pH was 6.1. This is within the normal pH range for a lawn which is between 6 and 7. Therefore I followed the bag directions to apply it at a rate of 6-8 lbs. per 1,000 sq ft. I applied it at a rate of 7 lbs. to maintain the current pH level. There have been times in the past that I applied it at a rate of 12 lbs. It all depends on where the pH level is at. The lower it is, the more lime will be needed to raise it. But always follow the bag directions to not over do it.
I took my first soil test about 5 years ago and at that time the pH level was at 5.3, that’s low! Since then I’ve been applying lime almost every year as my budget allowed. Raising the soil’s pH is easy but it’s not a quick process. It can take at least a couple of years to see the pH rise half a point. Although it takes time, it’s worth getting the soil’s pH to a good level. Will it hurt your lawn if you don’t apply lime? No. However, your lawn will get the most nutrients out of the soil when the pH is between 6 and 7. If the pH is outside of that range, some nutrients get locked up and become unavailable to the plant. So go ahead and get that pH right, your lawn will thank you for it.
