Why Use Lime in Lawn Care?

Grass may grow naturally, but keeping a nice lawn takes a little more work.

Keeping an attractive lawn has many benefits: it makes home a more welcoming place, it raises property values and even makes neighbors jealous. However, it takes work to keep up a good lawn, and one helper in that task is the humble chemical called lime.

Ideal

In general, you want your soil to have acidity between 6.5 and 7.0 pH. Too high, and the soil is alkaline, or "sweet." Too low, and the soil is acidic, or "sour." Either extreme is bad for your lawn.

Benefits

Lime is a calcium-based chemical that reduces the acidity of soil that has a pH level below 6.5. The further below 6.5 pH the soil is, the more lime benefits it.

Types

Three types of lime give you a choice for raising pH. Ground limestone, or calcium carbonate, is the cheapest and also the safest to handle. Burnt lime (CaO) works must faster, but is also caustic and can damage skin. Hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) sits in the middle: not as harsh as burnt lime but faster than ground limestone.

References

• West Virginia University: Liming the Lawn; Clifford W. Collier, Jr.