HOPEFULLY by the end of March, we’ll be out there raking our lawns and getting some fresh air after a long winter cooped up inside.  Raking the lawn will fluff up the blades of grass helping it dry out and warm up so it will start greening up sooner.  Once the raking is finished, it is a great time to do a pH test or two on the soil of your lawn and gardens.  The benefits of properly adjusting the pH of the soil and the benefits of limestone itself are far reaching.  There’s a tendency for soil to gradually become acidic over time.  Decomposing organic matter (grass clippings in the case of your lawn), fertilizer and acid rain all contribute to acidification of the soil.  In heavier soils like clay, this happens very slowly.  In looser soils like sand, acidification occurs more rapidly.  The more fertilizer and organic matter you apply to your lawn or garden, the more often you should check the pH.  Different plants prefer different pH levels.  Most vegetables grow best in slightly acidic soil (pH 6.5 to 6.8) while your lawn will be healthier if the soil is neutral (pH 7).

Every once in a while I run into someone who’s heard that lime is good for the lawn and they’ll ask, “I’ve got an average size lawn and I’ve never limed it.  How much lime should I apply?”  To the uninformed, this seems like a reasonable question.  To me, it’s like asking your mechanic, ”I have a mid-sized sedan.  How much oil do I need to add?”  There’s no way your mechanic could answer unless you allowed him/her to look at the dipstick.  The inexpensive soil pH test kit is your “dipstick” to determine how much lime you need to apply for healthy plant growth.  If I’m asked, “I have 10,000 sq. ft. of lawn and the pH is 6.0.  How much lime should I apply?”  I can then say that you need 10-40 lb. bags of pelletized lime to bring your soil’s pH up to the pH of 7.0 that it should have.  Of course, you may not need to ask since the information is provided in the pH test kit.  Unlike fertilizer applications, you won’t need to apply lime every year.  Usually every 3 to 5 years, maybe even longer depending on the type of soil you have. 

Another benefit of checking and properly adjusting the pH of the soil in your lawn is the control of moss.  I’m not telling you that lime applications will kill moss if it’s already established itself in your lawn but if you’d paid attention to the soil’s pH all along you probably wouldn’t have a moss problem to begin with.  Moss won’t take hold and thrive unless the soil is acidic.  Once it gets established, moss causes the soil in the area it’s growing to become acidic even faster; creating an environment that allows it to spread quickly.  The net effect is that the moss kills off the grass by making the soil too acidic and then fills in the bare area that’s left.  The whole situation can be avoided by checking and adjusting the soil’s pH regularly.  Remember, too much lime will make the soil too alkaline for the grass to thrive so more isn’t better.  The bottom line is this: you can spend a few bucks for a pH test kit and you’ll end up using less lawn food and have a healthier, more disease and drought resistant lawn while spending less.  pH test kits are one of the best bargains going. 

THANKS FOR THE READ!