How to Add Lime With Fertilizer to Grass

Adding lime to fertilizer is a great way to reduce the acid levels of soil in your lawn or garden. Soil has a tendency to accumulate acidic minerals and over time can ruin the production of vegetation such as grasses, trees, and some vegetables. Lime should be added to a lawn when the pH levels reach a 6.0 reading or higher evenly across the surface of the lawn. Adding lime with fertilizer is very beneficial for growing vegetables in soils with a high acid content, and is a relatively easy process.

Things You'll Need

• Soil pH test kit
• Lime (limestone)
• Fertilizer or compost
• Lawn spreader
• Garden hose fertilizer adapter
• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Test the pH level of the soil of your lawn to ensure it is at a level which requires the addition of lime. Soils with acid content of 6.0 or higher will need lime to reduce acidity. Soil testing kits are available at most home and garden supply stores.

2. Determine the square footage of your lawn using a tape measure. Multiply the width and length of your lawn to get the square footage. Distribute evenly at least 50 lbs. of lime over an area of 1,000 square feet using a lawn spreader.

3. Apply two to three pounds of fertilizer or compost to every 100 square feet of lawn using a lawn spreader, or garden hose fertilizer sprayer. Apply fertilizer completely after lime has had time to set into the soil. The lime will set in after about one or two weeks.

4. Observe your lawn carefully for the next two to three months. The grass should appear a more vibrant green than before you added the lime and fertilizer. If you had patchy brown or dead areas in the lawn, these should start to disappear within two months. If these changes do not occur after three months apply half the amount of lime that you used initially over the entire area of lawn.

5. Apply lime after the initial application every three to four years. Fertilize once a year after initial application to maintain a healthy grass lawn.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a garden hose fertilizer sprayer to apply fertilizer and water evenly across your lawn.

• Adding lime to areas for vegetable growth needs to be done precisely depending on the vegetables grown. Consult a vegetable pH table, available at most garden stores, for the proper acid level of soil needed to grow certain vegetables. Vegetables requiring a high acid content such as potatoes will not benefit from reducing acidity, and will lose nutrients with the introduction of lime to the soil.

References

• Use of fertilizer and lime
• Fertilizers and lime
• Planting tips